The facade of Grand Hotel Kronenhof, the jewel in the crown of the little village of Pontresina

On a shelf at the confluence of the Engadine, Bernina and Roseg valleys, the Grand Hotel Kronenhof, in the village of Pontresina, combines old-world grandeur, contemporary elegance, astonishing views and some knockout cocktails

Follow LUX on Instagram: @luxthemagazine

As anyone who reads this publication will know, St Moritz and its surrounding Alpine valleys are getting more desirable by the year. But that doesn’t mean that there are not discoveries within them, and the Kronenhof is most certainly one of them.

The alpine view from Hotel Kronenhof’s lobby lounge

Sitting on a plateau above a deep, forested river gorge, the Kronenhof is the jewel in the crown of the little village of Pontresina –  located at an even more spectacular point than St Moritz itself, a six kilometre, 10-minute drive away.

Read more: Tom Rowntree on modern luxury hospitality

Pontresina sits at the mouth of the Roseg valley, which rises up to reveal dramatic glaciated and snowy peaks year round. From the swimming pool at the Kronenhof through its huge plate-glass windows, you have a fishbowl view of the whole Engadine Valley and the forested mountains lining it.

‘Pontresina sits at the mouth of the Roseg valley, which rises up to reveal dramatic glaciated and snowy peaks year round’

The rooms in public areas can only be described as high mountain high chic. There is a view everywhere you go – and it all feels very integral to nature, not urbanised at all. You can head up the mountain alongside the hotel with a guide to discover ibex hiding in the forest; or take a horse and carriage ride up the valley opposite, towards the glaciers; or hike, mountain bike, trail run, swim in lakes… and slide back into the modern grandeur of the Kronenhof.

Read more: A week of art in Jaipur

Whether you are from Bangkok or Baku, the Belle Époque Grand Restaurant dining room, with its own minstrels’ gallery (unlike anything in, say, Courchevel), will take your breath away. You feel you are in the ballroom of a 19th-century Archduke, except at 1,800 meter altitude. Service is exquisite in the way only heritage Alpine hotels can achieve. We particularly liked the after-dinner cocktails in the sophisticated bar area, and going on to the cigar lounge and pool table.

The Belle Époque Grand Restaurant dining room of Hotel Kronenhof, offering guests a meal in classic yet modern luxury

With staff who seem to know you even if you have never been before (and remember you if you have, however long ago) and an underlying civility, gentility and professionalism that speaks not just to the staff but to the sophistication of the management, for summer, winter, or in between, we can’t recommend it enough.

kronenhof.com

Exterior view of the 19th-century Grand Hotel Kronenhof in the Swiss Alps

In a high valley near St Moritz, the Kronenhof in Pontresina combines Swiss culture with a Mediterranean mountain vibe. Who needs Portofino?

One of the drawbacks of being in the mountains is that you are at the bottom of a valley, in the shade, when all around you is bathed in sun. This is not a problem that the Kronenhof, in Pontresina, will ever have. The village of Pontresina is located on a south- facing shelf, above the bottom of the valley that connects St Moritz, in Switzerland, with the Bernina Pass over to Italy.

The entrance of the Grand Hotel Kronenhof

The Kronenhof, in prime position on this shelf, feels like it is floating above the forest coating the valley floor (and dropping into a precipitous gorge, if you look closely enough). And from the lawns outside its swimming pool area in summer, you can see the Alps lined up, facing you, glowing gold-green in the sun.

The whirlpool inside the hotel’s spa

It’s a strange and wonderful feeling, being here in summer. On the one hand, you are 1,800m (about 6,000ft) up in the mountains; the air is very precise, very pure, and will leave normal people puffing if they try to run.

The whirlpool inside the hotel’s spa

But on the other hand, this is the southern side of the Alps, contiguous with northern Italy and the South of France.

Follow LUX on Instagram: luxthemagazine

The mountains to the north hold back the wet northern European weather and this is one of the sunniest parts of the continent, meaning you can sunbathe most days during the summer, while gazing up the valley, opposite, at the glaciers of the Bernina mountain range.

The luxury Bellaval suite, offering the most spectacular views in the hotel

If it does rain, just step inside. The pool, possibly the best in Switzerland, has a glasshouse view of the scenery, as well as a very therapeutic series of vitality pools and spa, above.

The Kronenhof Bar

Upstairs, the newly refurbished bar has brought a little urban chic to this mountain outpost, but, above all, this is a classic Alpine luxury retreat. The bars and clubs of St Moritz might be just a 10-minute drive away, round the forest, but you come to the Kronenhof, with its contemporary-chic bedrooms and light and views, to be in the centre of the high Alps, and also away from everywhere.

Read more: See The Light: Cascais, Portugal

Hike up the mountain and to the Segantini Hut with its views across half of Switzerland, visit the Alp Languard panoramic restaurant for a lunch of local roesti and meats, and be back for an apero in the bar. And then there’s the 200-year- old Kronenstübli restaurant with 16 Gault Millau points…

Find out more: kronenhof.com

This article appears in the Summer 2022 issue of LUX