Sister properties Kulm Hotel St. Moritz and Grand Hotel Kronenhof, Pontresina are delighted to announce a string of awards that they have received in recent weeks.

Grand Hotel Kronenhof, Pontresina has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence, which honours top-rated accommodation businesses, restaurants and attractions, as reviewed by travellers on the world's largest travel site. It is the third year in a row that the hotel has achieved this mark of distinction.

To qualify, Grand Hotel Kronenhof maintained an average rating of four or higher out of a possible five, as reviewed by travellers on TripAdvisor. In addition to the quality of the review, criteria included the volume of reviews and how recently they have been submitted by TripAdvisor travellers. Grand Hotel Kronenhof was also named Switzerland's best hotel of 2013 by TripAdvisor®.

The hotel's latest review on TripAdvisor® is reproduced here verbatim: "This hotel truly is a jewel in the valley of Engadin! What looks already great from the outside can even be topped when inside enjoying the fantastic cuisine with its attentive staff, nice and cosy rooms with great view towards Corviglia, and last but not least one of the best SPAs I've ever visited. Can only be recommended and comes at fair prices when considering what is being offered". High praise indeed!

Meanwhile, both Grand Hotel Kronenhof and Kulm Hotel St. Moritz have achieved two top ten ratings.  They were included in a list of the top ten best holiday hotels in Switzerland compiled by renowned Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung and in a list of top ten most welcoming luxury hotels in the country put together by Switzerland Tourism.

All of these awards simply serve to emphasise the excellent standards maintained by both hotels and the fact that guests can book with confidence, knowing their holiday experience will be exceptional.

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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 four restaurants (the formal Grand dining room in an elegant Neo-Baroque vaulted room, Kronenstübli - awarded a Michelin star in November 2011 and 17 GaultMillau points - serving international cuisine with a local flair, the traditional bowling lanes where Swiss raclette is served and an informal pavilion for light lunches).

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, the HolidayCheck Award 2010-2013 (most popular hotel in Switzerland, four years in a row), first place in the Best Of Swiss Gastro (gourmet category), GaultMillau Hotel of the Year 2008, the 'Bilanz' hoteliers of the year award presented to Heinz E. and Jenny Hunkeler in 2008, and a Michelin star for the gourmet restaurant 'Kronenstübli'.

Room rates start at CHF460 (approx £315) per night for two people sharing a double room including half-board. Reservations can be made by phone on +41 81 830 3030 or email reservations@kronenhof.com.

Kulm Hotel St. Moritz was the first hotel to be built in St. Moritz. The Kulm Hotel opened its doors in 1856 and immediately became popular for summer spa and painting holidays, particularly among the British who comprised around 75% of the hotel guests. The owner of the Kulm Hotel, Johannes Badrutt, initiated winter holidays to St. Moritz from 1864.

Since the 19th century, the Kulm Hotel has changed considerably through expansion and renovation, but the fabulous location at the heart of St. Moritz with views over the Lake remains the same. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, Kulm Hotel St. Moritz has 173 rooms, five restaurants (offering formal dining, French fine dining - the Gourmet-Restaurant the K awarded 15 points by GaultMillau, Italian, local Engadine specialities and Japanese with 13 GaultMillau points), the extensive  Kulm Spa St. Moritz (with a 20 m indoor pool with underwater music, various saunas and steam room, a Jacuzzi, a fully-equipped gym and treatment rooms, all with stunning views over Lake St. Moritz) and six conference rooms, with capacities ranging from 50 to 500 people.

Entertainment and sports facilities include the 9-hole Kulm Golf Course St. Moritz, three tennis courts, a natural ice rink, a curling field and the "Marmotta Club" for children. The Kulm Hotel St. Moritz is inextricably linked to the Cresta Run through the Sunny Bar, where tobogganing pilots have congregated for decades; the walls are lined with trophies and images of famous people who have hurled themselves down the infamous ice track.

Recent awards for the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz include 15 GaultMillau points for the hotel's Gourmet-Restaurant the K in 2012. In the latest ranking list of Switzerland's best winter hotels, Kulm Hotel St. Moritz is ranked at number 4 in the category of five star hotels as 'one of the best managed and most excellent hotel in the Alps with immaculate consistency'.

Room rates start at CHF525 (approx £360) per night for two people sharing a double room including half-board. Reservations can be made by phone +41 (0) 81 836 80 00 or by e-mail via reservations@kulm.com.

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
Heady Communications
T: 01608 651 692  M: 078 5595 0705  E: sue@headycommunications.com