The Maloja Club House

Location is beautiful. So is the Palace. But although part of the history of this beautiful structure is extensively highlighted, there is not a word to be found about its creation. A Belgian aristocrat, following what happened in the Belgian city of Spa (with the first spas in the world, hence the name of spa in English: "Spa") happened and which gave rise to the concept of "tourism" worldwide, make a meeting place for the European nobility around 1880. It was 2 Belgian architects who built the palace on behalf of this Belgian aristocrat. It was not called Maloja Palace in the beginning, but "Maloja Kursaal", following Casino Kursaal in the Belgian Ostend, the city where mass tourism (so no longer just the aristocracy as in Spa) really started worldwide. Even from the 20th century, when the Maloja Palace was used for summer and winter camps for Belgian children, you will not find anything. The building was then owned by a Belgian insurer and health insurance funds. The absence of these wonderful stories creates a damper when visiting the Palace today. Anyway, the Palace is now nicely renovated. But the price/quality ratio is poor. The breakfast was way too expensive for the fairly poor buffet. Also the rooms are on the pricey side.

Across the board a disappointment, a 4-star hotel that is very expensive. In the room the doors were missing at the wardrobe, toilet seat has wobbled. Kettle had a German plug in Switzerland, which was thus unusable. Door to the bedroom could only be closed by unplugging the floor lamp. Since the room was declared as an apartment, nobody cleaned. Breakfast for 35 Fr. you had to register in advance, buffet poor. Lobby unloved and also lifeless. Discussed all these points with the boss personally, there was no reaction.

Mr. Frank Amin Karama, virtually hotel director is extremely unfriendly. He talks to the guests as well as to the employees who are subordinate to him. He's not allowed to work with clients. He's just scaring off customers.