As part of a belated celebration for my birthday and our 9^th dating anniversary, Vince and I went on the classic Bernina Express train experience last weekend. The day before our train trip, we were really glad to have been hosted by Hotel Saratz to spend a night at their beautiful resort in Pontresina!

We had a brilliant stay and it was just what the sort of relaxing staycation we needed after spending a lot more time than usual at home this year. So, I am excited to share everything about our trip with you and hopefully inspire much wanderlust to explore this region of Switzerland!

Where is Hotel Saratz Located?

Hotel Saratz is nestled in the most picturesque location of Pontresina in eastern Switzerland, amongst the mountains of Engadin. Although less well-known than its glitzy upscale neighbor St. Moritz, Pontresina is much quieter and closer to nature, where visitors will find a hiking paradise in summer and a skiing wonderland in winter. The minute we arrived I just knew that it was going to be the perfect place to relax. Just look at those postcard views!  

About Hotel Saratz

Steep in heritage, Hotel Saratz is a period-property standing for over a 150 years old. It was first opened in 1865 as a boarding house, and subsequently converted into a splendid first-class hotel in 1875. Hotel Saratz is also one of the few family-owned first-class hotels in Switzerland. Till today, it remains helmed by the sixth generation of the Saratz dynasty.

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First impressions of the hotel was that it is elegant yet cosy, with a blend of old luxury grandiose and new contemporary charm, above all exuding a warm atmosphere. Hotel Saratz has 2 distinct parts, the original historic one with the reception, breakfast room and restaurants, and the modern extension with the wellness facilities, fireplace bar and the newer rooms.

The Room

Hotel Saratz has 93 bedrooms including junior suites, comfort rooms and family rooms. We stayed in one of the hotel’s spacious Comfort Room, which I was delighted to discover offered a breathtaking south-facing view of the Val Roseg!

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Just imagine waking up and watching the sunrise at the balcony!

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Hotel Park

After checking in, we got dressed and explored the extensive hotel park, spanning 35,000m2.

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Autumn is really the perfect time to explore this beautiful grounds! There is a huge outdoor tennis court, as well as a flow trail for kids. During the summer there is even a heated outdoor pool (the largest in upper Engadin), perfect for a taking a dip in the warmth of the sun.

Hotel Saratz also provide Cannondale mountain bikes for free if you prefer to explore further afield.

Wellness at Hotel Saratz

Guests at Hotel Saratz have access to the hotel’s comprehensive wellness facilities, and this is the one thing I highly recommend that you must visit when staying here. The immediate thing I wanted to do was whip off my clothes and get into my swimsuit and cosy robe and slippers to enjoy some pampering!

Facilities include an indoor pool with jacuzzi, a classic wooden sauna, a steam bath made of natural stone, adventure showers and a relaxation room, as well as a modern fitness room.

My favourite was by far the indoor pool. I mean…How often can you get to swim with such a gorgeous view in front of you? Vince was having a backache, and the solid thumping by the jacuzzi relieved all his knots.

For an extra fee and with reservation, guests can also enjoy a relaxing Rhassoul bath based on Oriental traditions. This pampering ritual involves applying three kinds of healing mud, followed by a steam bath. Now talk about indulgence!

Children Welcome!

Parents would be pleased to know that Hotel Saratz is ranked as one of the best family-hotels in Switzerland. Thinking of who can attend to your little ones while you enjoy some rare me-time relaxing by the pool? Fret not, as your kids will be under the care of dedicated staff, and they can look forward to all sorts of fun activities at the inviting Play Paradise (open daily from 9.00 to 6.30pm): Think T-shirt painting, pizza-making, treasure hunting to campfire building. Now even I would be excited as a kid!

For families with adolescents, there is also a dedicated room for them perfect for an afternoon of action and games.

Dining

Guests at Hotel Saratz are sure to be spoiled with culinary delights. From the elegant Art Nouveau Restaurant, characterized by Mediterranean and Engadin influence, the trendy bar Pitschna Scena, the traditional fondue and raclette dining room at La Cuorty, to the cosy fireplace bar with view of the Roseg glacier, there are simply no lack of dining options.

A reservation was booked for us at 8.30 o’clock at the Pitschna Scena. After spending a few hours at the spa we were famished and absolutely looking forward to dinner!

The Pitschna Scena has an informal and cosy ambience, with separate parlours each featuring different designs.

