Marylin Monroe was a maverick thinker. Many beautiful and talented aspiring actors could have had a career like hers if they understood people as she did. She knew that star quality was an attitude and not something that one was born with. The key to her success: how she made people feel. A nuanced sigh, a doe-eyed side glance, a self-deprecating gasp and a wiggle of a shoulder were a handful of things that put her on the world stage and in people’s hearts. The Grand Hotel Des Bains Kempinski St Moritz is one of many luxury hotel offerings in the Swiss Alps,  but the sensitive attunement to its guests’ needs, much like Monroe’s care for the feelings of her audience, creates an experience for guests unrivalled by its counterparts.

For twenty years from dusk until dawn, the iconic shell of the Kempinski St Moritz has twinkled like a palace in a Disney dream sequence. Childhood fantasy is furthered by the dominating size of the building: a white and baby-blue lattice of luxury which seems to go on and on and appears as if it could almost, like the Vatican, compete for ‘city’ status. At 1800m the Kempinski sits at the base of Corviglia, the main area for skiing in St Moritz and just a ten-minute walk from the south-western point of Lake St Moritz in the Engadin Valley, the eastern Swiss Alps.

A regal welcome party of impeccably dressed staff greet guests as they arrive and the weighty staff-to-guest ratio is a key characteristic. Immediately needs are anticipated and requests are fulfilled above and beyond what is asked and nothing is too much trouble. This is how Marylin Monroe must have been treated when she walked into a hotel. The newly refurbished lobby and bar embodies a classic glamour with a modern twist. Sparkling chandeliers and fresh-white painted columns create a light-filled atrium ladened with modern features: contemporary lamps, vivid stone side tables and enticingly comfortable furniture. A vintage Porsche in the lobby objectifying the timeless elegance of the hotel. The new illuminated marble bar itself is a showstopper, a coveted companion to an aperitif after a day in the mountains.

The Grand Hotel Des Bains was constructed on top of St Moritz’s natural spring and opened in 1864 to serve as a health retreat. The water source is the original, beating heart of the hotel spa and it is here that visitors can see the water emerge from the ground and enjoy a slightly carbonated drink, dense in iron and minerals. Health and well-being are core values of the hotel, reflected in the sheer size of the extensive and sophisticated spa offerings.

Along with a large indoor pool, there is a Finnish sauna large enough to house 30 people, a bio sauna, a steam room and an aroma room where large crystals spawn a dimly lit, room fragrant with mountain herbs, allowing guests to float blissfully between awake and rest. All of this is possible in a women-only zone too. Crushed ice is available on demand to mitigate the sauna sessions, or better still there is access to a snowy garden where you can see the steam rise from your skin as you roll in the real snow during the Winter months. The Kempinski is equipped with its own hair salon and countless treatment rooms where expert practitioners will tend to your beauty and wellness needs. The Kempinski St Moritz also boasts of being the only place in St Moritz offering cryotherapy – a treatment which extreme cold temperatures of around -120C to reduce joint inflammation and aid good sleep, amongst other benefits; so ideal after a demanding day on the mountain.

The 228 rooms are simple and classic in design; cosy and comfortable. They boast generously sized bathrooms and will be serviced at least three times a day. In contrast, the 44 ‘residences’ have all been updated in a modern chalet style with sanded pine and lavish, wintery fabrics. The kitchenettes and bountiful living space are ideal if you are looking to make St Moritz home for the season, which many guests here, do.

It’s no surprise there are five dining locations within the Kempinski St Moritz, with food as contrasting as the décor. Beyond the selection of stalwart hotel dining options available in the bar and lobby area, there is a buffet dinner with a vast selection of international offerings every evening in Les Saisons, the hotel’s vast and newly refurbished dining hall. Further afield between the main hotel and the piste is Sunnestubli, THE top spot for sundowners and where skiers head for a well-deserved class of Aperol to commence the après.

For those serious about food, Ristorante Da Adriano, is 50sq metres of Italy in St Moritz, fronted by the gregarious and eccentrically fashioned Maître D, who after decades of loyal service was honoured with the restaurant being re-named after him. His commanding presence and tactile nature immediately makes guests feel like they have been welcomed into the bosom of a loving, Italian family. The head chef hails from Turin, influencing a menu of northern dishes with a handful from the south (“…for Adriano”). The delicacy of the fresh pasta, cooked to perfection, and the sumptuous beef fillet with truffles are worthy of a Count.

For haute cuisine, look no further than Ca D’Oro. Meaning ‘House of Gold’. Located in a baronial hall hidden away behind the main restaurant is like stumbling across a treasure chest. Large chandeliers hover over an elegantly decorated room with tall gold-framed mirrors and ceremonial objets all paying homage to the Swiss epoch in which it was created. In complete contrast to Ca D’Oro’s setting, head chef Leopold Ott is a youthful disruptor of his trade: the rough with the smooth, the Miller to his Monroe.

The overture to his modern European tasting menu consists of some intricately detailed canapés including shrimp on a seaweed cracker with jalapeno foam and avocado; zander ceviche tart with black pudding and apple on a loudly, crispy base, and a veal cheek lollipop. His duck consommé with duck leg ravioli and herb oil is a dense umami hit and his foie gras versus beetroot three ways is an exciting evolution of a fine dining opener. The dessert evolves around the flavour of mandarins with many forms of polenta and the chocolate ballotine with raspberry and horseradish petit four breaks down rules you thought your palette had. Leo Ott’s menu craves for, as much as it deserves, a Michelin star.

An ideal hub for winter sports, the Grand Hotel Des Bains Kempinski St Moritz is equipped to make activities as seamless as possible. The five-minute walking proximity to over 155km of ski slope and the Ski Service rental shop and locker room located on the bottom floor of the hotel, eliminates the effortful ski-faff. Beyond the skiing, St Moritz is a haven of Winter Spectator sports. The frozen Lake St Moritz nearby hosts the Snow Polo in January, the biggest international snow polo event in the world. In February the White Turf continues this unlikely combination of horses and snow with racing. Later on, there is The ICE (International Concours of Elegance) for vintage car racing on ice. The Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships are held on the other side of town in late Jan/early Feb which is no big surprise acknowledging St Moritz’s history as a stalwart host of the Winter Olympics. If something indoors is more preferable, the St Moritz Gourmet Festival includes some of the biggest names in global gastronomy, mid-January.

Whether you are a ski addict, a sybarite sports enthusiast, or in need of health betterment, the Grand Hotel Des Bains, Kempinski St Moritz is the principal ingredient for the most favourable alpine experience. Monroe knew the devil is in the detail and the Kempinski St Moritz takes this concept to another level entirely: even General Manager Konstantin Zeuke, on request, will personally take guests skiing as a weekly ritual. With certainty, guests leave the Grand Hotel Des Bains Kempinski St Moritz, with an enlivened parasympathetic nervous system, a newfound inner peace and a bank of memorable experiences in a glorious alpine setting.