WHAT’S IT LIKE? This 19-room hotel has belonged to the Pazeller family for more than 500 years. Formerly a farmhouse, it opened its doors to paying guests in 1966, and 30 years later became part of the Relais and Châteax luxury collection. The interiors are fitted top to bottom with carved pinewood, the air is scented with beeswax candles, and there are lots of quirky objects lying around.
WHERE IS IT? The hotel is located in the tiny mountain village of Tarasp in Engadin, 1,440 metres above sea level. The nearest station, Scuol, is 15 to 20 minutes’ drive away and guests can be collected at 9am, 10am, 3.30pm and 4.30pm. It’s about three hours by train from Zurich airport via Landquart.
ROOM FACILITIES Each bedroom is furnished differently. Along with pine floorboards and a carved wood ceiling, my cosy double room had mountain views through small square windows, a sofa, a minibar, a flatscreen TV, a safe, and a bathroom with a combined bath and shower and twin sinks. Wifi costs SFr 5-15 (£3-9) depending on the length of stay.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS In keeping with the rest of the hotel, the downstairs restaurant has a rustic Alpine feel, and serves top-notch cuisine created by father of the family, Rudolf. (He also painted much of the artwork on the walls.) I sampled an imaginative set vegetarian menu here, which included mousseline beetroot soup, and bonbon of savoy cabbage with French beans, potato ravioli and truffles. The five-course “Schloss menu complet” costs SFr 120 (£69), with à la carte mains from SFr 37 (£21). A lavish breakfast buffet is served in a side room.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES The hotel can cater for meetings of up to 15 delegates.
LEISURE FACILITIES There is a compact spa on the basement level with an aroma steam room, a Finnish sauna, an infrared heat cabin, a bio-sauna, a solarium and a Kneipp footbath. Massages are available on request, costing SFr 90 (£52) for 50 minutes. Ski passes can also be arranged.
PRICE Internet rates for a weekend stay in October started from SFr 235 (£135) for a Superior double room.
CONTACT Schlosshotel Chaste, Tarasp-Sparsels, Engadin; tel +41 818 613 060; relaischateaux.com
VERDICT A unique hotel that really makes you feel like you are in Switzerland. The food is superb, the staff extremely welcoming and the setting ensures you leave relaxed.
Jenny Southan
