Is St. Moritz Overrated? What the Viral Video Gets Wrong

A video called “St Moritz Switzerland – Honestly, I Hate It Here” has been making the rounds. Its verdict: St. Moritz is overpriced, snobby and too familiar. Its author stayed in a youth hostel, ate from a vending machine, came in shoulder season and walked straight past Badrutt’s Palace without noticing it.

I have been to St. Moritz in summer and in winter, so I sat down to react. Here is what he got wrong, and how to do St. Moritz properly.

Myth 1: St. Moritz Is Only for the Rich

His opening complaint is the price of a top bunk in a shared hostel dorm: 75 Swiss francs, about 93 US dollars. My first question is why an adult would stay in a hostel in one of the most beautiful places in the world. If you are a student, fine. Otherwise there are plenty of attractive, reasonably priced hotels. I have stayed at boutique hotels in St. Moritz for around $300 a night, and in a place like this, that is money well spent.

The rest of his hostel segment is about a snoring bunkmate and earplugs that didn’t help. That is a hostel problem, not a St. Moritz problem.

Myth 2: Everything Is Overpriced

Next he prices out the vending machine: five francs for a Red Bull, 4.50 for noodles. He is in one of the most luxurious ski destinations in the world, eating snacks from a machine. St. Moritz has excellent food, including affordable options, and some of the local restaurants cost less than restaurants here in Boston.

He Came in the Wrong Season

The footage gives it away: gray skies and the in-between weeks of spring or early fall, when little is happening. St. Moritz is known for its sunshine (the sun is even its logo), so he seems to have caught one of the rare gray days. Come in winter for the snow and the events on the frozen lake, or in summer for the lake itself. I made the case for July in St. Moritz in Summer: The Season Nobody Talks About.

The Bus Is a Feature

While complaining about prices, he mocks the bus with “youth hostel” on its destination sign, a bus that stops right at his hostel. Switzerland’s public transportation is excellent, and it is one of the things that makes the country affordable. A bus to your door is not a hardship.

Myth 3: The Scenery Is Too Familiar

This is the Swiss Alps. The views from restaurants and drives across Switzerland are among the best in the world. He walks part of the path around Lake St. Moritz, one of the loveliest walks in this part of Europe, and on a sunny day the water is glacier clear.

He does get one thing right: the tap water. Swiss water, from the tap or the bottle, is delicious, and some of my favorite bottled waters come from Switzerland.

Myth 4: It Feels Stuck in the Past

He means it as a criticism. I would call it the point. Every visit to St. Moritz feels like a step back in time. It is safe, small enough to walk everywhere, and even at the height of ski season it never feels crowded or choked with traffic.

He also calls the design minimal, using his hostel as the example. Clean, pared-back Swiss design is exactly why so many people love it, and his hostel looked good.

Myth 5: There Is Nothing Special Here

This is where the lack of research shows. He walks along the lake past the private homes, remarks on stylish passersby and a Rolls-Royce on the main street, and jokes that its driver might be staying at his hostel. Right above him is Badrutt’s Palace, and the Rolls-Royce he is looking at appears to be one of the hotel’s house cars, which collect guests from the train station and the airport. He never mentions the hotel, or the church bells ringing in the background, one of my favorite sounds in any European town.

Badrutt’s Palace is one of the best hotels I have stayed in, and the service is exceptional. If you go to St. Moritz, stay there, or at least go for dinner or a drink.

“Hyper-Modern”? The Old Town Is Stone

He worries about a hyper-modern world. St. Moritz has some new buildings, but the town center is made up of old stone houses with carved and painted façades, many of them 100 or 200 years old. Everything is well maintained, which may be why he mistakes it for new. He even stops at Hanselmann, the traditional café and confectioner in the village, and concedes that the old style is alive and well.

Myth 6: Swiss Chocolate Is a Rip-Off

His last stand is a 36-piece box from a premium chocolatier in the center of town: 160 francs, which he converts to more than $200. This is some of the best chocolate in the world, and in the US a box like that from a premium shop would cost at least $100, likely about the same. There is a way to enjoy any destination on any budget.

His Verdict, and Mine

He leaves with a few snobby looks and the sense that the place isn’t for him. My verdict: he saw St. Moritz on a gray day, in the off-season, from a hostel. If you want a hostel, choose a lively city with a lot going on. St. Moritz rewards a little preparation, and you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy it, especially in winter, when the town is at its coziest.

My St. Moritz Rules

Skip the hostel. Boutique hotels start around $300 a night; my favorites are in my Expedia Travel Shop.
Eat local Swiss food, not vending-machine snacks. Find a pub or a local restaurant, and save the splurge for dinner at Badrutt’s.
Come in winter or summer, not shoulder season.
Do a little research first.

For winter, pack for walking the village in the snow: a shearling coat, Moon Boots and a cashmere beanie. For a taste of the season, read about White Turf, the horse races on the frozen lake, and my old-money ski trip at Suvretta House.

Shop the Edit

What to pack for St. Moritz in winter, when the town is at its best.

Reacting to “St Moritz Switzerland – Honestly, I Hate It Here” by Dan Vineberg on YouTube. Clips are used for commentary and criticism.