The Dolder Grand’s location proved even more suited than the city itself. Higher up in the Adlisberg hill siding the city’s large forest, the city’s golf as well as its tennis centre, the hotel sits in its own world of fantasy floating above the city and clouds, in a multi-turreted building flanked with two wings of utter modern lushness. Indeed, if the original building dates back from 1899 and has been acting as a centre point for not only Zürich but also Switzerland and the world’s entire society life, it has re-entered the contemporary world with a new, challenging architectural concept as well as a cultural and artistic vision that still feels unsurpassed in this class of hotels.

It also provides with perhaps the most cinematographic car arrival one could find, enchanting its guests with a monumental, bold and stark asphalt ramp whisking the cars up to the hotel’s entrance. Unsurprisingly, this is the kind of magic that happens when one asks British architect Norman Foster to take over a historic, legendary building. Known for his love for cars, but also a Swiss resident and connoisseur of all fine things, Lord Norman Foster proposed here a masterpiece in legend rejuvenation, morphing a classic hotel entrance into what seems to come straight out of James Bond movie. Incidentally, the hotel was indeed a set location for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), featuring Daniel Craig. Just add a string orchestra to the soundtrack, play it in the background, and enjoy the views without the danger of being a real-life spy, but much rather a pampered guest at the spa (I confirm there are limited risks here). And unlike in the movies, where the grandiose, modern architecture masterpieces usually make up for the villain lair, one will happen to find within The Dolder Grand a world of pleasures, wonders and utter lushness.

Inside the Dolder, the glass elevators indeed swipe you right up or down a wide universe of spacious rooms and suites, spectacular artworks (one can spot a Murakami and a Nikki de Saint-Phalle on the way to the rooms), corridors you can run down along, and a world-class spa of more than 4,000 square meters. To my knowledge, this is the only Norman Foster-designed spa ever built, which makes it in itself an international destination for design freaks like me. The organically shaped pools appear black, elegantly matching their mineral surroundings and the dramatic Zürich skies. On the week-end I visited, the June weather had incidentally transformed into something rather tropical, raining almost non-stop for 48 hours, in all confidences creating a perfect excuse to cosy up in the large room as well as poolside, which I was grateful for (Zürich is assuredly not short of activities but the Dolder in itself felt like a great city that I could explore in full wearing hotel slippers and a bathrobe.) The spa terrace overlooking Zürich hills is so exquisite though that guests were not fearing the extreme Swiss weather and were instead indulging in the sinuous, plush outdoor lounge. It is here exactly that stands what is to me the hotel’s master artwork, a 1996 Botero laying woman sculpture, evidently enormous in every way but also perfectly scaled, the copper softly roughened by time and weather, accompanying spa guests in their admirations of the city’s vistas. Learning about the work on the hotel’s website and as a Botero aficionado, I had tried to spot it at first over my stay and only succeeded in finding it by chance when looking down from the suite’s terrace. The sole fact to have an unhinged, private view of a Botero from a hotel room is singlehandedly making The Dolder Grand standing out spectacularly from the crowd of hotels.

And a crowd there is, especially in Switzerland where luxury hospitality has traditionally maintained a crucial role in the nation’s history and economy. Zürich itself is not lacking such establishments, and for a century-old hotel to stay on top of its legend in such a dynamic way and also craft these new environments takes creative vision and effort in execution. The Dolder Grand is incidentally celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, and at this occasion has compiled a fascinating narrative made out of archival pictures, stories and world records for us to witness, involving its ever incredible guests; movie stars, world leaders, famed architects and rising legends. They’ve dug up incredible pictures of Sophia Loren blowing candles at the occasion of one of her visits, surrounded by the most elegant crowd, the grand ballrooms at their apogee in the 60s, but also more contemporary stays with the loyal Rolling Stones, who happen to have their own dedicated suite (number 100). The band sticked to the hotel on the occasion of their own band’s 60th year anniversary in the 2020s when they toured Switzerland. Another celebration added up to the list of festivities this past June as I was spending my own birthday on the week-end of my stay. Things couldn’t have turned out more magically, and I made a point in channelling the festive spirits of illustrious past guests and keeping the traditions and the champagne strong.

Looking at the way the Dolder embraces its own history, I have no fear that the hotel will continue to lead this very demanding but perfected world of Swiss hospitality, and I am confirmed in the need for everyone to keep it anchored in one of the hotels to visit once in a lifetime.

