Grand Hotel Kronenhof, Pontresina (www.kronenhof.com) has appointed Fabrizio Piantanida as Executive Chef, effective from 18 November.  Piantanida comes directly from the five-star boutique Hotel Vitznauerhof on Switzerland's Lake Lucerne, where he was also Executive Chef and earned 14 GaultMillau Points, overseeing three restaurants.

Piantanida graduated from the Hotel Management School Mellerio Rosmini in Domodossola, Italy in 1992 and has since worked in a number of luxury hotels in Italy, Switzerland and France, including Bürgenstock Hotels & Resorts in Bürgenstock and Grand Hotel Kronenhof and its sister property Kulm Hotel St. Moritz where he worked as a Sous Chef during several winter seasons between 1995 and 2011.  Earlier this year, he graduated as a certified Executive Chef, a highly regarded qualification within Switzerland.

Piantanida's extensive experience throughout Europe has ensured his ability to produce refined French cuisine, traditional Italian cooking and classic dishes to which he adds his own creative flair.  All of which will be put to good use when overseeing Grand Hotel Kronenhof's five restaurants: the formal Grand Restaurant, the Gourmet Restaurant Kronenstübli serving international cuisine with local flair, the traditional bowling lanes where Swiss raclette is served, the informal Le Pavillon for light lunches and the kids' restaurant Rondelle.

For more information on Grand Hotel Kronenhof, please visit the website www.kronenhof.com.

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NOTES FOR EDITORS

Grand Hotel Kronenhof, located in Pontresina, six miles from St. Moritz, offers the best of both worlds: the chance to enjoy the glitz of St. Moritz, while staying in a peaceful mountain village. 

Grand Hotel Kronenhof has a rich and interesting history, having first opened its doors in the first half of the 19th century as a guesthouse. However, the main part of the current building, which is a registered historical landmark, was built at the very end of the 19th century in Neo-Baroque style. The latest addition, completed in November 2007 and costing CHF 35 million (approximately £24 million), consists of 28 new guest rooms and a stunning spa complex covering more than 2000 square metres.

The spa is certainly one of the hotel's highlights and has been named "the best Alpine spa" (according to Tyler Brule writing in the FT, November 2009). Facilities include a 20m indoor infinity pool with counter-current system, a flotation pool with underwater music, a wide range of saunas and steam rooms, a luxurious private suite for couples to enjoy wraps and massages together, and - for the perfect final touch - a crackling log fire in the relaxation room.

Gourmet cuisine is also a speciality at the Grand Hotel Kronenhof. Awarded the title of GaultMillau Hotel of the Year in 2009, it has five restaurants (the formal Grand Restaurant in an elegant Neo-Baroque vaulted room, Gourmet Restaurant Kronenstübli serving international cuisine with a local flair, the traditional bowling lanes where Swiss raclette is served, the informal Le Pavillon for light lunches and the kids' restaurant Rondelle).

Finally, Grand Hotel Kronenhof is renowned for its extensive children's activities and facilities (a kids' playroom and Rondelle, a restaurant just for younger members of the family).

Recent awards for the Grand Hotel Kronenhof include Best Hotel in Switzerland 2013 according to TripAdvisor®, a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence for the third year running in 2013, the HolidayCheck Award 2010-2013 (most popular hotel in Switzerland, four years in a row) and a place in a list of the top ten best holiday hotels in Switzerland compiled by renowned Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung and in a list of the top ten most welcoming luxury hotels in the country put together by Switzerland Tourism.

Previous awards include first place in the Best Of Swiss Gastro (gourmet category), GaultMillau Hotel of the Year 2008, the 'Bilanz' hoteliers of the year.

Both the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz and its sister property Grand Hotel Kronenhof are owned by the Niarchos family.

For more information, please contact:
Sue Heady
Director, Heady Communications
T: 01608 651 692
E: sue@headycommunications.com