BMCC 2008 Switzerland Blog

Monday, June 16, 2008

(Day 18: Tour Guide – Mark Villanueva)

St. Mortiz and Hotel Laudinella – Itinerary

6 – 6:15 am: Wake Up Call

7 – 7:18 am: Breakfast (Please bring everything you need for the trip downstairs. There will be no time to go back up)

7:20 am: Head outside to bus station

7:29 am: Bus departs from Passugg, alte Post to Chur Train Station

7:42 am: Arrive at Chur bus station, walk over to Track 10 for train to St. Moritz

7:58 am: Train departs to St. Moritz (ETA: 9:58 am, Duration 2 hours and a half)

9:58 am: Arrive at St. Moritz

10:15 am: Bus Pick Up to Hotel Laudinella

10:30 am: Arrive at Hotel Laudinella (Tour should last aproximately a hour. Presentation to be done by Andrea Kube, Assistant Front Office Manager)

12:00 pm: Leave Hotel Laudinella and walk down Lake St. Moritz to have Lunch and take pictures, etc.

1:45 pm: Arrive at St. Moritz Train Station for departure to Chur

2:04 pm: Train departs to Chur (ETA: 4:03 pm, Duration 2 hours)

4:03 pm: Arrive at Chur (Bus departs at 4:05 pm)

4:10 pm – 4:40 pm: Free Time in Chur to go to Migros and get things.

5:05 pm: Bus departs from Chur to Passugg, alte Post

5:15 pm: Arrive at Passugg, alte Post (SSTH)

6:00 pm: Dinner

Lessons Learned

1. Things don’t go as planned. No matter how detailed your itinerary is, things are bound to change.

2. Weather impacts and alternates your plans.

3. Have a back up plan and schedules of earlier and later transportations.

4. Remaining calm and patient when things go awry is the best solution because it allows you to keep your group calm and results in a better outcome.

5. Learning from your mistakes help you to improve your future itinerary.

St. Moritz – Switerzland’s Rich and Famous….

Written by: Shevarma Pemberton

It was quite a task to wake up this morning on account of my late night the day before. The work load seems to be endless. There is really no time for even the slightest pause. And this is all in the life of a tour manager. I have gained a new level of respect for anyone who is able to succeed in the industry. Today I just really felt worn out.

Mark was the tour guide of the day and sure enough, Sasha and I received a 6 AM wake up call. Despite the numerous roll overs, we still somehow managed to make it downstairs in time for the 7 AM breakfast. It was a rushed breakfast as we had to be down at the bus station to catch the 7:29 bus to Chur. And just like that the adventure began.

We arrived at the station in time for our 7:58 transfer to the train headed for St. Moritz. Everyone on the train was obviously extremely tired and so, as was expected, many of us had succumb to sleep in no time at all. Unfortunately for me, regardless of how drained I was feeling, sleep was not an option for me. I am just not a fan of napping on public transport and while in the company of others. But it was a two hour ride that offered enough time for everyone else to dose.

I was a designated note taker for the day so while everyone else slept, I was on point observing the stops and the environment. The train ride was lovely as usual with the view of the mountains, crystal blue water and flower gardens that we passed along the way. It was even more stunning to look at the drop as the train rose in altitude (it moves on an incline).

We arrived at the St. Moritz station at just about 10 AM. Just as was scheduled, two buses were awaiting us. One of the bus drivers was open and willing to take pictures with us before taking us to our inspection site of the day, the Hotel Laudinella.

The Hotel Laudinella is the biggest 3 star hotel (in the region) located “at the top of the world,” (the trademark of St. Moritz) in an exclusive resort town in Engadine Valley. It is composed of three buildings which explains its vast size. It is a winter resort known for its location with large amounts of snow, ideal for winter sports like skiing.

At the hotel we were met by Andrea Kube, the Assistant Front Office Manager of the hotel. She cued us in on a couple minor details, such as the fact that the hotel is 3 buildings big, and then handed the tour over to Mr. Stefanos Giannakis, a double duty concierge at the hotel. He pretty much does everything due to the limited staff (checks luggage, organizes transportation for guests, deals with complaints, etc.), and the 2 golden keys that he wore only further denoted his qualifications.

We began the tour in the lobby which was a neat little room but it was also a bit bland. Everything was made in wood (as is the case throughout the hotel). From this room I thought I knew just what I could expect throughout the tour. My first impression of the hotel was not the same impression I had as the tour proceeded.

