Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby (2017–…): Season 2, Episode 7 - Christmas Special - St Moritz, Switzerland - full transcript

All over the world,
there are remarkable hotels.

Born of bold vision and daring endeavor.

Wow. This is how I ought to live.

Whether it's one of the remotest hotels
on Earth hidden on a Pacific island…

Or sumptuous resort on one of
the highest mountains in the Middle East.

What an incredible view.

The people running these hotels
strive to create the perfect sanctuary.

But what does it take
to offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences

in stunning locations?

Construction was a logistical nightmare.
No water, no source of power.

I'm a restaurant writer,
newspaper columnist and critic.



I have opinions on just about everything.

He's not a very good driver, is he?

-Crazy!
-Crazy!

-Crazy!
-Crazy!

And I'm a chef who's worked at the top end

of the hospitality industry
for, well, over 20 years.

This is awesome!

We'll travel to amazing hotels
in every corner of the world.

Enjoy.

To spend time getting to know the people
working away behind the scenes.

I polished Elton John's fruits.

You polished Elton John's fruits.

Do you recall life under Apartheid?
Has it changed for you?

Nelson Mandela was
the first black President,



…gives me more inspiration
to achieve what I want in life.

-Join us as we venture inside…
-The world's most extraordinary hotels.

The Alps.

A magnet for snow tourists
from across the world.

This incredible mountain range
plays a vital role

in a global winter sports industry
worth billions.

We're in the Swiss Alps heading towards
the very hotel where it all began.

The hotel is in St. Moritz,
an exclusive alpine resort at 1,800 meters

that's been a winter haven
for the glamorous and wealthy

for over 150 years.

Visitors can choose to arrive
on Europe's highest railway service,

the Bernina Express.

An extraordinary train ride like this
with these panoramic views,

the mountains, the churches,
the snow, the glinting sunshine.

It's the perfect preparation
to arrive in somewhere with a name

as famous as St. Moritz.

I'm not even really that much of a skier.

In fact, I don't really like skiing at all
but I've still always wanted to go there.

Situated in the Eastern Swiss Alps,
a 45-mile drive north of Lake Como,

St. Moritz is sheltered by high peaks that
guarantee 300 days of sunshine every year.

A temperate climate that helped
this former summer destination

become Europe's first
winter holiday resort,

enticing people to stay
from Christmas until Easter

and mingle with stars of the day
like Alfred Hitchcock

and Charlie Chaplin.

Louis Vuitton. Bottega Veneta.
Oh, yeah, there's Bulgari.

So, if you get bored of the snow,
you can just go and do some shopping.

Perched on the hillside overlooking
the lake in the Engadin Valley,

the Kulm is the oldest hotel
in St. Moritz.

The first winter tourist
stayed here in 1864

and over the decades
guests from Hollywood's finest

to titans of sport and industry
have stepped into this lobby.

From the inside of this
167-room grand hotel,

it's easy to forget we're situated
over a mile above sea level.

But every window serves as a reminder.

As you walk in, you have this stunning,
stunning room but it's the view outside

that just pulls you to have a look
at this glorious mountainside.

In peak season,
through the Christmas period,

the hotel houses up to 400 guests at once.

They have the use of a modern spa
and no fewer than seven restaurants.

Double half-board rooms
range from 400 pounds a night

to an extravagant 1,250 pounds a night.

The majority mixing a classical style
with modern touches.

It's a little bit Finnish sauna
meets hipster minimalism

with a kind of background
of Victorian grandeur.

Newer suites have a boutique feel.

I didn't actually expect something
that felt so light.

It's got my name on the pillow.

It's for me. That's a very nice touch.

But, frankly, who pays any attention
to the room when there's a view like this?

I mean, that's absolutely stunning

and that's your basic St. Moritz sell,
isn't it?

Incredibly luxurious room,
wonderfully fitted, very pukka,

smells of billionaire with snow,
dramatic mountains and extreme sports.

I mean, it's, it's wonderful.

But savoring the opulent luxury
will have to wait.

We're here to join
the 350 other staff members

that make this place tick.

In the subterranean maze below the hotel,

there's enough skilled labor
to equip an army

including an in-house upholsterer,

carpenter, and a laundry operating
on an industrial scale.

It's basically a warren of activity,
a hive of business

and the person I've come to see
is a seamstress called Rosa.

Ciao, Giles! Ciao.

At the height of the season,

Rosa keeps all the staff looking the part
as well as altering clothes for guests.

Today, she's fitting me
for a bellboy's uniform.

If only I knew what she was saying.

I speak all these languages,
French, German, Spanish,

the Italian is the only one I don't have,
but I can sort of understand.

Si, pantaloni. Trousers.
Shall I take off my trousers?

