Tschuggen Grand Hotel, Switzerland
Where is it? Nestled at a lofty 1,800 metres at the edge of the idyllic - and little known - Swiss hamlet of Arosa, at the end of the Schanfigg Valley, one of Graubunden canton's most picturesque dales. It is 3.5 hours southeast of Zurich by train.
Contemporary or classic? An old stalwart made anew, the hotel was built in 1883 as an alpine sanatorium. Destroyed by a fire in 1966 and rebuilt in 1970, the unremarkable 130-room block was given a welcome and whimsical multimillion-dollar makeover in 2004 by interior designer Carlo Rampazzi.
What's so different about it? Eschewing conventional alpine decor in favour of Technicolor trappings, Rampazzi has infused the hotel with a David Hockney-inspired palette. Added to that are scatterings of large cushions, embroidered headboards, deep-pile rugs and sunken sofas, all in a dazzling whirl of violets, yellows and the designer's favourite hue, orange.
Who should visit? Tucked away with little nightlife or shopping, Arosa is popular with reclusive European holidaymakers (Liechtensteiners and Austrians who favour merlot-coloured trousers and old Mercedes-Benz estate cars).
What is there to do? The new, US$28 million wellness centre - designed by architect Mario Botta - means most guests will make straight for the spa. Spread across four floors, topped by huge sail-like skylights and attached by a glass bridge to the hotel, the partly underground 3,500 square metre facility is appropriately called Bergoase, or mountain oasis. It features indoor and outdoor swimming pools, each kitted out with jets, waterfalls and synchronised hydrotherapy stations; several hot and cold wading baths; a trio of saunas; and a pair of relaxation areas anchored by open fireplaces.
Outdoor purists will head for the walking and hiking trails that criss-cross the valley floor, go mountain-biking or take a dip in some of the many lakes in the area. In winter, the outdoors set hits the slopes and the village's world-class snowboarding facilities, courtesy of the new Tschuggen Coaster: a battery-powered pod-like railway that transports six adults at a time to some of the best ski runs in the Grisons mountains in minutes. Others will content themselves with horse-drawn sleigh rides and tobogganing, while the decidedly laidback can take afternoon tea in the lobby lounge.
What's on the menu? Three restaurants cater to nearly every gastronomic impulse. At Bundnerstube, a cosy wood-panelled pub serving pints of weizenbier, you can enjoy traditional Swiss cuisine such as raclette cheese and fondue, followed by candlepin bowling. The scene is more staid at La Vetta, where gourmands indulge in fine dining in a room of ochres and blues. La Provence, a popular lunchtime eatery, offers panoramas of the timbered hillsides and outstanding Mediterranean cuisine.
