Pinellas 65

Pool, steam room, and sauna first, then a facial massage to finish. We had a wonderfully relaxing afternoon at Vita Pura Spa at Cresta Palace Hotel, and it’s a lovely way to unwind after skiing or hiking in the mountains. The spa is calm, thoughtfully set up, and well maintained. I’d recommend it if you want a peaceful place to recharge both body and mind.

The food was a letdown. Breakfast was fine but fell short of other places we stayed in Switzerland, and one morning they ran out of bread, with more arriving 30 minutes later. We tried several of the hotel’s dinner restaurants, but preferred places in nearby towns, about a 15-minute drive away. It’s a grand old building in excellent condition, with spacious rooms, though they’re expensive and don’t have many drawers for a longer stay compared with US hotels. Cross-country trails are within walking distance, buses to the ski lifts stop outside, and the ski rooms are excellent.

The Wi-Fi worked well on my laptop, with a strong signal, but I had trouble connecting my phone. The hotel uses a “Captive Wifi” system that texts a code to your mobile. When I needed to enter it, the input window wouldn’t appear. It’s hard to explain, but the front desk staff seemed aware, and I hope they fix it, perhaps by offering voucher codes instead. I was in the region for the World Economic Forum's annual meeting at Davos, and with our trip booked at the last minute, I took a chance on Cresta Palace Hotel. I’m glad I did. The hotel is lovingly maintained in a beautiful area, not far from St. Moritz, with ski lifts a short walk away. There were lots of families on winter holidays, and I can see why. It’s also less than a 5-minute walk to the train station, which made getting to Davos easy and meant I didn’t have to worry about traffic. My room worked really well for a longer stay. It was very large, had plenty of storage, and a separate shower and toilet. The layout felt thoughtful. The decor was a little dated, but that didn’t bother me. I had dinner in the Grand Restaurant most evenings. The maitre d' was lovely and helpful, and made me feel welcome and well looked after even though I was eating alone. The food was excellent each night and good value. Breakfast was the kind of buffet you’d expect at an excellent Swiss hotel. My weeklong stay was a very pleasant surprise. I’d gladly stay here again for a similar trip and recommend it to colleagues.

The wellness area was the one disappointment. The water felt cold to us, including the whirlpool, which we expected to have warm water, and the sunbeds weren’t comfortable. We stayed for two nights and had a fantastic arrival experience, with a room upgrade and lovely welcome amenities. The hotel is beautiful, the staff were attentive and friendly, and the restaurant served delicious food.