Don’t forget to try the Bernina Beer and Palü Beer at the bar, brewed locally in the Engadine region. My Bernina beer had a bright flavour to it, whereas the Palü beer has a darker note.

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We really appreciated the staff there who went above and beyond to make sure that we had a wonderful experience there. We had a Swiss-German styled dinner: Main course for me was the savoury Wiener Schnitzel, while Vince had the signature Pitschna Beef Burger (it was abit dry though), but the piece de resistance was the local dessert, the Vermicelles mit Röteli Glace made of sweet chestnut, topped with cherry liquor ice cream, meringue and whipped cream. It was nothing like we’ve tasted before and was delicious!

Although our meals were generously offered by the hotel, the downside was that I found the prices here slightly more towards the high end (our meal were between 40-50 francs each, including drinks). While the food was not bad, it wasn’t the best that we had for the weekend, unfortunately!

Now I hate being negative about places that I have stayed, but I just want to be honest with you guys so that you can make your own decisions on your choice of stay and dining. It would terrible for me to recommend a place to you and have you hate it.

Breakfast

Breakfast the next day at the Art Nouveau restaurant got our thumbs up. There is a great selection to choose: from fine cheese right from the Pontresina dairy, freshly prepared egg dishes, croissants, mountain honey, locally made jam from Zizers and many other delicacies, so you will not go hungry!

We tucked into our breakfast with the most amazing views of the mountains, with anticipation of a great day on the Bernina Express.

Things to do in Pontresina

All guests who stay at Hotel Saratz get an all-inclusive pass for regional transportation for trains, buses and cable cars (Only valid for summer, with a minimum stay of 2 nights). Considering how expensive public transportation usually is…why not make full use of it and enjoy what the region has to offer?

There is really a lot to see and do in the Engadin region, and if you’re like me coming from Lausanne all way at the other end of Switzerland, you would want to make every moment well-spent and enjoy it to the fullest. So don’t rush the trip! Spend at least 3 days here like we did.

Here are some of my suggestions on day-trip adventures you can embark on from Hotel Saratz and Pontresina:

Hop on the Bernina Express

Pontresina is the mid-point of the classic Bernina’s Express 5-hour long paranomic route, and could well serve as a shorter option (From Pontresina to Tirano). Winding down from the majestic white glaciers in Switzerland to the sashaying palm trees in Italy, this is the one classic, PHENOMENAL train experience you would not want to miss in Switzerland!

Stay tuned for my next post where I share more about our experience on the Bernina Express!

Skii, of course!

Afterall, you are in the skiing mecca of Switzerland!

Guests who spend more than 2 nights at Hotel Saratz can purchase ski passes at an attractive rate of 45CHF/day to Corviglia, Corvatsch, Diavolezza and Lagalb. There is also a free hotel shuttle bus that runs between Saratz and Corviglia.

For us, our itinerary was planned for Mt Diavolezza the next day. From Pontresina, you can take 4 stops to the Bernina Diavolezza train station, then ride the cablecar up to the mountain summit With an ascent of 2973m, Diovelezza is the perfect destination for skii-lovers, and offers incredible views of Piz Palü and Piz Bernina and down onto Morteratsch Glacier.

Stay tuned on my next post where I share more about our stay at this extraordinary mountain top!

Go on a shopping spree at St Moritz

Just 7 km away from Pontresina lies St. Moritz, Switzerland’s glitzy playground for the rich. Head towards the modern and compact town for a shopping spree, and be awed by all the exclusive designer boutiques and brands alongside top-class hotels, and restaurants.

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Useful Information

Hotel Saratz

Via Da la Staziun 2, 7504 Pontresina

 Contact: +41 81 839 40 00 • welcome@saratz.ch

Website: www.saratz.ch

I hope you enjoyed this post on Hotel Saratz and the wider Engadin region! You can click below and save this post on your Pinterest for reference in future.

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If you are looking for more travel inspirations in Switzerland, check out my other post on my 8-hour daytrip itinerary to Fribourg, as well as our cheese and chocolate filled trip to the Gruyères region!

**Disclosure: I am delighted to be working with Hotel Saratz for this post. My stay at Hotel Saratz was complimentary, but I only ever work with accommodation that I am happy to recommend to you guys and Hotel Saratz  is the ultimate luxury hotel in the Engadin region. All opinions are my own.**