
The field of mind-body medicine encompasses many of the health-promoting activities that most of us would term self-care — including yoga, mindfulness exercises and hiking. And when it comes to each of these, your environment matters. Sure, you can do yoga anywhere — but the calmer and less cluttered the setting, the better. So, when planning a new luxury escape built around mind-body medicine, seasoned hospitality entrepreneurs Bettina and Richard Plattner knew just who to hire: Gion A. Caminada. The Swiss architect takes an almost philosophical approach to minimalism, valuing simplicity above all else, but still making room for traditional Swiss design elements. In the case of Hotel Maistra 160 in Pontresina, Switzerland (a member of the Aficionados collection of design-forward hotels), the outcome is a retreat that carries the natural tranquility of its setting into every corner of the building.

Keeping with Caminada’s track record, clean lines run all throughout the project, which includes 36 double rooms as well as 11 connected lodges. This orderly approach is evident right from the building’s facade, which effectively translates the jagged forms of the nearby mountains into a geometric composition of concrete and natural stone.

The lobby continues the same disciplined approach, with rows of blocky, monolithic columns structuring a clear sightline straight through to the glass doorway at the other end of the double-height space. In this grey, almost monastic environment, nature is always just a quick glance away. Yet the interior is not lacking for warmth, either: two rows of chandeliers provide a strong golden glow. Meanwhile, wooden elements sit on both sides of the main corridor — to the left, the front desk is backed by blonde timber, while to the right, the bar is clad in rich walnut. So as not to disturb the hotel’s all-important sense of calm, the bar is also sequestered behind a walnut partial wall that prevents too much social buzz from spilling into the main circulation area.

The project’s focus on natural materials continues in the hotel’s pine-wrapped dining room — a space that may look like a sauna, but is thankfully kept at a much less toasty temperature. Adding to the setting’s intimacy, a grid of blue agate-like acoustic ceiling panels absorb noise to ensure that dinner conversations can carry out at a comfortable volume.

The guest rooms are another gentle walk through the woods, with pine extending up from the floor to form a panelled headboard behind the bed in one area, a desk in another and a reading nook wrapped in floor-to-ceiling wood in the corner. While the room is otherwise another show of restraint, Caminada does permit one playful flourish: a floral mural painted on the ceiling. And then, of course, there is the natural beauty of the mountains visible through the window and from the private terrace.

Yet as much as these spaces may make for a relaxing escape in their own right, the true star of the hotel is the spa. Regular daily sessions include guided mindfulness routines and stretching exercises, but the hotel also runs special courses throughout the year (for instance, “Mindful Self-Compassion,” taking place from June 15-20) with special programming adapted from mind-body medicine research in collaboration with the Department of Complementary and Integrative Medicine at the University of Zurich and the Swiss Mind Body Medicine Association. These join more conventional spa features like a sauna and steam bath room, lined in black tiles that resemble volcanic rock.


Throughout the rest of the spa, Caminada plays with scale, cleverly mixing intimate areas that feel like a gentle inhale with other, more monumental zones that provide a deep exhale. The two-level spa reflects this perfectly: a tall but slightly compressed-feeling lounge area (this time with amethyst-like ceiling panels, as well as a sculptural, Tetris-like fireplace) looks ahead to a courtyard just beyond that is as wide-open as it gets, with a giant circular cutout in the ceiling to aid in cloud watching.

The hotel’s final cerebral escape awaits in the onsite library, packed as chock full of books as it is with design classics like Molteni’s D.156.3 lounger by Gio Ponti. (In another celebration of design excellence, pieces from Fritz Hansen’s Pelagus, Vendia and Selandia series adorn the outdoor terraces.) As the Hotel Maistra 160 so skilfully demonstrates, self-care takes many forms — sometimes it’s moving through breathwork exercises under a circular ceiling void, and sometimes it’s just sitting in a really excellent chair, admiring the mountains.
An Alpine Hotel That Is the Absolute Pinnacle of Calm
Designed by Swiss architect Gion A. Caminada, Hotel Maistra 160 is a meditation on serenity.