We made a stop in the conference room where many performances and concerts within the hotel are held and then headed downstairs to the ski equipment repair and storage room. It was really nice the way that the hotel caters to their guests and their winter activities.

On the way to the equipment room, we happened upon the General Manager of the hotel. He is of Swiss origin but attended Cornell University in New York back in 1960. He also gained experience working in the St. Regis Hotel and for a travel agency in New York. It was very pleasant to have bumped into him. We also learned in his presence that the hotel actually belongs to a cultural corporation and is a not-for-profit organization. The most striking thing that was mentioned is the fact that the hotel is always open. We have never seen or heard anything like that before. And it took a 3 star hotel to get it.

We made our next stop at the Pizzeria. It was a nice and cozy room in the basement of the hotel and open into the early hour 2 AM. Of course when we heard this hallelujah bells were ringing because again, we had yet to hear things like this over here in Switzerland. In addition to this orders could be made and the cost of the pizzas were 20 CHF are fairly reasonable price by Swiss standards.

On our way to inspect the rooms of the hotel we took a quick glance into the hotel kitchen. It was a really big kitchen. What is even more impressive is the fact that the hotel has 5 restaurants that promote diversity (Italian, Swiss, French and Traditional). We actually visited three of these restaurant and they are the Stüva Restaurant, the Italian Pizzeria and La Brasserie Restaurant. There is almost no need to leave the confinements of the hotel as it so well caters to the needs of its clients.

Upstairs we were able to see just what the rooms of the hotel are like. There are three categories of rooms: standard, superior and junior suites, and we were able to view each category. The rooms are nice and comfy with everything to properly accommodate guests. The view from the rooms also make the a stay at the hotel worthwhile with either a view of the amazing mountain range or the view of the beautiful lake St. Moritz. If you are lucky you get a pretty decent view of both.

The only downside from the room inspection was the fact that there were no bathroom amenities. But why waste time lingering on miner matters like that when they have rooms that accommodate entire families. As a matter of fact the facilities throughout the hotel seem to support the theme of family. An example of this was evident in the cute little room they had for children, the Kinderzimmer.

My favorite part of the hotel inspections is most often the wellness area so it is always a joy to hear that it is the next stop. The was a massages room where they offer specialty massages like Hot Stone massages. The view from the gym is extraordinary. It is open and creates a nice atmosphere for workout. There is really a feeling of wellness. There was also a spa, but due to its occupancy, we were unable to actually see it.

This tour definitely showed that sometimes you can avoid extremes and stick to middle ground. Even though the Laudinella is just a 3 star hotel, it provides wonderful accommodations and an ideal winter vacation. Let’s not forget the fact that it is more within economic means with an average rate of 160 CHF per person. A bonus against luxury hotels of 4 and 5 stars.

We thanked Mr. Giannakis for the lovely morning tour and followed procedure: business cards and pictures. We gathered our things and followed the directions of Mr. Giannakis to the bus station where we took the number 3 bus to the Information Center (Tourism Office).

At the St. Moritz Tourism Office it was like Davos all over again. Mark had called to alert the office of our expected arrival. The woman he spoke to, Anne, tried to act like she had no idea of what he was talking about when we got there. It was as if she was trying to deny her own existence in the office as if we could read the name ANNE on her name tag. She really was not that important anyway and we grabbed our maps and other information and went outside where we sat on some benches and ate the packed lunches that SSTH had prepared for us (ham and cheese sandwiches with fruits, a nut bar and a boxed drink).

As we all should have learned by now, plans are bound to be changed. Nothing is set in stone. So due to the low temperature, the planned walk by the lake was out ruled by group consensus (Dr. Garely was the only one who wanted to stay). So – we took the bus and had a little driving tour of the lake on the way to the St. Moritz train station. The upset in the plans pushed the day up by an hour and we were on the 1:04 PM train back to Chur.

We arrived in Chur a few minutes past 3 PM. We agreed to meet at the station by 3:50 and split up in groups. The split was basically pointless because the large majority of us wound up in Migros to pick up our usual snacks.

We were back at the station for the 5:05 PM bus and witnessed something that we did not think would ever happen. The bus left at 5:07!!! Probably a once in a lifetime occurrence.

We sat down to dinner at 6:30. Another lesson in fine dining. The food on the menu was once again divine: an appetizer of cream of asparagus, an entree of glazed roast veal with herbs, duchess potatoes and mixed vegetables (asparagus and artichoke), and raspberry sorbet with coconut macaroons for dessert. It was finger-licking good.

Day 18 was over after some late night blogging. This seems to be another protocol I have adopted. On to day 19…