I can say that in most languages.

Uniform fitting snugly,
I'm heading for the front desk

in search of Chief Concierge
Silvio Martocchi.

I'll just start. Maybe I'll just…

Can I help, anyone?

-Would anyone like to… Silvio! Hi.
-Hi.

-Hello I'm Giles.
-How are you?

Giles? Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.
-Welcome to the Kulm.

Do I look like a bellboy? Is that correct?

Yes. Everything is okay.
The right shoes, yes.

The right shoes? They're my own.
I bought them specially.

I'm in good hands.
Silvio started here as a bellboy in 1974.

So, you've been doing it for 44 years,
you've been working here?

I've been for 44 years in this hotel.
This nice hotel.

You will love it. If you stay here longer,
I think you will love it.

For guest.

Silvio is one of many long-serving
staff members who have looked after guests

and their extended families
for almost half a century.

I must say, everybody is very welcoming.

We get the best service here.
You know, makes you feel at home.

If there's anything at all you need,

-don't hesitate to ask.
-I know where to go.

On a busy day, there can be
180 arrivals and departures.

It's up to the bellboys to make sure
guests come and go with the right luggage.

Okay, 483.

Okay, I'll be up straight away.
Thanks a lot. Bye.

The customers in 483
have a plane to catch.

It's up to me to bring their bags
to the waiting car.

But which lift does he mean? The red lift?

-He is leaving in a few minutes.
-Is it the red lift?

-Yes. Yes.
-Great. Hi.

End to end, the Kulm stretches 250 meters.

If I was trying to find room 483…

-It's going on the first floor.
-First floor and then along down there.

-A long way.
-That way? And then up?

-Then up.
-Okay. Thank you.

It has rooms on each of six floors…

Come, hey? Why am I here?

…all accessed via a warren of elevators
and back-of-house stairways…

This doesn't look very promising.

…which seem to have conspired
to outfox me.

That's what you're meant to do.
Right. I've just spotted a nicer trolley.

So, I'm going to park up
and go with the pretty one.

You put in some miles on the old Fitbit,
I don't mind telling you.

-Is 483 up here? 483?
-Yes, I think so.

Sorry, it took a little time.
I was trying to find the lift.

After seven sweaty minutes,
I finally arrive.

Great.

A good bellboy will have the luggage
packed neatly into the guests' car

before they've settled their bill.

Oh, in you go. Oh, asses.

Sadly, I'm last to the party.
These guests beat me to it.

Please don't all fall off.

It's fine, that's fine. There you go.
Sorry, these old trolleys are a bit…

The bags are quite heavy,
the trolley's quite hard to drive.

The carpets are quite thick.

-On the carpets, yes.
-There's a bit of a slope,

there's an altitude.
I'm schwitzing like a downhill skier.

Silvio is one of many long-serving staff

who've known General Manager
Heinz Hunkeler since the day he was born.

My father used to manage this place
for 35 years.

The Kulm Hotel was my playground.

I was always fascinated
by the hospitality, by the luxury,

and my parents always told me,
"Go out and discover the world

and I traveled quite a lot,

and there are plenty of beautiful places,
but I was always kind of homesick

and I knew one day I would like
to go back to my mountains.

Heinz and his wife Jenny built
their reputation running hotels

in New York, Munich, and Paris
before taking over

as joint managing directors
five years ago.

They live in the hotel
with their three children.

At the hotel, I'm the boss

and in the family,
definitely, she's the boss.

I think it's something very special
to have your kids

who are living the same experience
as you live.

He knows this hotel better than anyone.
It was his playroom for many years.

It always makes me smile
when I hear stories about Heinz,

about his childhood. Yeah,
I can imagine him as a little person here.

-Hi, Monica. I'm Jenny.
-Hi, Jenny. How are you?

-Nice to meet you.
-Likewise.

She may not have grown up in the hotel,

but Jenny Hunkeler is just as proud
of the Kulm's history.

So, we are coming to the oldest part
of the hotel and look at this.

-The ceiling is amazing.
-It's a vaulted ceiling.

It's something very characteristic
of the Engadin architecture and…

And the floor feels like it's going
to sort of crash through

to the next level any minute.
Look at this.

Over 150 years ago,

Jenny's office was the living room
of the hotel's original owners.

I feel like we just stepped back in time.

May I present you, Your Highness
and his wife Maria Badrutt.

He was the founder of the Kulm Hotel
and also the visionary.

Before,
St. Moritz was a summer destination

so people just used to come for the summer
and not during the winter.

He actually developed the winter tourism

not only here in St. Moritz,
but in the Alps.

Legend has it that Badrutt enticed
the first-ever winter tourist on record

with a bet.

