Hotel Chesa Randolina

When I first arrived in the town, I thought this would be the most gorgeous hotel, and it turned out I was right. I fell in love with the rooms and service, especially the restaurant. The food was so delicious, and I’d never seen such beautiful plates or cooking style before. I honestly recommend visiting as soon as possible.

The breakfast waitress was friendly each of the three mornings, and Sils Maria itself is a lovely little village. But the rest of our stay at Chesa Randolina left us baffled by the good reviews. The room and bathroom were both small, and the bathtub was so deep I can imagine it being difficult for older guests to use. There’s also a little step between the bedroom and bathroom that could be awkward, especially at night. The restaurant food was just okay. We ate there on arrival night and were charged SFR 3.00 for half a liter of tap water. After traveling through 49 countries and eating at all sorts of places, this was the first time I’d ever seen a restaurant charge for tap water. It wasn’t about the amount, it was the attitude that shocked me. We didn’t eat there again, and instead tried four other restaurants in Sils Maria, where we ate much better for nearly half the price. I’ve reviewed them on GoogleMaps. Breakfast was okay too. Boiled eggs were the only option without an extra charge. If the hotel wants to offer a better breakfast, it should at least have scrambled eggs. It felt like the “strategy” was to leave out anything special so guests would have to pay separately for fried or scrambled eggs. We’ve stayed in all kinds of places, from hostels to five-star hotels, and eaten everywhere from small Italian trattorias to fancy restaurants in New York, Paris, Washington D.C., Munich, and Zermatt. I don’t understand the positive reviews. Maybe they’re from the owner’s friends, or from people who haven’t traveled enough to know what good hospitality looks like. I’d recommend staying in Sils Maria rather than St. Moritz, and somewhere near “La Posta” in particular. There are several excellent hotels around there, some of which we visited while planning our next trip, along with a number of nearby restaurants. About the hotel’s response: I wouldn’t call a hotel charging SFR 290.00 per night “cheap.” We travel to Switzerland often and have stayed in many better hotels at that price. Other guests have apparently complained about tap water charges and small bedrooms too. I should have read all the TripAdvisor reviews before booking, because then I wouldn’t have chosen this hotel.

A salad at breakfast would make this place perfect. Just keep in mind that the sauna costs extra.

The rooms have a lovely view, and the breakfast buffet is excellent.