You would be hard-pressed to choose between Gstaad and St Moritz as the swankiest town in the Alps. Having stayed in both, St Moritz has the edge. Sorry Gstaad Guy.
St Moritz sits in the Engadin, on the far side of Switzerland and not far from the Italian and Austrian borders. It has long been associated with luxury hotels, expensive cars and the sort of visitors who apparently need a different watch for every occasion. Its reputation began in the 19th century, when hotelier Johannes Badrutt made a bet with a group of British summer visitors that they would enjoy St Moritz just as much in winter. He offered to pay their travel expenses if they disagreed. His money was safe, and the visitors returned year after year. Many still come today, including us.
Badrutt's hotel eventually became Badrutt's Palace, one of the most recognisable buildings in town and one of the world's leading luxury hotels. The architecture is suitably grand, while the interior is a mixture of fine art, elaborate furnishings and mountain views. To be honest, it looks a bit, well, old money.
St Moritz has some interesting architecture, mainly due to Lord Norman Foster. He has a particular connection with the town and designed Chesa Futura, a distinctly modern timber-clad apartment building that looks across the valley. He has an apartment in the building and also designed the Murezzan development in Dorf as well as the Kulm Eispavillon at the Kulm Country Club.
The town sits above Lake St Moritz and is divided into several distinct areas. Dorf is the historic centre and commercial heart, where luxury brands such as Hermès, Prada, and Moncler, who both have two stores in town, are located. It's also home to galleries like Hauser+Wirth, continuing the legacy of Bruno Bischofberger, the first gallerist in the town. St Moritz-Bad lies on the opposite side of the lake and is home to the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains and the Ovaverva spa. Further out, Champfèr is quieter and more residential, while Suvretta sits above the town in a particularly well-appointed corner of the valley. Celerina, a few kilometres away, has a more village-like feel and is a useful escape from the main resort when the boutiques become too much.
There is plenty to do away from the town itself. St Moritz is surrounded by the lakes and high valleys of the Engadin, with walking routes, viewpoints and mountain roads leading in almost every direction. The area has a surprisingly lively summer season compared with many Alpine resorts, and the network of trails and public transport makes it easy to explore without spending the entire day in the car.
St Moritz has been selling the idea of Alpine luxury for well over a century, and it is remarkably good at it. Some of the newer buildings have aged better than others, but there is still something oddly compelling about the place. Money, whether old, new or somewhere in between, has a habit of finding its way here eventually.