He suggested to a group of departing
British summer guests

that should they dare to return
to the Kulm for Christmas,

they'll never look back.

He said if they didn't love it as much
as they love it during summer,

he would pay back the bill.

And so this is how winter tourism started.
The guests came and they just loved it

and stayed the whole winter
and came back and back and back again.

And this office, is this how he kept it?

Exactly. So this was his office,
his living room.

As this room
has barely changed since then,

Jenny and Heinz offer it to guests
for a dining experience.

It's booked tonight.

I'm helping executive housekeeper
Frau Knie take it back in time.

Thank you, everyone.

So, come in.

But our journey into the past
is just starting.

This locked cupboard contains Badrutt's
original dinner service and silverware.

-Find four of everything.
-Okay, four of cutlery, all right.

Look at that. Has his initials on it.
'Your Highness Badrutt.' Goodness.

Now, tell me, Monica…

The piece de resistance is this.

My goodness.

Badrutt and his family saved this Venetian
Morano glassware for special occasions.

I'm afraid to touch it. It's so pretty.

Oh, dear me. Let's just hope
no one breaks anything tonight.

-Are you nervous?
-No.

No? you're not nervous to handle these?
Really, no? I'm glad you're confident.

-You need something else from here?
-No, I think we're good, I don't.

She chipped the top of the vase
with the key.

No. It was only the key.

By nightfall, we've transformed
the lounge back to the way it was

when the first winter guest arrived
in St. Moritz 154 years ago.

-I think it's perfect, isn't it?
-Absolutely.

Good evening.

Tonight, we're hosting a group of four.

Diners pay 200 pounds each
for three courses, champagne and wine.

Don't know if you know,
but this is the original office

of Your Highness and his wife Maria
who are on this wall looking down on you.

This is actually their original china
that you're using to dine with,

their cutlery, even the glass
is over a hundred years old.

Yes. So, you know, do enjoy
but please be careful.

I'm not supposed to say that.

I don't think Jenny says that
but I'm going to say it for her.

Parmesan risotto with truffles.
I hope you have a great evening.

-Thank you.
-Thank you so much.

-Cheers, everybody.
-Cheers.

Badrutt gets the credit
for starting winter tourism.

But it was the madcap activities
of his early guests

that kick-started many alpine sports
still pursued today.

-Buongiorno, buongiorno.
-Buongiorno.

Heinz is taking me
to their favorite hang-out.

This is really exciting. This is like
something out of Goodfellas, you know,

when he's whipping through the kitchens
It's all kind of… It's never stopping.

This is nice. What are these?

Here in the hotel's sunny bar,
a group of British winter guests

hatched the idea to race makeshift sleds
through St. Moritz at breakneck speeds.

In 1884, the Cresta Run was born,
an ice track winding three-quarters

of a mile past the Kulm
down to the village.

Still hotly contested today, the Cresta
is the forerunner of Olympic skeleton.

This sledge up there, Harry Hays Morgan
is a very, very important Cresta driver.

There's also the Harry Hays Morgan Cup.

Everybody wants to win it.
But at the end, nobody wants it

because if you win this race,
you have to fill it up with champagne,

and it fits 29 and a half bottles.

-So, for me a very good business.
-Yeah!

But those who win afterwards
have to pay quite a lot.

I'm too late in the season
for the Cresta Run itself.

So, I'll have to settle for a shot
at the official apres-ski challenge.

There you see
Wrottesley memorial challenge.

-Are those records?
-Yes.

What is it?
Count Luka Marenzi did 43 what?

They're going back and forth
with the rings.

-Forty-three times?
-Yes.

Think we might have to give that a try.

Mind you, Guy Schwarzenbach did
a hundred and fifty…

How many is that, Schwarzenbach?

In 1886, the team behind the Cresta Run

rebranded themselves
as the hotel's outdoor amusement committee

with a view to developing
winter sports further.

So here we come into our archives.
There is all the history.

How amazing. How amazing to have
an archive in a hotel.

Here you have some old newspapers
from 1936.

The Engadin Express.

Hoping to boost interest
in winter holidays,

the outdoor amusements committee
published homemade newspapers,

designed to whet the appetites
of those back home.

Because there wasn't many things to do,
so the guests themselves organized.

Each winter, some more activities
came up, skiing, the bob runs.

They brought curling to Switzerland,
up to the Alps.

And these papers are basically

-to advertise it in London.
-Yes.

"The Anglo-Swiss ski races
are taking place today.

The team representing
the British Universities Ski Club

was to consist of Messrs CP Green,
Captain Roger Bushell, Palmer-Tomkinson,

Dave Cunningham and Robert Redhead."
I do hope the British won.

Fascinating to think there's people
who came on holiday here

were writing their own magazine
to show what an amazing time

they were having here
at the very birth of winter sport.

