New Hotel Opening in Switzerland’s Saint Moritz

In December 2011 the new 5 star Hotel GIARDINO MOUNTAIN in Champfèr near Saint Moritz, Switzerland, has opened its doors. The hotel is under the management of the well known Swiss GIARDINO HOTELGROUP.

Surrounded by majestic mountains, the hotel Giardino Mountain is becoming the hotspot of glamorous Saint Moritz.

The team of the new hotel welcomes its guests with alpine chic and the friendly hospitality of the Engadin in the Swiss Alps.

Giardino Mountain – new Hotel in the Swiss Alps

Booking information and rates of Giardino Mountain resort

Watch out when you drive through the village Champfèr. You might miss the hotel, since from the outside you would guess it’s just a little, traditional hotel tucked into the tiny village of Champfèr. What you don’t know at that time, is that the hotel is composed of several buildings which are connected underground.

Main building on the left with reception, bar and lounge - rooms and restaurant on the right hand side

As soon as we set foot in the hotel, we are welcomed very warmly by the staff and the very stylish and colorful interior makes our hearts leap for joy.

For a welcome drink we get a delicious hot apple punch with a large amaretto.

Tasty apple punch with amaretti. What a friendly welcome...

Directress Katrin Ruefenacht, describes the efforts they have made in order to be ready for this big opening. And they made it on time – everyone and everything was ready to welcome the guests. We are anxious to get to see the whole hotel; Stefanie from the reception takes us on a tour and shows us around.

Lounge with chimney and colorful seating accommodation

Design Inside – Trendy Luminaries Everywhere

Even though the exterior of the Giardino Mountain hotel is rather traditional, the interior presents itself with a mix of designed furniture as well as traditional material and colorful and beautiful fabrics.

There are various and very eye-catching design lamps everywhere, however it is all furnished very harmoniously.

Guestrooms and Suites at Giardino Mountain Saint Moritz

The 78 guestrooms and suites are completely refurbished and feature a combination of stylish sophistication and rustic elegance, offering quiet comfort in an eclectic mix of warm colors. Through the use of extravagant materials and special features, such as walk in showers, the bathroom becomes an oasis of well being.

In our room we even had a bathtub standing near the bed, from where you have a breathtaking view over the Lake of Silvaplana and the majestic mountains of the Corvatsch.

The Small Difference…

There are quite a lot of 5 star hotels around and to be honest, we usually try to avoid them, since we rather prefer small and charming boutique hotels.

Well, the Giardino Mountain is a very good combination of both: When you get bathrobes in several sizes (in our case just fitting perfectly – coincidence or perfection?), when the wardrobe is equipped with a motion sensor, when you hear the sound of the TV in the bathroom, when you are able to surf online via wireless and the safe is big enough to tuck 2 laptops and a SLR camera away – then you know, that this is certainly not at all vital, nevertheless you appreciate the fact that someone has thought about the guests’ well-being and comfort. Well done!

Restaurants at Giardino Mountain Hotel

The hotel offers three different restaurants: the cosy and traditional restaurant Stüva which serves up superb Engadin specialties including the typical air-dried beef, raclette and fondue.

The all day dining Ristorante GUARDALEJ offers delicate and mouth-watering selections out of a creative menu, prepared with the finest ingredients. The ambiance is informal, but still very stylish. You choose your menu based on the daily changing à la carte menu. The choice ranges from several cold and warm entrees, soups, main dishes and desserts. And be warned, everything on the menu sounds very appetizing!

Needless to say, that you also get a delicious amuse bouche before you start with your dinner. And don’t forget to leave some space also for the cheese buffet…

As a starter we took scallops on a cauliflower-mousseline (!) and a rabbit tatar with a rosemary focaccia.

But also the main dish was very tasty: roasted filet of sole with Risotto. And a brased beef on polenta with vegetables. And of course we had some Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

As already forewarned – you should have left some space for the delicious cheese buffet.

And guess what – together with the coffe they also serve home made petit-four. Hmm… delicious!

It goes without saying that the service at the Guardalej is very attentive and friendly.

Now, if this does not convince you yet – you should try the restaurant Ecco on snow.

Continuing a tradition of fine cuisine and hospitality, the 2-Michelin starred master chef Rolf Fliegauf will spoil guests at the Ecco on Snow, which is certain to deliver a gourmet dinner. Unfortunately, the restaurant Ecco was not yet opened the weekend we stayed at the hotel. Hence, we could not try it out ourselves.

But from what we’ve seen from the interior with the romantic set we are sure, that it must be a highlight. So don’t miss it and try it out!

DIPIÙ SPA by Giardino – Wellness and Spa

The new DIPIÙ SPA by Giardino area is another corner of this awesome retreat. Here, guests can take a dip in the heated swimming pool, enjoy a wet or dry sauna or choose from one of many massages and treatments offered by the team.

A fully-equipped work-out room, a hairdressing service, 7 individual treatment rooms as well as an exclusive SPA lounge for in-depth consultation are available. With DIPIÙ the spa features its own cosmetic brand. The products comprise essences and natural ingredients.

Homepage of Giardino Mountain.

Tags: europe, hotel, Swiss Alps, switzerland, tourism, travel, winter