Friday 24th

Every year in May, I usually take the “straight” road down to Cernobbio from the Engadine Valley, the latter being a kind of sleeping beauty at this time of the year. After driving past the two quiet arctic lakes of St. Moritz and Silvaplana and looking south at the alpine vistas towards Italy, the scenic, spectacular and mythical Maloja Pass quickly unfolds. Most often than not dark and moody, surrounded by high pine trees and made of hairpins turns, this mountain road sets itself apart from all others —bringing different and changing sensations as one goes down it and enters an increasingly urban and normal world. Incidentally, this is also the route taken by the annual Fuori Concorso rallye, the Larusmiani-powered event being our first stop on the map for this weekend in Cernobbio that will include glittering waters, fast cars, speedboats but also architecture gems and a bundle of lake-side Campari spritzes.

Saturday 25th

Since its inception in 2019, Fuori Concorso has set the bar high in terms of event curation, planning and branding. Not only are the cars worth the yearly trip to Lake Como’s shores only, but the ethereal environment, the bundle of activities, the numerous brand pop-ups and Italian delicacies dotted around the lake’s shores offer an ongoing excitement around the timeless automotive masterpieces present. This year, the main sponsor is Chanel, bringing on the lake special timepieces as well as high jewellery from their new Milanese flagship on via Montenapoleone.

One of the weekend’s milestone is assuredly the quite exceptional line-up of Formula 1 cars welcoming guests and visitors in Villa Grumello’s entrance, including Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/4, as well as the 1972 Monza winner Lotus 72. Meanwhile, Villa Sucota’s terrace is proving to be the ideal lookout for witnessing the much awaited Sunday afternoon speedboat race, bringing back with gusto a bit of the glitz Lake Como has always been celebrated for. This year’s curated theme was British Racing Green, offering many opportunities to learn extensively about the history of racing with a focus on English brands. This rather clever choice also suited perfectly the deep green hues of the dense and lush mountain forests that make up Lake’s Como incomparable landscape.

The rest of the night happens in nearby Switzerland, higher up in the “quiet” hills of Morbio Inferiore. In what is an habitually calm and plush neighbourhood overlooking the splendid valley below unfolded a quirky, astonishing and aesthetically over- pleasing house party, hosted by our friends at Officine Fioravanti. The 1963 Peppo Brivio villa is a masterwork of architecture, that was offering its brutalist brick and mortar facades to the warm evening sun. It offered quite the perfect backdrop to the guests dancing just below, in the fully panoramic gardens flanked by vineyards, while the DJ played from the carport where two stunning cars — a pitch-black Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and a beautiful blue Ferrari 512BB — were nonchalantly parked. Side note: only 500 and 969 units were produced for each car respectively, setting the tone when entering the house for the evening ahead. The house’s open plan, original features and especially its typical mid-century living room conversation pit transported us right back in what could have been a Slim Aarons Palm Springs set, with impeccably dressed party-goers moving along 1970s rhythms and basking in the valley’s pre-summer sun. From a custom sunken bar in the terrace were served what were probably the best Negroni this side of the Italo-Swiss border. The surreal appearance of singers and Brazilian dancers with fireworks polished off this already vibrant evening, morphing the Slim Aarons picture into a Sorrentino party scene.

Sunday 26th

I have breakfast with seaplanes at the city’s Aero Club, in close vicinity with the Yacht Club as well as the Automobile Club. The planes, looking like lake-toys, come and go from the docks, and I find it both entertaining and relaxing to see them move about in the calm, shining water. I witness after a while some staff putting out several stunning Alfa Romeo speedboats, preparing for the afternoon Fuori Concorso race and promising louder action to the lake. On this day I have also discovered the walk from Como to Cernobbio to be the most agreeable on a May morning — slightly off season but with a definitive summer feel in the air, allowing for wonderful sights at both the villas as well as the lake’s eastern shore and its high-perched village of Brunate.
After a half-day trying to keep up with the events unfolding in Cernobbio, I am preparing to head south towards Milan. Sweet then is the relative calm of the lake shores before the bustle of the big city, and I savour the few hours I have left basking in the sun between Fuori Concorso’s ville and Villa Erba. Arriving in Milan from the route passing through Monza, most TV screens in bars and restaurants are broadcasting the live win of Ferrari in Monaco — and Charles Leclerc’s notable first victory in its home city. The week-end is definitely unfolding under good auspices in Italy.

