For 70-odd years this top-class Swiss mountain resort was strictly a ski-season getaway. But Arosa isn’t just for skiers anymore: as travelers everywhere embrace the sporting life, mountain playgrounds like Graubünden are becoming year-round options — and hotels like the Tschuggen Grand are expanding their appeal.
Aesthetically it’s not quite what you’d expect from a Swiss mountain chalet. A Sixties renovation is responsible for the modernist silhouette of the main building, and the brand-new spa complex by the Swiss architect Mario Botta is a bit of contemporary whimsy, its skylit dormers bearing a striking resemblance to a fleet of sailboats on an Alpine lake. The interiors are refreshingly contemporary as well, clean-lined but still welcoming and warm — old fabrics made new in ceiling-height headboards, and views maximized by those big Sixties windows.
The spa is a big draw, and not just for its architecture. It’s a destination unto itself in fairer months, and it’d be hard to say no to a soak or a massage after a day on the slopes as well. Outdoor offerings include tennis, hiking, and mountain biking, and even golf is a bit of a workout at this elevation — at 2,000 meters it’s the highest course in Europe. The bottom line: it’s a Swiss-resort classic without the chalet-style frills, and it’s not just for winter anymore.
author watson@mouselink.net, source www.tablethotels.com