Badrutt's Palace Hotel

St. Moritz — now a hotbed of furs and slopes and lots of champagne — was nothing before Johannes Badrutt. He made this town when he persuaded a bunch of English tourists to try skiing. And today his legacy lives on as the definition of wintry European glamour: Badrutt’s Palace Hotel.

This is a castle, high on the hills, where the beautiful people converge for the après ski, and where fondue is most passé. The best rooms sport big beds and walls cushioned with silk and leather, à la Fred and Ginger movies. There’s a spa, of course, and a long list of restaurants (of which more later). But above all there’s the reflected glow of the glamour that comes simply from being at Badrutt’s.

Restaurants include the formal Le Restaurant and the Belle Époque–styled Le Relais, as well as La Diala, the spa restaurant, and La Coupole - Matsuhisa, which features the eponymous chef’s signature Peruvian-Japanese flavors.

How to get there: Badrutt’s Palace is approximately a 2.5-hour drive from Zürich Airport (ZRH) and a 5-minute drive from private charter Samedan Airport (SMV).