There is something about Giorgio Armani (GA) that is unmistakable, yet hard to describe, and that is perhaps his indefatigable timelessness. We all know him as a character, a profile, both imprinted as a powerful image (the quintessentially Italian dress code, tanned, fit, with perfectly combed white hair and a sleek dress-code) and through his strong brand values, communicated through every idea or product stemming out of what forged the Armani empire in the past 50 years. He’s been consistent yet disruptive throughout the years, a regular figure in the fashion schedule yet escaping full access for the sake of privacy — or what might actually be elegant timidity. Giorgio Armani seems to us a man of values, ruled by regularity and discipline as well as a real aesthete. After an extraordinary career and now arriving at the stately age of 90, we propose to decipher him and his work through the homes he inhabits — on land and on water, and to abide by his rules.

GA has been around the fashion calendar for many decades – yet always induces a sort of novelty and rigour the crowd is courteously invited to learn from. His shows always begin on time, for example, which is probably the best and simplest way for a business to express chore values. His past collections are now gaining the historic value they deserve on top of their aesthetic perfection, with current archival media putting the focus on his 80s and 90s forward-thinking (see @myarmaniarchives on instagram for example). These pictures, magazine clippings, advertisements and movie clips are not only proofs that Armani has succeeded in maintaining stability, it also confirms that he has achieved in quietly disrupting the way fashion houses traditionally worked, notably with the launch of groundbreaking concepts both in fashion and culture. EA Magazine was created in 1981, Armani Casa in 2000, Armani Exchange in 1991 as well as haute couture with Armani Privé in 2005… and the list doesn’t stop here. Serial entrepreneur Armani also ventured in the highly competitive hospitality business, opening with great success the Emporio Armani Caffè in a strategic hotspot in Saint-Germain-des-Prés in 2000 as well as many branches since then, plus an über-luxury hotel line. This is topped by a wonderful crowd-gathering bookshop in central Milan (Armani Libri), managed by publishing masters Koenig Books.

Here is definitely a man ruled by aestheticism and who allows no concessions when it comes to committing to a vision. After a second look at his work but also at his various homes dotting the globe, it appears GA possesses yet again another layer to his character, a more secret and personal side to the empire. Indeed, one can easily find the fascinating links weaving together his fashion lines, homes or yachts. Everything stems from the same “emperor” mind with a clear, defined and generous vision. They share the same knowledgable inspirations; clean lines, essentially monochromatism with reverences to shades of black, blue and beige, a researched minimalism that brings out mostly Asian and African influences transcended in European settings; one can indeed find in his interiors hints of a Balinese hut, but also the delicate textures of a Japanese house dressed down in mahogany earthenware on a Jean-Michel Frank console… Eventually, however, it all appears quintessentially Armani – a mix between Italian flair and the true, organic essence of each loci, whether it is the burned rocks of a Sicilian island, the stately and formal appearance of an Italian country home, or the quiet appearance of a stone-clad Provençal estate. Armani’s choice of “settlements” already disclose a lot about who he is as a designer, but also and more preeminently as a human being.

Throughout his life and with great flair, he dotted his houses in places meaning a lot to him as an Italian man. He has a home in Milan — where his headquarters also sit — within an apartment designed by Peter Marino in 1980, as well as country homes in Pantelleria, Forte dei Marmi and Broni, where he cultivates and curates for each space a different ambiance, fauna and flora (he has horses and llamas in Broni, and cultivate local plant species in his Pantelleria hideaway). He says he couldn’t imagine himself live longterm anywhere else than Milan. The city somewhat holds similarity to him; a refined outward appearance, bordering with the austere, but keeping its best kept secrets close inside and private to a selected few. For the other locations, escapism seems to be the watchword, but never from Italy. Rather, it seems as if GA has succeeded in bringing and exporting the best of Italian values abroad (count New York City, Antigua, St. Tropez and the Engadine Valley in).

Lech am Arlberg, Austria

A picture-perfect mountain town set in a no-less magical looking valley, Lech shares the scenery with neighbouring villages of regal fame St. Anton am Arlberg and Zürs. Habitually graced with an abundance of snow that would make most of other resorts-towns green with envy, this trio does not only shares one of the vastest ski area in the world, but also manages to still celebrate its unparalleled relationship with ski history in great style. The town of Lech is notably associated with an über-high quality of après-ski, art, and luxury accommodation (think the most expensive chalet for rent in the Alps). For culture seekers, the reward is harder to reach but worth it; and can be found after a hike in the form of a concrete, igloo-like structure imagined by American artist James Turrell as one of his skyspaces. When it comes to après-ski, suffices to look at Slim Aaron’s pictures of the village’s incomparable Eisbar, having forever set in ice the high-spirited ski culture in Arlberg.

