Hotel Privata — Hotel in Sils im Engadin/Segl

LOCATION: Hotel Privata is located at Via da Marias 83, in the tranquil village of Selg/Sils Maria. To reach the Hotel via public transport, 1st travel by train to Pontresina OR St. Moritz then take bus service B2 (from Pontresina) OR B4 (from St. Moritz), alight at the ‘Sils Maria, Posta’ stop and walk about 250m down the main road towards far end of village.||Selg/Sils is probably the most scenic region in Upper Engadin, it lies at the foot of Piz Corvatsch and Piz da la Margna, offering spectacular mountain vistas coupled with splendid lake views. It makes an excellent hiking base with a vast network of well-marked trails. For those not keen on conquering lofty peaks, there are easy trails to Val Fex (idyllic car-free valley) and nearby lakes of Maloja and Silvaplana, all of which can be reached within 1 or 2 hours on foot. You can even hike all the way to St. Moritz in under 3 hours.||ROOM: Hotel Privata is a small independent hotel with 26 rooms, each with its own layout & décor. Single Room was clean and simply furnished with the following: bed; digital radio on bedside table; small wardrobe with safe deposit box; luggage rack; desk with reading lamp & chair; wall mirror; and armchair by the window. No TV nor kettle in room. Kitchen can provide you with thermal flask of hot water upon request.||BATHROOM: spacious, clean and well-lit. Furnished with mirror over wash basin, toilet and shower over bathtub. Clean bath linen, toilet rolls, box of tissues, hairdryer and comprehensive set of toiletries provided. ||Only problem was the poor drainage of bathtub which left you standing ankle-deep in soapy water when you take a shower. Absence of an anti-slip mat puts guests at risk of a slip-&-fall accident... Would have preferred a proper shower stall rather than this shower over bathtub arrangement.| |F&B: Room Rate is inclusive of Half-Board and meals are served in a charming Engadine Dining Room with traditional Swiss pine furnishings. Breakfast Service is from 7:30-10 a.m. and seemed to be quite a good spread. Alas, there wasn’t much that I could consume due to dietary restrictions & allergies. Hotel also offers Complimentary Afternoon Tea which guests may enjoy in the back garden. Dinner Service starts at 7-7:30 p.m. and is a Set Menu - guests have to inform Reception before 11 a.m. if they wish to opt out for that day.||SERVICE: the multilingual staff are English-speaking and obliging. Received a cordial welcome at Check-In and the Receptionist took the time to recommend several hiking routes that suit my fitness level. She also kindly helped to carry my luggage up the stairs as my room was on a high floor. Upon Check-Out, I was presented with a small gift of home-made cookies which was a most pleasant surprise and delicious treat! ||Some hotels in Sils offer Complimentary Shuttle Service to and from St. Moritz, it’d be much appreciated if Hotel Privata could provide the same for its guests. Quite a challenge to travel with unwieldy luggage, especially on jam-packed buses in peak season.||FACILITIES: Free WiFi is available throughout the property. On the ground floor are 2 cosy Lounges where guests may read or socialise. Storage facilities for sporting equipments like bicycles and skis are available on-site. ||Public Areas have poor ventilation, in particular the Dining Room can be stuffy when crowded. No Lift so those with mobility issues may wish to request for rooms on low floor or seek more suitable accommodation elsewhere.||IN SHORT: Hotel Privata offers clean rooms in a picturesque lakeside setting that’s conducive to rest and relaxation. It’s a fine property with excellent hospitality but there are minor issues and room for improvement. Despite lacking some of the facilities found in other properties where I enjoyed a more comfortable stay, this turned out to be the most expensive hotel on my 2-month travels through Switzerland this summer. In retrospect, I reckon there are other options that offer...

We stayed here for 9 nights in the winter season for winter walking, not skiing. the walking is superb in Sils and because Sils is so high, snow is guaranteed.||||The rooms are well appointed with lots of storage space, super warm and comfortable beds.||||All the staff were very friendly and helpful and seemed to effortlessly switch from speaking German to italian to English. ||||the evening meal is a 4 course dinner with no choice. BUT they publish the menu at breakfast time and if you do not like anything, they will happily change it for you.||||We never changed anything and found all the food to be a very high standard and obviously freshly cooked from scratch each day, with lots of regional specialities.||||The four courses were sensibly sized so you felt you could happily eat every course. ||||I have been fortunate to travel a lot to Switzerland over the years and this was easily the best hotel food I have had in Switzerland.||||Everything in Switzerland is expensive because their currency is so strong. But once you have arrived in Sils, the hotel provides you with a card enabling you to use the local buses and trains for free. In the summer some cable cars are also free. Hence your costs once you are there are very low. We also simply bought snacks at the local Volg supermarket and enjoyed picnic lunches in the Feb sunshine, but with the occasional beer or coffee in a cafe.||||We will certainly be returning...

We stayed here for 9 nights in the winter season for winter walking, not skiing. the walking is superb in Sils and because Sils is so high, snow is guaranteed.||||The rooms are well appointed with lots of storage space, super warm and comfortable beds.||||All the staff were very friendly and helpful and seemed to effortlessly switch from speaking German to italian to English. ||||the evening meal is a 4 course dinner with no choice. BUT they publish the menu at breakfast time and if you do not like anything, they will happily change it for you.||||We never changed anything and found all the food to be a very high standard and obviously freshly cooked from scratch each day, with lots of regional specialities.||||The four courses were sensibly sized so you felt you could happily eat every course. ||||I have been fortunate to travel a lot to Switzerland over the years and this was easily the best hotel food I have had in Switzerland.||||Everything in Switzerland is expensive because their currency is so strong. But once you have arrived in Sils, the hotel provides you with a card enabling you to use the local buses and trains for free. In the summer some cable cars are also free. Hence your costs once you are there are very low. We also simply bought snacks at the local Volg supermarket and enjoyed picnic lunches in the Feb sunshine, but with the occasional beer or coffee in a cafe.||||We will certainly be returning...