In the middle of the ballroom of the Alps

Since 1820, "modern" roads have also been built in Graubünden. In 1882, the Gotthard railway took away significant traffic over the mountains from our canton and people turned more to tourism, which became an important branch of the economy after the Franco-German war.

In 1903, the Albula railway to Celerina was put into operation. It brought the expected great upswing to the Engadine, especially in winter. Messrs Meng, Piderman and Gyr formed an initiative committee with the aim of building a larger hotel in Celerina as well. In February 1905 the new project was presented and on 15 April 1905 the company was founded. Just 14 months later, the Cresta Palace Hotel was opened.

As the space soon became insufficient, a new building with another 100 beds was inaugurated in 1912. With the outbreak of the First World War, there was a dramatic change and the hotel was used as military quarters in the meantime. In 1925, the first 8 rooms were equipped with running water.

The stock market crash in 1929 and the subsequent economic crisis put a stop to the upswing in Graubünden tourism. The overvaluation of the Swiss franc as well as travel and foreign exchange restrictions did the rest. Hotel frequencies fell drastically and the average bed occupancy rate settled at a low 24 percent between 1931 and 1937. Between 1939 and 1946, the hotel remained closed for 7 years.

In the sixties, the call for hotel-owned indoor swimming pools became louder and louder. Fitness was the trend and so a new hall with a swimming pool was inaugurated in 1966. In the course of time, the venerable Furnel restaurant gave way to today's "vita pura" area.

The kitchen was renovated in 1990 and equipped with the latest appliances. It is one of the few kitchens that has daylight. Only two years later, the west terrace became the light-flooded winter garden.

In 1998, a gentle renovation of the Art Nouveau hall took place. In 2005/2006, the new wellness facility with 1200 sqm was inaugurated, which was extended by the activity centre «staziun da basa» in December 2016.

In 2022, the Cresta Palace made history once again and set an important milestone in the history of this hotel legend. In only 3 months of construction, 40 rooms and suites were lovingly renovated and redesigned in homage to the aesthetics and elegance of Art Nouveau. When redesigning, special attention was paid to details and a warm atmosphere and characteristic elements of Art Nouveau were translated into the modern era - paired with the advantages of a modern room product that leaves nothing to be desired.