Hotel Review: Kulm St. Moritz
This Kulm St. Moritz is a grande dame hotel in the Swiss Alps that oozes glitz and glam from the moment you step inside.
Warm tea and hot towels greet you at check-in. By now, a bellman has your luggage, which will be delivered to your closet. Shimmering chandeliers, antique furniture, Olympic memorabilia and an eclectic art collection line the halls that lead to your room.
This 165-year-old property helped define alpine tourism and has been a pioneering force in winter sports. It’s where the Winter Olympics were opened in 1928 and 1948 and remains home to the St. Moritz Tobogganing and Cresta Club.
Vibe
This is a hotel that feels like well-educated money. There’s endless crystal, high-end artwork, antique furniture and not a speck of dust in sight. Everyone, including the dogs, are wearing their designer best here. The Kulm is a St. Moritz hotel that anticipates your every need. There’s no waiting for service in the lobby bar area. Front desk staff remember your name and bellman are quick to help with skis and luggage. It’s luxury and five-star service, but without unnecessary pomp and circumstance.
Location
Kulm Hotel St. Moritz
Address: Via Veglia 18, 7500 St. Moritz, Switzerland
Phone: +41 81 836 80 00
Website: https://www.kulm.com/
Support this site by booking through our partner link. We may earn a commission when you purchase through our partner links, but this is an independent editorial review. Views expressed are the author’s alone and have not been subject to review by the property.
Rooms & Suites
The Kulm Hotel has 173 rooms and suites. Deluxe rooms are spacious include a sitting area, desk space, a balcony and a bathtub with a view. My room looked out over the mountains and a frozen lake where a Snow Polo tournament had just concluded.
Standard rooms don’t have a balcony, but they’re spacious, cozy and just as charming. Beds are made with two duvet covers so no one ever has to share, an approach that’s common in Switzerland and Scandinavia. There’s a pillow menu and turndown service, as well as housekeeping, every day.
Amenities
I’ll get straight to the point. My favorite amenity here is the spa. In addition to a menu of massages, facials, body wraps, the Kulm spa has a variety of saunas and pools, which is where I spent much of my après ski time. I loved the steam room and salt sauna, but nothing beat soaking in a heated outdoor pool with jacuzzi jets and a late afternoon Alpenglow.
The hotel also has a fitness center and daily fitness classes. There’s tennis and golf in the summer and ice skating and curling in the winter. There’s a kids club that might make adults a little jealous and features separate spaces for young children and teenagers. There are arcade games, reading and movie nooks, even a fussball table and special kids’ pool in the spa.
The property—like St. Moritz—is dog-friendly, so no family member has to stay behind on vacation.
Food & Drink
The Kulm has seven on-site restaurants, including the K, which has a Michelin Star, a few bar areas and a lobby where you can order drinks, snacks and afternoon tea.
For breakfast, I didn’t make it past the ballroom buffet. Nice hotels tend to do scrambled eggs well, and the Kulm St. Moritz’s are especially yummy. Elsewhere on the breakfast buffet, you’ll find a selection of cheeses, meats, cereals, yogurts, pastries and breads. There’s also a full juice bar.
For the full Swiss ski experience, enjoy a long après ski lunch at a St. Moritz mountainside restaurants like Langosteria or Trutz but head back to the hotel for an aperitivo and dinner. For a casual dinner, opt for Sunny Bar inside the hotel or at the Kulm Country Club a short walk away.
Sunny Bar
The last thing I expected to find in Switzerland was an excellent Peruvian meal with hints of Asian flavors. It was a pleasant surprise that started with one of the best Pisco sours I’ve had. Rings on the ceiling, old sleds on the walls and lots of vintage photos make you feel almost like you’re dining at a cute supper club at the Olympics.
Peruvian food tends to feature a lot of meat, but the kitchen here created a colorful vegetarian menu with lots of avocados, carrots and squash and kicked it all off with a couple of unforgettable vegan empanadas.
Kulm Country Club
Address: Via Maistra 41, 7500 San Moritz, Switzerland
Phone: +41 81 836 82 03
Website: Kulm Country Club
The The Kulm Country Club is about a five-minute walk from the Kulm hotel. Even if you don’t have time for dinner here, do stop in for a signature cocktail, most of which are finished at the table. There’s a creative non-alcoholic cocktail menu, and the bar snacks are next level.
The restaurant menu is Italian-Mediterranean and features locally-sourced ingredients. I couldn’t resist the pistachio crumble and went for the homemade truffle ravioli in a parmesan cream sauce. For dessert, try the crème brûlée with almond brittle.
Support this site by booking through our partner link. We may earn a commission when you purchase through our partner links, but this is an independent editorial review. Views expressed are the author’s alone and have not been subject to review by the property.
Bottom Line
The Kulm is a legendary luxury property that delivers a high-end experience worthy of a four-figure nightly price tag. You might have to save up for a while to get here, but you won’t feel like you wasted your money when you leave.
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