Sölden, Austria

Sölden and the Ötztal Valley have always been a non-missable point on the map of high-level skiers and snowboarders. It now gets the reputation it deserves as a major ski destination open to all as word goes around it has some of the best slopes and après-ski around. Its appearance at length in James Bond’s 2015 Spectre, where the mile-high IceQ restaurant appears as a sleek luxury clinic, might have helped. Lately, a batch of new hotels have opened up in the valley but the tradition of hospitality found unchanged in local pensions is still the best accommodation choice to come back to every season. Do try some serious sledge in Huben alongside well deserved spa time at Längenfeld’s impressive Aquadome, its architecture and superb services also worthy of any James Bond.

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

Undefeated as the last remaining “queen” of ski towns in their purest traditions, Cortina appears as the best compromise for the crowd wanting to enjoy the Dolomites in plush luxury, its very air being indeed made out of champagne, caviar and legends. Italian’s society still comes to play seasonally in furs de circonstance and latest ski gear (including cars, although the town is dotted with classic Pandas and Defenders that also feel perfectly in sync). The old “high-life” world feeling still detained within the town’s walls is actually so present you’d almost expect to stumble upon Sir David Niven chasing down Claudia Cardinale on a ski run at every moment (do ring me if you do so, though), just as in the Pink Panther, shot on the city’s premises and most notably in Hotel Cristallo. The classic movie set the standard not only for 1960s comedy but also for the best ski style the Alps around (its costumes are crafted by Yves Saint Laurent and Irene Galitzin). Cortina is also and not the least a destination for real sports seekers (it hosted the Olympics in 1956 and is gearing itself up for the 2026 Milano-Cortina ones) as well as art and literature aficionados. Do check out the various buildings imagined by architect Edoardo Gellner, including the Corte Delle Dolomiti complex — completed with a wood and concrete church imagined alongside Carlo Scarpa — a short and scenic 15 minutes drive away.

St. Moritz

The Engadine resort town seemingly doesn’t need prior introduction anymore. Standing still as the prime destination for high-life in the Swiss Alps and boasting many histories and legends, it also manages to host a series of year-round, impressively qualitative cultural and sports events, such as the habitual Snow Polo late January, the relatively new but extremely popular I.C.E. (International Concours of Elegance) in February and the traditional and well-orchestrated B.C.C.M. every July on the grounds of grand hotel Suvretta Haus.

The Concours celebrates its30th edition this year in ‘Safari’ style (expect a lovely lot of Land Rovers Defenders and Yves Saint Laurent’s sahariennes). The whole valley is worth taking a tour (and that’s an obvious understatement) as well as the close-by Bernina and Julier road passes, drivable all year round and therefore providing unlimited enjoyment. The precious, preserved villages of Sils Maria and Silvaplana both possess an undeniable calming quality and might just have the best views of the valley, with cultural milestones worth travelling for (the Nietzsche Haus, the Waldhaus Hotel, the Sils Museum).

Andermatt

Little of the regular alpine extravaganza found in the likes of Verbier or St. Moritz appear to be present at first sight in the small and picturesque village of Andermatt. Located at the crossroad of some of the most spectacular road passes in the country — the surreal Furkapass, whimsical Grimselpass and legendary Gotthardpass are all at reach — it also boasts regal cinematographic legacy, being the location for Goldfinger’s legendary car chase. We knew James Bond loved the Alps, now we know why. The more striking then is the reveal, against these dark mountains of a particular raw, mineral beauty, of the Chedi Andermatt, a sprawling but perfectly integrated hotel structure that has been acting for 10 years now as probably the best destination for real alpine luxury. In precedent-setting architecture and comfort imagined by designer Jean-Michel Gathy, the hotel caters both guests and year-round residents with a ski room ready for après-ski with fitted turntables, Michelin starred Japanese restaurants both indoors and slope-side, a double-storey glass cheese cave at breakfast (yes, you heard right) and a cigar collection worthy of a high-class museum, accompanied by its varied and well-curated specialist library. Add to this a prime and elegant spa and a variety of lounges to snuggle into and you have the best version of a ski chalet there might be this side of the globe. Their non-fussy but irreproachable approach to luxury makes it all the more enticing, offering their best selection of either coffee, champagne or even Japanese whiskey for habitués or hikers alike. A real treat that resets all other hotels standards more than a notch.

Cécile Christmann (@rivieiraa) is a Paris-based architect, interior designer and curator for luxury publishing house Assouline, as well as a writer and artistic director. A keen traveller, she regularly writes on hotels, buildings and cities, focusing on both architecture, characters and history.