Swiss five-star hotels almost a bargain

Switzerland's economy has suffered a string of recessions since the Millennium and the Swiss Franc has not advanced as strongly against the US dollar as the Euro. That means that for Middle East visitors this land of mountains, lakes and the good things in life is more affordable than for at least a decade.

Not that Switzerland is ever likely to be cheap. But in terms of value-for-money and quality, holidays do not come much better. St Moritz, the birthplace of winter sports, has recently become popular with Arabs and expatriates from the Middle East.

The sight of a UAE national gentleman in national dress sat in an open air coffee shop last week left passersby completely unimpressed, although he looked rather cold. And nobody batted an eyelid when a Saudi national wearing a headdress walked into the Carlton Hotel in St Moritz.

Swiss hotels set the five-star standards, and live up to the highest traditions. The Carlton's Maitre d' Eugeneio greeted me by name at breakfast like an old customer, and looked only mildly dismayed by my wife's insistence on salad in place of part of the five-course set dinner. After 25 years with the hotel not much bothered this man of infinite charm.

The Carlton is as blue-chip as an establishment can come and was originally built as the summer residence for Czar Nicholas II in 1913. He never actually visited as war, revolution, and summary execution intervened.

How the summer residence became a hotel is unclear but the double-height rooms on the restaurant floor remain as a grand reminder of this interesting ancestry. The Romanoff Restaurant is also there to inspire historical curiosity.

The ski facilities in St Moritz are as five-star as the Hotel Carlton whose leather-upholstered mini-bus drops you right by the small railway that takes you to the ski area. A designer ski-shop with helpful staff to ease the selection of gear and to store it for you overnight is right next to the railway.

Up on the mountains above an extensive ski area awaits skiers of all levels, as well as a wide range of gourmet ski restaurants for when the appetite for sport is replaced by hunger. There is even a champagne bar on the last slope home, perhaps for a coffee later in the day.

Traveling to St Moritz from the Middle East is pretty easy. We flew with Lufthansa to Zurich via its new Munich service which has convenient flight times, and then enjoyed panoramic views on the way to St Moritz with Swiss Railways. The Carlton's Mercedes was waiting at the rail station.

If you have an executive jet then nearby Samedan airport offers the possibility of a 10-minute transfer to the Carlton. We could not recommend St Moritz highly enough, and the hotel's general manager assured us it is even better in the summer.