It is not very different frankly,
from Instagram or Twitter,

from people endlessly telling you, "I'm
on holiday! Look at me in my ski kit."

They're so excited
about their ski holidays

that they've actually made
a whole magazine about it.

What started as a bit of fun in the snow
soon developed into bonafide competition.

Typical of St. Moritz are the horse races
held on the ice-covered lake.

Amazing how horses can hold their footing
and at the same time maintain their speed.

The hotel played a pivotal role
when St. Moritz hosted the Winter Olympics

in 1928, and then again in 1948.

Fifty years ago, the hotel was bought
by a Greek shipping empire with the wealth

to continue striving to give guests
the best of St. Moritz.

In 2002, they built a 2,6-mile floodlit
ski run,

the longest in Switzerland.

Hotel guests are encouraged
to use it on weekly snow nights

and can even hire the mountain exclusively
for over 4,000 pounds a night.

I'm taking a cable car
also owned by the group

to the mid-station of the Corvatsch
to help prepare the piste.

I've come up to 2,400 meters
to try my hand at driving one of these.

It's a monster, it's a beast.
This is my kind of challenge.

-Go on the graspers,
-Yeah.

and don't go between that.

Stefan's teamwork from 5 p.m. until late,
seven days a week

preparing 75 miles of piste
for skiing the next day.

-Okay. Ready? Shall we start it up?
-Yeah.

-Yeah, yeah! Ohh! Let's go.
-That's like in a car, a steering wheel.

Discharge stick we're using
for the plate here on the front.

Push it back or push it forward
the plate is going up and down.

-Okay.
-And now we're driving.

-That's it, you know?
-Okay.

The front blade shaves the snow,

whilst the rear smooths it
into solid piste.

Oh, my gosh. That is so steep.

-Let's go down there, huh?
-Okay. Do it, do it, do it.

Fasten your seatbelts. Oh, no!

Oh, my god!
Look at that, it's like a ride.

Holy cow, he's going off the edge
of the-- no!

-You want to try?
-Yeah, I'll give it a go.

The floodlit run opens at 7pm,

giving the piste teams two hours
to prepare it.

-Forward, backwards.
-Forwards, backwards.

-Yes. Hand brake.
-Steering.

Whoo-hoo! I want one.
It's very sensitive, that steering wheel.

Every little turn
and it moves straight away.

-Oh, my god! That's so steep.
-Seatbelt is on, yeah?

Yeah, I've got a seatbelt on.
Have you got a seatbelt on? Oh, my god!

This red run feels steep,
but I'm driving a machine

that can handle gradients
of up to 45 degrees.

You are safe in a snowcat. Even this
whole cabin is made for rolling over also.

Okay, let's not test rolling over today.

-No, that's not…
-Save that for another lesson.

-our plan for today.
-No.

-Catch some snow, huh?
-Yeah. Look at that.

Thirty minutes in,
I'm starting to get the hang of it.

Ah, look at the back. Whoo-hoo!
That's me doing that.

Nice.

-I think you should stay up here tonight.
-As long as you stay with me, I'm okay.

How do you get home at the end of a shift?

-We ski down.
-Amazing.

I mean, of course,
we have to test our work, you know?

-Yeah.
-And, yeah, it's…

Is that the best part of the night,

knowing that you're going to ski down
on this new surface?

Let's say it's a very good part
of the night.

As the lights come on, guests load
into the cable car to ski until 2 a.m.

I'm just going to stop right here.

-Phew!
-Come on.

-Thank you, Stefan.
-Great job.

-Handbrake up.
-Was a pleasure.

-A big pleasure.
-That was so awesome.

Morning, Giles.

In my bellboy's uniform, I'm once again

under the supervision
of chief concierge Silvio.

Do I carry? Shall I carry on?
Shall I do some more?

Make another round and then we start on
other things to do. Okay. Huh?

Even in his 44th year at the Kulm,
Silvio still likes to carry out

the first-ever job allocated to him
at the hotel,

hand-delivering guest mail.

-Next one is…
-We're going up in the lift?

You can imagine when I started my job,
the mail was double, triple.

It was huge.
Now look at what we have, it's very, very…

-Pizza flyers and stuff?
-Things change very, very fast now.

You must know all the little secrets
of this place?

You know, people creeping the corridors
at night, you know,

all sorts of shenanigans, no?

You know, it's a part of our job
to be very discreet.

I mean we have guests that come,
they come to me and they…

I am, for them, like a priest.

Today, Silvio wants me to join him
delivering the mail

to one of his favorite guests
who's lived at the Kulm for 15 years.

-Look at that.
-It's very nice.

This is super, super smart.

Within the hotel, there are two blocks
of serviced private apartments.

