A little known fact is that the famous British film director Alfred Hitchcock absolutely loved St. Moritz in general and Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in particular. His first visit was in 1924, when he used the town as the setting for his film The Prude’s Fall. He subsequently returned to Switzerland with his young bride in 1926, and they spent their honeymoon at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel. The master of suspense enjoyed his stay so much that he came back all of 34 times, a sure sign that a holiday at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel is a truly memorable experience.
Inspired by Badrutt’s Palace Hotel
Alfred Hitchcock had a very special connection with Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, one that transcends the hotel’s glamorous atmosphere and impeccable service. The director enjoyed returning over and over again because St. Moritz made his creative juices flow like no other location. One of his masterpieces, The Man Who Knew Too Much, reveals just some of the amazing ideas that came to Hitchcock during his stays at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel. The 1934 version of this classic film, starring Peter Lorre, takes place in St. Moritz, as the director wanted none other than the dramatic backdrop of Engadin for the equally thrilling events in the motion picture. And that’s not all. We all know Hitchcock’s 1963 horror classic The Birds, a legend in international cinematography. The director first thought of creating a film script about birds while staying at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, when he saw a large flock of mountain birds soaring high over the hotel into the blue Engadin sky.
Take a look at the trailer for The Birds, inspired by Badrutt’s Palace Hotel:
The Hitchcock Suite
When he visited Badrutt’s Palace Hotel for his annual Christmas break, Alfred Hitchcock and his wife liked to stay in room 501 – a beautiful suite that can still be booked today. The Hitchcock Suite is full of charm and simply oozes history: the warm wooden floor gives way to plush, elegant upholstery and rugs, while a beautiful vintage room heater reminds guests of a distant past, when the master of suspense relaxed in the very same corner of this very same room.
Coming back for more
Although Hitchcock loved to spend his winter holiday at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, he never partook of any of the many winter sports on offer in St. Moritz. Instead, he preferred to take long walks, enjoy the panorama and relax with other stars like Gregory Peck and Marlene Dietrich, as well as with Aniko Badrutt, the hotel’s co-owner. In short, he enjoyed the simplest pleasures in life: he spent time with family and friends, he put his feet up, recharged his batteries and enjoyed the hotel’s attentive service – all the things that inspire guests to return to Badrutt’s Palace Hotel time and again, even today. Because some things really never change.
