Hotel Saratz Pontresina

Great alternative to nearby 5 star hotel. Fireplace at the lobby is very cozy. Nice spa area, decent rooms.

When we arrived at the hotel we were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful views and design. The staff at reception were cool but efficient. We had 20 minutes before the conference and were hungry and thirsty after four hours travel. The bar was unmanned but reception said someone was on their way. 15 minutes later with no staff on duty I spotted a cake in the middle of the sitting room with plates and serving cutlery with Serven written on a card above it with Swiss words in a smaller script beneath. Believing that like Austrian skiing hotels, guests were being offered snacks, I took a slice each to eat and my husband went immediately to work. On my third visit to the bar a male member of staff was present. He was extremely rude and berated me for taking cake. He said they went to the trouble of writing above the cake in Swiss that guests must ask to be served, and they expected compliance. I apologized and pointed out that although I speak French, English and Italian, I don’t speak Swiss German so didn’t understand. He continued to be very rude when I ordered a decaffeinated coffee telling me it was lunchtime and he was very busy, so I waited and took the coffee to my table myself. After I had finished my coffee the waiter was pleased to come over and let me know the coffee I had just drunk was caffeinated, which provokes migraines for me. Whilst I was present he complained about me to other staff. He made me feel so unwelcome I stayed away from the living room areas whilst he was serving, which unfortunately was all day for the three days I was there. The evening barman was by contrast wonderful. Breakfast was poorly organized and disappointing. There were plenty of staff but they seemed disorganized and no one explained that breakfast was a buffet laid out in another room. We joined the confused guests searching for cutlery , food, hot water etc. The second day I was able to help new elderly guests orientate themselves. The rooms were spotlessly clean and the cleaner was lovely. My policy is generally to only write positive reviews, but my stay here was so upsetting that I have written honestly about it .

We stayed in a standard room, which was big but fairly basic, though clean. Good amenities (the room had a kettle and a coffee machine). Efficient housekeeping staff. The shower & toilet was was modern and quite large, with a bath and a shower. The hotel welcomes dogs, we found some really nice. big (and friendly) breeds in the lobby more than once. The lobby area (bar, etc) have a lovely, upmarket ambience, with equally friendly, smiling staff. Though Pontresina railway station is a 10-12 minute walk from the hotel, it's terribly uphill from the station to the hotel (preferable the other way). The hotel provides a free transfer though. There are lovely walking areas around the hotel, both forest and urban. Plenty of car parking at the hotel, though a booking may be needed. The food in the hotel is amazing, though expensive.

It is not the first time we stayed in this hotel and as before we were fully satisfied with the service and the room. The hotel offers excellent breakfast and delicious dinner. It has a reasonable size pool and nice wellness area.

This was our first visit to Pontresina and we chose the Saratz for its reputation, central location, indoor/outdoor pools, ease of access to train and bus transportation, nearby hiking trails. wonderful views to the Roseg glacier from our room, and the half board meal plan. We enjoyed all the hotel had to offer including the small things - in-room beauty products and Nespresso machine for that morning coffee, However, the hotel is large and also caters to guests at the conference center across from the hotel. This means that on occasions the hotel staff are over-stretched taking care of the many guests and meal service is affected - long duration waiting for meal courses. This leads to a less-than-personal feeling for the guest that we find is common place in hotels in alpine settings in Italy and Austria. Our room (bed and sitting area) was comfortable however the bathroom (an old shower tub with plastic non-slip mat) is not up to the standard we would expect in a 4* hotel. We did have a great week of exploring and hiking the local area using the transportation pass that is included in the hotel room rate to get around. Take the Panorama trail from Alp Languard to Muottas Muragl for splendid views of the mountains, glaciers and lakes.