We stayed four nights at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, (Bernhard-Simon-Strasse 20, 7210 Bad Ragaz, Switzerland, +41 81 303 30 30). It was a wonderful resort; we had chosen it because of the thermal baths. It did most things right, and it was a shame that there were annoyances.
Selina in reservations had worked with Audre to provide us with a room large enough for us at a price we were willing to pay. With her arrangements, we paid for a Deluxe Room, and we were upgraded to a Grand Deluxe Room based on availability (our price per night with breakfast and parking was US$1004). The room was decorated in an idiosyncratic way with a wooden canopy over the bed and globe lights hanging from it (that provided very little actual light).
The Grand Deluxe Room was 55 square meters and comfortable (except for the climate control, which we could never get to the correct temperature for us). We had a view of the snow-covered hill behind the hotel, and it was very quiet. We did not use our balcony--it was too cold out. We did use the hotel's gym, and it was adequate. We thought that the Mobility and Stretching Class with Jürgen was great.
The resort had two sets of thermal baths, one set for the public and another set for hotel guests only. Because one of the public baths was a hot tub at 39° C, we went there on our first day. It was a Saturday, and it was really crowded. With limited seating, we were lucky to be able to sit. While the temperature was good, it wasn't a pleasant experience. Before we left the public area, we went to the outdoor pool, which was 36° C. It had a lovely (snow-covered) mountain view and was hot enough after the 39° C tub.
We liked the private pool and Jacuzzi area much better, even at 36.5° C. The bubbles in the Jacuzzi turned on automatically from time to time, and they were pleasant and fun to anticipate. We even talked to other guests in the Jacuzzi.
The nearby pool was set at a temperature that was not inviting for us. There was a relaxation area, and we even had naps lying on the chaise lounges one day. That area had a view of a snow-covered outdoor courtyard.
We ate at the hotel restaurants each night. They were all very expensive, and it was great that the package Selina provided us included a 100 Swiss Franc credit against the cost of meals. The Thai restaurant, Namum, was the best. The 1-Michelin-starred restaurant, Verve by Sven, was by far the worst. Olives d'Or for the extensive breakfast buffet was excellent (and for dinner, it was okay Italian). At breakfast, dishes are made to order, too. We enjoyed having something different each morning.
Our last dinner was at Zollstube. To get there, we were told we had to walk outside and then 10 meters (unlike all of the other restaurants at the hotel). Well, that was awful in our bedroom slippers, without our coats (we didn't want to go back to our room and change. Why doesn't the hotel build a heated, covered walkway for the winter? The hotel otherwise thinks of everything for its guests.)
Zollstube annoyed us by bringing us water without telling us that it was fancy, expensive water. During our stay, we had been drinking the free, celebrated thermal water (with all of its mineral benefits). All of a sudden, at Zollstube, we are confronted with a server who didn't ask and said we would have to pay for the water he brought. Dimitri told him in no uncertain terms that we would not pay for the water and told him to bring us the complimentary thermal water. That worked, but it annoyed us.
Our room was personalized for us to our liking; a second desk was brought so both of us could sit at our laptops. The room was very dark, and a standing lamp was brought, but it only helped a little bit. The room had a sofa and a coffee table too. The TV was movable so we could easily watch it from the sofa. The bathroom had two sinks, and it was easy for the two of us to use them at the same time.
The hotel had a lobby bar with a fireplace and music that was lovely. While we didn't get to talk to any other guests, it was pleasant to sit there before and after dinner. Dimitri liked fixing the fire to make it roar. With our complimentary drink vouchers, we had nonalcoholic pina coladas that were very good.
The Grand Resort Bad Ragaz got most things right, and we would recommend it. There were two poorly-trained people who interfered with our enjoyment--one in Zollstube who wanted to charge us for water. The second one was the concierge who wanted to charge us for the newspapers delivered to our door over 4 days, which we had not asked for (they were exorbitantly expensive, too). When we said we weren't paying for them, the concierge wanted them back. Fortunately, Audre had them in pristine condition to return to him.
Our four days were enjoyable in spite of those employees.
