Switzerland, November 2013: Visitors to the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz (www.kulm.com) and its sister property Grand Hotel Kronenhof in Pontresina (www.kronenhof.com) are in for a treat this winter season, as the hotels are opening up the Corvatsch mountain for three nights only, purely for their in-house guests.  The dates earmarked for this private evening's entertainment are 14 December 2013, 15 February 2014 and 5 April 2014, when the Corvatsch will be open from 7:30pm to 10:30pm.

The Corvatsch, which rises to an altitude of 3,303m above sea level, has the highest mountain top station in the Eastern Alps and offers fantastic conditions for all kinds of winter sports, with 120km of groomed ski slopes, a snow park with a half-pipe, a bag jump and various runs with that 'big mountain feeling'.  However, it is at night that it comes into its own, when Switzerland's longest illuminated night slope (4.2km) is lit up and, during the Kulm and Kronenhof private nights, when the mountain will come alive to the sound of traditional Alpine horn blowers, as well as contemporary music and cool tunes at the legendary Hossa Bar.

In between schussing down the slopes and soaking up the magical atmosphere while sitting outside a mountain bar to sip a hot chocolate or vin chaud, there will also be a chance to sample food in one of the mountain's seven restaurants, including the Hossa Bar where guests can sample traditional Swiss specialities such as a cheese fondue.

Anyone wishing to participate in the Corvatsch private nights simply has to be a guest of either the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz or the Grand Hotel Kronenhof in Pontresina.  Rates at the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz start from CHF575 (approx £395) for two people sharing a double room, including a sumptuous breakfast buffet, half-board Gourmet Dine Around and complimentary use of the Kulm Spa St. Moritz.  Reservations can be made by phone +41 (0) 81 836 80 00 or by e-mail via reservations@kulm.com.

At Grand Hotel Kronenhof, room rates start from CHF545 (approx £375) for two people sharing a double room, including a sumptuous breakfast buffet, gourmet half-board and complimentary use of the Kronenhof Spa.  Reservations can be made by phone on +41 81 830 3030 or by email via reservations@kronenhof.com.

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Notes for editors

Kulm Hotel St. Moritz was the first hotel to be built in St. Moritz. The Kulm Hotel opened its doors in 1856 and immediately became popular for summer spa and painting holidays, particularly among the British who comprised around 75% of the hotel guests. The owner of the Kulm Hotel, Johannes Badrutt, initiated winter holidays to St. Moritz from 1864.

Since the 19th century, the Kulm Hotel has changed considerably through expansion and renovation, but the fabulous location at the heart of St. Moritz with views over the Lake remains the same. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, Kulm Hotel St. Moritz has 173 rooms, five restaurants (offering formal dining, French fine dining - the Gourmet-Restaurant the K awarded 15 points by GaultMillau, Italian, local Engadine specialities and Japanese with 13 GaultMillau points), the extensive  Kulm Spa St. Moritz (with a 20 m indoor pool with underwater music, various saunas and steam room, a Jacuzzi, a fully-equipped gym and treatment rooms, all with stunning views over Lake St. Moritz) and six conference rooms, with capacities ranging from 50 to 500 people.

Entertainment and sports facilities include the 9-hole Kulm Golf Course St. Moritz, three tennis courts, a natural ice rink, a curling field and the Marmotta Club for children. The Kulm Hotel St. Moritz is inextricably linked to the Cresta Run through the Sunny Bar, where tobogganing pilots have congregated for decades; the walls are lined with trophies and images of famous people who have hurled themselves down the infamous ice track.

Awards in 2013 for the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz include a place in a list of the top ten best holiday hotels in Switzerland compiled by renowned Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung and the top ten most welcoming luxury hotels in the country list put together by Switzerland Tourism.

In 2012, the Kulm Hotel's Gourmet Restaurant the K received 15 GaultMillau points and, in the latest ranking list of Switzerland's best winter hotels, Kulm Hotel St. Moritz ranked at number 4 in the category of five star hotels as 'one of the best managed and most excellent hotel in the Alps with immaculate consistency'.

Grand Hotel Kronenhof, located in Pontresina, six miles from St. Moritz, offers the best of both worlds: the chance to enjoy the glitz of St. Moritz, while staying in a peaceful mountain village. 

Grand Hotel Kronenhof has a rich and interesting history, having first opened its doors in the first half of the 19th century as a guesthouse. However, the main part of the current building, which is a registered historical landmark, was built at the very end of the 19th century in Neo-Baroque style. The latest addition, completed in November 2007 and costing CHF 35 million (approximately £24 million), consists of 28 new guest rooms and a stunning spa complex covering more than 2000 square metres.

The spa is certainly one of the hotel's highlights and has been named "the best Alpine spa" (according to Tyler Brule writing in the FT, November 2009). Facilities include a 20m indoor infinity pool with counter-current system, a flotation pool with underwater music, a wide range of saunas and steam rooms, a luxurious private suite for couples to enjoy wraps and massages together, and - for the perfect final touch - a crackling log fire in the relaxation room.

Gourmet cuisine is also a speciality at the Grand Hotel Kronenhof. Awarded the title of GaultMillau Hotel of the Year in 2009, it has five restaurants (the formal Grand Restaurant in an elegant Neo-Baroque vaulted room, Gourmet Restaurant Kronenstübli serving international cuisine with a local flair, the traditional bowling lanes where Swiss raclette is served, the informal Le Pavillon for light lunches and the kids' restaurant Rondelle).

Finally, Grand Hotel Kronenhof is renowned for its extensive children's activities and facilities (a kids' playroom and Rondelle, a restaurant just for younger members of the family).

Recent awards for the Grand Hotel Kronenhof include Best Hotel in Switzerland 2013 according to TripAdvisor®, a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence for the third year running in 2013, the HolidayCheck Award 2010-2013 (most popular hotel in Switzerland, four years in a row) and a place in a list of the top ten best holiday hotels in Switzerland compiled by renowned Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung and in a list of the top ten most welcoming luxury hotels in the country put together by Switzerland Tourism.

Previous awards include first place in the Best Of Swiss Gastro (gourmet category), GaultMillau Hotel of the Year 2008 and the 'Bilanz' hoteliers of the year award in 2008.

Both the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz and its sister property Grand Hotel Kronenhof are owned by the Niarchos family.

For more information, please contact:
Sue Heady
Director
Heady Communications
T: 01608 651 692
M: 078 5595 0705
E: sue@headycommunications.com