Private Mountain at Tschuggen Grand Hotel

Imagine a beautiful alpine scenery bathed in sunlight, crisp mountain air and a full day of skiing ahead of you. Now imagine having all of this exclusively to yourself for an entire day. What a delightful idea! For the past 6 years, the Grand Tschuggen Hotel Arosa has been offering this experience to their guests and La bonne Vivante was thrilled to take part at this year‘s 7th “Private Mountain” event in collaboration with the watchmaker Parmigiani.

Once a brainchild of Leo Maissen, the Tschuggen Grand’s hotel director  Private Mountain event has long become an institution attracting loyal guests, journalists and bloggers who plan their entire year around this special occiasion.

The Tschuggen Grand Hotel is a luxurious hotel which combines traditional elegance and old-world alpine heritage. It is set on the exclusive hilltop area of Arosa, which offers a stunning view of the grand mountain scenery. La Bonne Vivante had the pleasure to stay here twice and while there are certainly plenty of luxurious hotels in Switzerland, the Tschuggen Grand Hotel stands out for a number of reasons:

The Service:

The service at the Tschuggen Grand Hotel is outstanding and very personal evoking an atmosphere of pampered luxury. The very friendly and efficient reception desk checked us in at no time and the restaurant staff was both professional and attentive. Our ski gear was stowed away in our ski lockers right away and when it was time to leave, our car was packed up immaculately. What struck us in particular was the personal level with which guests are attended here. We believe much of this exceptional service has to do with Leo Maissen who is a role model of hospitality and is involved in the slightest of details to ensure that guests are spoiled throughout their stay making it their “home away from home”.

The Spa:

Aesthetically pleasing, this Spa is a true haven for relaxation. Designed by the famed Mario Botta, it is an architectural gem, which integrates geometry, water and various materials on 5000 square meters providing a beautiful surrounding to while away the hours. Take a dip into the pool with its very own waterfall or relax in the mountain sauna or steam bath. This Spa is a perfect precursor to an active day spent on Arosa’s slopes or hiking trails. If you are looking for a treatment, we recommend the Tschuggen’s signature massage, which combines various massage techniques all resulting in blissful relaxation.

The Michelin starred Restaurant:

Gourmets are in luck; La Vetta, the hotel’s Michelin starred restaurant offers contemporary, refined cuisine based on local ingredients. The kitchen, helmed by Uwe Seegert provides a changing menu according to available ingredients. Not to be missed!

The Tschuggen Express:

The Tschuggen Express was introduced in 2009. The hotel’s very own mini-train takes hotel guests up the hill and directly onto the slopes and hiking trails. The journey itself is a short 2.5 minutes making ski buses obsolete. With a gradient of 52% it is also a fun ride. Make sure to buckle up if you are seated on the right hand side of the train.

The private mountain experience:

After a sumptous breakfast, we got into our ski gear and took a ski lift up the Arosa mountains for a day of fun and snow. Our lift stops were sweetened by booths offering hot chocolate, wine and soup. Up on the mountain, the Tschuggen Grand Hotel’s team had arranged for a ski race including Archery and Can Throwing which we truly enjoyed. A group of nostalgic skiiers headed by Leo Meissen provided for an old-school alpine charm amidst perfectly manicured slopes albeit the lack of recent snowfall. A ski instructor was assigned to help us explore the wide slopes and provide discretionary ski lessons to those who hadn’t been on the skis for a while.

Another highlight was the launching of Parmigiani’s balloon up on the mountain top. We had lunch at Hörnli Hütte, a quaint, rustic mountain restaurant where we enjoyed hearty Älpermagronen. After a descent to the valley we completed our ski day with a delicious, hot „Aperol Spritz“. For many, this day represented the prelude to the skiing season and what a glamorous start it was indeed!

After a long day on the slopes we visited the Tschuggen’s Spa Oasis, relaxed our sore muscles and marvelled the beautiful interior design.

Re-energized and wonderfully relaxed, we dressed up in Dirndls and Leather pants to join the „Heidi and Peter“  Party which started with an apero, was followed by a delicous and hearty farmer’s meal and concluded with a fun night dancing to the tunes of the life band.

Wistfully, we say goodbye to the Tschugen Grand hotel. We had a truly fantastic stay at this very special hotel and vow to return soon!