-Hi.
-Hi, there.

Containing 34 residences available
for long term rent.

The largest of which costs
250,000 pounds a year.

What is it about living in a hotel?
Why do you do that? Trust and confidence.

I come in everyone says,
"Hello, how are you?"

We have a separate entrance.
So, I can go out there

or I go sometimes out through the hotel
then I pass by Silvio.

So, you can lead a kind of a normal life
and a secret life?

Exactly. That's it, yes.

-That's so Swiss.
-Yeah, you are right.

-Do you come here mostly for Silvio?
-Yes. You know, Silvio,

when you enter the hotel,
you go to reception, who is here?

Silvio. He is the heart of the Kulm.

I've been trying to get that from him
but he's so modest and reserved,

he's giving me nothing.

He's even looking suspicious
at the idea of being the heart.

He's so much happier now he's seen you,
he's been walking round with me

with a long face.
He's just looking forward to seeing you.

Thank you very much,
really appreciate it. Thank you.

-Thank you. Bye.
-Bye-bye.

What a lovely lady, Silvio. And she thinks
that you're the heart of the place.

-What do you think of that?
-That makes me very, very happy.

I feel like I've had a real insight

into the ways and the workings
of the old-fashioned grand hotel.

You know, the sort of palace style,
the people who actually live here,

rich old ladies secreted in strange
little corridors and then Silvio,

this concierge who's been here
for 44 years, he's devoted to it.

He loves the clientele, they love him,
he's part of the family.

It's just the way things used to be done
in the old world and I think

in many ways, this hotel stands
for those sort of values.

But the passage of time means
change is inevitable.

And Silvio has decided
this will be his last winter season.

-My first season.
-Is that you?

-That's me.
-This young man.

-I was a driver.
-Have you ever not had the mustache?

-Haven't.
-Always had the mustache.

Yes. That's me, sport time. On the Cresta.

-Is that you on the Cresta Run?
-On the Cresta Run.

I've never seen you not wearing a tie,
but I suppose.

-This was my wife.
-This, where's your wife?

-This is my wife.
-And is this here?

This here in our laundry,
she was working here.

-She worked in the laundry?
-She worked in the laundry, yes.

I met her here
the first season I come here.

-Forty-four years ago so that was…
-Seventy-four, yes.

-Was it, was it love at first sight?
-Yes, of course.

After two years, we got married.

And then you worked together
the whole time?

We worked together the whole time, yes.
Silvio on holiday, with my wife.

-With your wife and who's this?
-Nephew.

Sounds like this was
a very happy time for you.

Oh, yes. Of course.

For Silvio, hotel life
hasn't been the same

since his wife died three years ago.

I mean, you have given your life
to this hotel.

I gave my life, yes.

And have you always thought
that was the right thing,

to give all that service to this place?

Yes. If I do something I do,

I try to do the best and to give the best.

They can't avoid the loss
of long-standing staff and guests

but Jenny and Heinz are working hard
to modernize the hotel

while maintaining business as usual.

I don't know what you think
about this curtain.

-It's a little wild.
-So, yes.

The ongoing success hinges
on the ability to satisfy older guests

whilst forging new ground
for future generations.

Of course, you have guests coming back
for 40, 50, 60 years sometimes.

And yeah, they're a part of the hotel,
they're part of the history.

And you have to reassure them

that we won't go with the crazy ideas,
that we will remain classical.

I think luxury these days
doesn't need to be stiff and complicated.

We want to keep the history
on a certain way

but we want to bring it
in the 21st century.

Since taking over,
the Hunkelers have overseen

a ten million-pound spa renovation,
incorporating a heated outdoor pool.

They're refurbishing 70 rooms and suites

with French star architect,
Pierre-Yves Rochon

and have spent nine million pounds
rebuilding the country club

with British architect Norman Foster.

While Heinz has made a name
for himself with bold ideas

like a temporary submarine bar
on the lake.

He's even found a way of serving up
the great outdoors

to those guests who don't wish
to leave the hotel.

Jesus.

-Do you want a hand with that?
-You all right?

Thanks, hon.

I'm back at the Corvatsch,
and this time, Giles is with me.

We've been tasked with delivering
a wine barrel to the top station.

I wonder how high up we're going.

The hotel clearly didn't get the memo
about Giles and heights.

This is genuinely terrifying.

You're doing great, you're doing great.

I've never really got the thing where
people go, "Oh, the air, the mountains!"

To me, this is just the kind of stuff
you're supposed to look at

from the window seat of an airplane
on your way to the Bahamas.

We've come to the highest
accessible point in St. Moritz,

3,300 meters above sea level.

-Welcome, hello.
-Hi guys.

-Thank you for bringing the cask.
-That's alright. There's not much left.

