The KDHamptons Travel Diaries have been such a big off-season hit for our readers. I love hearing from Hamptonites who are still jet setting around the globe. My personal travel schedule is winding down with the high Hamptons season fast approaching…..just one more trip booked to Tulum in May, and then I will be firmly embedded in the East End for some summer fun!

 

Last month I flew to Gstaad, Switzerland to meet up with my sister, Kim, her husband Steve, and my  4-year old godson Brady for once last snowball fight of the winter season. Sis lives in Abu Dhabi, so meeting in Europe makes our travel journey a little easier.  We stayed at the majestic Gstaad Palace, one of my top three favorite hotels in the world.

 

 

 

 

Built in 1913, the Gstaad Palace is nestled on a hill overlooking the bucolic village of Gstaad, and boasts breathtaking views of the majestic Swiss Alps. Bring your glamour and your appetite: the Palace offers incredible fine dining in five different restaurants, with amazing live entertainment every night in the chalet chic lounge and dancing at the famous GreenGo nightclub, where the dance floor descends from the ceiling and hovers over the pool~ natch.

 

 

 

 

As soon as I get to a hotel I like to set up my wardrobe like a beautiful boutique. I love staying at hotels where dressing up is not expected~ it’s mandatory. Stroll through the lobby at the Gstaad Palace and you will see more beautiful women in furs, jewels, rare watches and fluffy boots than you would find in the September issue of Vogue. I don’t get to wear lots of my wardrobe from my previous life as a fashion editor in the Hamptons. A raccoon coat and leather pants might draw strange glances on Main Street, Southampton~ but in Gstaad that look is quite de rigueur. LOVE IT .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We spent days skiing, strolling around the village, shopping, playing in the snow, building snow men, ice skating, and sharing savory meals. Swiss people are so charming, sweet and hospitable. The whole setting feels like a fairy tale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Between all of the indulgent meals, I had to make time for workouts at the Palace Spa, and some apres ski massage! The gorgeous spa include eight treatment rooms, a Private Spa Suite, saunas and steam baths, relaxation areas with mountain views, an indoor pool and an outdoor pool with Jacuzzi, a state-of-the-art gym, a Pilates Studio and a fab hammam experience.

 

 

To bring the mountain feeling inside, over 50 tons of rock were cut into small pieces and assembled into a stunning wall that lines the spa. The comfy lounge with giant firepit was a frequent spot for disco napping…