Sankt Moritz

When a hotel becomes the symbol of an entire era of elegance and pioneering spirit, it transcends mere hospitality to become a legend. Such is the case with Badrutt's Palace Hotel, the iconic tower that has presided over St. Moritz since 1896. The hotel's story is linked to the birth of winter tourism itself, sparked by a legendary wager made in 1864 by Johannes Badrutt. He bet his English summer guests that if they returned in December and did not enjoy their winter stay, he would pay them back entirely. The Englishmen stayed until Easter, and modern winter tourism was born.

Following this success, Caspar Badrutt purchased the Hotel Beau Rivage in 1892 and commissioned renowned architects Alfred Chiodera and Theophil Tschudi to transform it into a grand resort. The Palace Hotel opened on July 29, 1896, with Gothic-Revival façades and Neo-Baroque paintings. Under five generations of Badrutt family ownership, the hotel has welcomed famous guests including Alfred Hitchcock, Audrey Hepburn, and Charlie Chaplin.

St. Moritz became the birthplace of winter sports, with the legendary Cresta Run built in 1884 on Badrutt family property. The resort became one of only three cities in the world to host the Winter Olympic Games twice—in 1928 and 1948. Today, Badrutt's Palace Hotel remains family-owned after more than 128 years.

This illustration by artist Ferdasco captures the timeless elegance of Badrutt's Palace Hotel in Art Deco style. The artwork was carefully hand drawn before being digitally illustrated and printed on large and luxurious fine art paper.