Pascal and Renaldo are hoping to exploit
the hotel's long-standing connection

with this mountain by building
the highest distillery in the world

up here, and the results so far
are hidden behind this door.

-You can get in there.
-I think you can.

This cave is used to age Swiss whiskey.

The hotel is one of two clients

receiving the majority of the 288 bottles
aged up here each year.

We've already matured whiskey here
and we need to change the cask.

On this altitude we have different
air pressure than on the sea level

and we have less oxygen and this has
a strong effect on the maturation process.

Atmospheric pressure, temperature
and the moisture content in the air

all affect the final product.

And decanting the whiskey
between old wine barrels helps, too.

This three-year-old is ready for a change
and it's up to me to get it moving.

Suck. Strong and fast, short
because it's dangerous.

If you get high-percentage alcohol
in your lungs, you're drunk with one sip,

you're really drunk.
It's right in your blood.

-So, that's what 63 percent?
-Yes.

Just make sure you don't swallow.

-And please don't waste it.
-Ready.

-Not strong enough.
-More? I saw it come.

You have time.

I'll tell you…There's coming now
It's coming. Stop!

Oh, my gosh.

It's coming, it's coming.
There we go. Voila.

-Can I have a little?
-I hope you wash your fingers.

It's delicious. And the fact that
I had a near-death experience

just beforehand, in my case, not skiing,

but in inhaling very hard,
it could have gone into my lungs,

it could have basically blown my head off,
it's a very, very good feeling.

You're my hero.

Whiskey happily transferring,

I think it's only civilized
we take some refreshment.

Very, very…
And the booze comes very quickly.

Probably next year, we build
the distillery here on Corvatsch

so this means this will be
the highest distillery on the planet.

-Amazing.
-Viva!

At the hotel, there's the option
of being warmed by the house whiskey.

And there are also seven in house
pan European restaurants

for guests to choose from.

But recently, the Hunkelers made
their boldest culinary move yet

by offering a residency
in the traditional Sunny Bar

to Peruvian chef Claudia Canessa.

-Claudia, hi
-Monica! Como estas?

Oh, very good, thank you.

I'm joining Claudia to help prep
this evening's service.

I would not have presumed to come to
St. Moritz and discover Peruvian food.

Yeah, I know.
Everybody talks to me and say to me,

"The mountains is impossible, Claudia.
Are you crazy?"

-You say, "No, maybe." I can handle that.
-Yeah.

Mr. Hunkeler made a big risk with us
and he didn't know how it would works,

that maybe the people say,
"I don't like her," and that's it.

It's my first season and my last season.

But actually it started to work
everything really good

and he… I think
that he's now really happy.

A staple dish of Peruvian cuisine
is Ceviche,

using high-quality raw fish
like the sea bass,

which Claudia imports daily from Milan.

Sea bass is so fresh, isn't it?

You can just tell
by how translucent it is.

The sea bass will be dressed
in tiger's milk,

the name given to Ceviche's special sauce.

We've got some, ginger,
some cloves of garlic,

there's celery, we've got coriander,
some chilies,

and now we've just topped it up
with some fresh lime juice.

In my career as a chef, you know,
we've always called it tiger's milk

but not really been explained
why tiger's milk.

When you have the worst hangover
in the world

and you ate the ceviche,
you have the juice in the back

and normally everybody
start to eat a ceviche

when you have a really bad hangover
and they start to say, "I feel better."

-It'll make you feel like a tiger.
-It's like you feel like a tiger. Yes.

Yes, it's like you are new like a tiger.

You know what I love, Claudia?
You come out the cold,

and people are used
to having rich, heavy food.

-And?
-I don't always want that, you know?

I, I love the fact
that I've discovered you're here

and I could have something
that's light and refreshing.

For me, something new is nice,
because you take Peru here in some way.

The gamble of bringing
Peruvian cuisine to the Alps

is not the only forward-thinking
offering devised by the hotel.

I'm at St. Moritz's private airport.

Heinz has asked me to pack my chef whites
for a very special guest excursion.

He's offering something quite exclusive
and here's a huge hint, a helicopter.

We're going. Yay! Wait for me, Heinz.

Our pilot Manu alternates
between private flights

and manning
the busy air ambulance service.

He knows these mountains
like the back of his hand.

This is as James Bond as it gets.

We're surrounded by 4,000-meter peaks
and it's breathtaking.

Oh, my goodness.

-Fresh powder there.
-Look at that!

In minutes, St. Moritz is miles behind us.

We're searching for a summit peak
with an area flat enough to touch down.

-Fantastic!
-Whoo-hoo-hoo! How awesome is that?

-We are at 3,200 meters…
-Is that all?

