A new chef, an old family story

A change in the kitchen and continuity in the family provide this week's reasons to revisit two hotels introduced in our first edition. Neither is a new opening.

Cresta Palace, Celerina/Schlarigna

htr reports that Florian Mainzger became executive chef on 1 October, succeeding the retiring Rolf Schmitz, who will support the transition. The appointment gives a future stay a fresh culinary question, rather than proof that the menus have already changed. Ask what will be served during your dates.

The 1906 hotel also offers a choice of visual character. Its operator distinguishes the rooms modernised in 2022 from Art Nouveau rooms renovated in 2025. Someone drawn to the building's period identity should book a named category rather than assume that every room shares it. This is the stronger enquiry for a guest who wants the restaurant to help shape the stay, with the precise room style and dining schedule agreed beforehand.

Schweizerhof, Flims Waldhaus

A 30 September profile in Hotellerie Gastronomie Zeitung turns to the fourth generation of the Schmidt family and the hotel's treatment of its own history, including guided and audio tours. The Belle Époque hotel above Flims Waldhaus offers a different kind of continuity: the building and the people running it are part of the reason to stay.

Choose this enquiry for an interest in the house itself, rather than a new culinary appointment. Confirm the week's tour programme if that is part of the draw. For both hotels, the room category, restaurant opening days and full stay quotation matter more than a generic headline rate.