…above sea level, so this is probably
one of the higher restaurants

you have ever been or you will ever go…

-I will ever cook in, I think.
-…to prepare.

The chopper heads back
to pick up the guests.

Before we can start cooking,
we need to build our restaurant.

And this is so the table
and that doesn't sink in, is that right?

Yes.

Today, our two guests have the privilege
of the highest dining in St. Moritz.

An experience like this costs
around 800 pounds.

-Hi!
-Hello.

-Monica is… today, with us.
-Welcome!

You look the part, you look glamorous
and I love you remembered your handbag.

Just in case.

Our pop up restaurant
is open for business.

Here we are.

We have all the time in the world.

You're my only table that I'm cooking
and serving today.

That's it, it's really empty
in this house.

If there's any issues of waiting,
don't hesitate to shout

-across the mountain. Chin-chin!
-Chin-chin. Cheers, thanks very much.

-Chin-chin. Cheers, thanks very much.
-Cheers.

Enjoy the view. Enjoy the bubbles,
I'm going to go cook you some fondue.

-Great.
-Thank you.

While I've been talking,
Heinz has prepared

a starter of traditional cured meats
to keep our guests going while we cook.

Oh, right. How's that for a challenge.
Get your food across…

…soft snow.

Right guys, something's,
let's ought to get you nibbling on. Enjoy.

Thank you very much.

So, what have we got here?
What cheese is this?

-Appenzeller.
-Appenzeller?

Try it.

For our fondue we're mixing garlic,
three types of cheese

and as this experience
is the height of luxury,

champagne instead of white wine.

Yes. More.

Up here, at 2,300 meters,
most things take longer to cook,

as boiling point is eight degrees Celsius
lower than at sea level,

so a dish that only needs enough
heat to melt some cheese is perfect.

Whatever gave you the idea to come
and make a fondue up here?

Guests, they are not looking anymore
just for a simple restaurant.

They're looking for a culinary experience,
adventures.

Sometimes, you need to be also
a little bit crazy to try out new things.

Do you feel like you're carrying on
the tradition

of Badrutt's and your father, even?

Well, I think this is a big words.

I am quite… Mr. Badrutt was another
coeur liber, another hotel pioneer.

Definitely, we have the same passion,
but I don't want to compete with them.

No.

-Service is coming.
-Wow, fresh fondue.

-It smells amazing.
-This is a special twist

that we do up here.
Truffle on your fondue.

-Thanks.
-Thank you very much.

This young couple from Zurich clearly
have the means to treat themselves.

I'm intrigued to know what it is
that keeps them returning to the hotel.

What makes it special?

-I think that is family, thinking like,
-Yeah.

that you really, when you enter,
you really feel like you're at home.

Yeah, it's very special. We've known
Mr. Hunkeler a long time ago

from a grandfather in the family with me

and now it's experienced,
top of the mountain, top of the world.

I think for your first winter together
at the Kulm, you've set the bar very high.

Yeah.

So, hopefully,
when you've got your little ones,

-Yeah.
- it'll be 4th generation.

-Enjoy.
-Thanks.

I am so pumped at the moment.
Can't explain it, it's exhilarating here.

I've cooked in some awesome places before

but this has got to be
one of the most epic things I've done.

More than 150 years ago,
hotelier Johannes Badrutt foresaw

how Christmas time among these
snow-capped peaks would delight visitors.

By the time he died in 1889,
winter tourism had taken off,

just as he predicted.

But 130 years on, the enduring popularity
of the alpine holiday

has transformed the mountains around
St. Moritz beyond his wildest dreams.

Obviously, the whole point
of St. Moritz is really

not all the comforts of the Kulm Hotel,

it's about getting out here
and doing this sort of thing.

It's about leaving the comforts of home,

the central heating, the warm fires,
the great service, the food, and wine,

getting out there and breaking your legs
on a pine tree.

Personally, personally and I'm not saying
that I'm not going into this

wholeheartedly, personally,
I'd rather just stay in the hotel.

In 1929, the first Swiss ski school
was set up in St. Moritz.

So, to bring things full circle,

today, I'll be working alongside
instructor Matteo.

But before I'm allowed near a learner,
I need to prove

I haven't forgotten how to ski
in the 31 years since I last tried it.

Dig in with the edge of the ski
to cut the snow.

They're not really designed
for going uphill, are they?

As it gets steeper,
you want to open a bit more.

-I don't like that at all.
-That's good, that's good.

All right.

At the height of the season,
the hotel employs 30 instructors,

teaching an average
40 hotel guests each day.

Yeah! Got down it. That was… that was…

That was about as difficult as they get,
was that a black run, is that?

Yeah, not quite. Not quite.

For Matteo, the wealth of some visitors
has taken a bit of getting used to.

We get a lot of very extravagant people
with fur coats.

-Skiing in fur coats?
-Yeah, definitely. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Is it paid better than other places?

I think it definitely pays better
than other places.

Usually, you can get a very nice tip.

What's the best tip you've ever had?

-Is it so big it makes you laugh?
-Yes.

-Really?
-It is.

-Come on. Was it more than 100 francs?
-It was more.

-It was more than 100 francs?
-Yes.

Was it 500 francs?

-Little bit more.
-Was it 1,000 francs?

-Yes.
-You got tipped 1,000 francs?

That is not the biggest around here.
Legend says that someone got a car.

-Someone got tipped a car?
-Yeah.

-A good car?
-A pretty good one, yeah.

The possibility of a free car
has put a definite spring in my ski boots.

I don't.

All right. Want to help
a little bit with the arms?

Guests pay 250 pounds for a three-hour,
one-on-one lesson like this.

Nice.

And I'm starting to think
it might be worth it.

That was all right.
It's all right, wasn't it?

-Pretty, pretty good.
-Don't tell anybody that I like it.

My whole Weltanschauung,
everything I believe about the world

is built around my hatred of skiing,

that I think it's a rubbish, boring
dangerous sport for thickos,

but it was rather good going down there.
Could get into this.

I must be doing something right,
because Matteo invites me to lead

his next class with a group of kids.

Okay. Ich… erstmal, und dann Sie folgen.
Und was ich mache, Sie machen. Ja?

My A-level German doesn't seem
to be impressing them.

With a bit of luck, my instructing will.

You're going to be leading the kids,
and we're going to do some arm movements.

-Okay.
-To the sides, up, down,

-you can improvise, right?
- If I wipeout, if I crash…

If you crash,
you're putting in danger the kids.

Oh, god. I don't want
to put in danger the kids.

This could go well
or it could go very, very badly.

But luckily, I'm not a proud man.

You ready, guys? Okay, let's go.

We're gonna go all the way to there.

Ja?

Arms in the air.

Arms down.

Big waggle.

-That's it.
-And this way. Out this way.

In we go for the big finish all the way.
It's off! Where's he going?

Whoo-hoo! That was brilliant guys.

You're amazing. Thank you. Danke schon.

I've gone from total beginner novice
to instructor-level skier.

I'm teaching children, they seem to have
such fun, they all did exactly what I did.

They came up in a line
and they're really sweet, it's lovely.

And I tell you what,
barking instructions in German,

it's got a certain something.

Are you ready with your luggage
to be picked up?

So I will send a bellboy.

Please take the car. Alles Gute.
We'll see you next year?

Okay. Goodbye, all the very best.

Our time at the hotel is coming to an end.

Morning.

Silvio has allowed me to ditch
my bellboy's uniform

but he needs me to exercise
some four-legged guests.

What am I doing here, Giles,
and why have you got a dog?

Because they offer a dog-walking service.

They asked me to do it,
and I've never walked a dog.

They asked you, of all people,
to walk a dog?

I'm not anti-dogs cause, obviously, dogs
keep lonely people very happy, but, to me,

it's defunct technology.

You know? They were useful once,
but they're not anymore.

You don't carry a typewriter anymore,
you've got a phone.

We no longer need dogs to rescue things
or pick up pheasants and stuff.

We don't use them for transport,
we've got cars.

Don't really see why people
have still got them.

Mon, you're a dog owner.
I mean, is it a bit weird

to take a dog on a skiing holiday?

It is, isn't it?

Not only is it my first time
walking a dog,

it's our first outing on the frozen lake
in front of the hotel.

Come on, big dog.

-How frozen is this, do you think?
-Yeah, why are we the only ones on it?

-They play polo on here.
-That's a scary thought.

I mean, what posh people will do
if you give them a mountain

and several million pounds?

Come on, old boy. You're doing so well.

Gazing up at the hotel,
it's easy to imagine

just how welcoming it looked
to those first winter visitors.

A hundred and fifty years on,
the pioneering activities

of those early holiday-makers have evolved

into much-loved alpine pastimes
and breathtaking Olympic sports.

It's a magnificent thing, the Kulm.

Can't help but admire it.
This was the first hotel in St. Moritz.

It's still there, it's still attracting
generations upon generations

of people that love winter tourism.

And you don't get many hotels
where the people are coming back,

their grandparents and their parents
and they came here as children.

There is the staff who go back
a couple of generations.

Jenny and Heinz are the right people
to carry that on.

They have a huge respect for the history
of this hotel, understand what it's about.

They have managed to mix the old
and the new and created something special.

The idea of the hotel was a magical thing
to the bourgeoisie of the 19th century.

The Kulm has some of that magic still.

-Hello.
-Come on, guy.