Mr. Arnold, why did you become a hotelier/hotel director?

It was my childhood dream to travel the whole world and to create something positive together with and for people.

What are five features that set your hotel apart from others?

Welcome to Guarda Val: Exterior of the reception (Image: Sundroina Pictures/Guarda Val)

1. It is a unique and authentic hotel concept in a small hamlet above Lenzerheide. Our Guarda Val Maiensaess-Hotel consists of 11 huts and barns that are up to 300 years old.
2. Additionally, the Maiensaess philosophy and hospitality culture in our hotel offer the opportunity to engage individually with each guest and leave lasting impressions with small surprises and great attention to detail.
3. Furthermore, with our Limitless Vision, we recognized early on that time and active mindfulness quickly ground our guests.
4. It is certainly interesting to know that it is perfectly acceptable to walk from your room across the village square to the hot tub in your bathrobe – of course, we also have a changing room, but we offer the freedom of choice.
5. Finally, the fact that we are open 365 days a year is something special and not a given for a hotel in a mountain resort…

How would you define hospitality and excellent guest service?

What am I willing to invest for a first, second, or third date? I expect our 68 employees to offer no more than what they would arrange for good friends and acquaintances when hosting at home. Additionally, they have access to our wine cellar, spa area, and a wide variety of Limitless experiences to enhance their hospitality.

Which prominent guests have you welcomed to your hotel?

Our guests come to us for private relaxation. We are very discreet, and in addition, every guest enjoys the same status with us.

What does your hotel offer for the «perfect weekend» for two?

Pretty much everything! Two different dining establishments with three kitchens, a cozy bar, and the unique rooftop terrace (where the name Guarda Val – «view of the valley» – originates from), which serves as a «living room» for our hotel guests, providing cozy moments outside their rooms.

Additionally, there is the well-designed Guarda Sana wellness area and our rustic rooms and suites as «cocooning» retreats. The hotel's location in the middle of the Buendner mountains offers exceptional panoramic views of the Oberalbstien valley. All of this is provided in an environment with people who genuinely love to pamper from the heart…

What are your plans for the hotel?

Hotel room with rustic Grisons coziness (Image: Sundroina Pictures/Guarda Val)

The hardware, all of our 50 hotel rooms, were completely renovated last year. Early this summer, our wellness area will receive some small updates... But from our perspective, the future lies in creating lasting moments and unique experiences for our guests. We invest our passion, our employees' time, and sufficient personnel resources into this.

How is the gastronomy in your hotel developing?

With our young executive chef Paul Berberich, we reinvent classic French cuisine in a new way with each new menu. One of our focal points is our sauces, which must be properly reduced, flavorful, and generously present on the plate. In addition to the gourmet restaurant and the Buendner Stube, we increasingly cook and serve in a traditional manner over an open fire in the midst of nature.

Gourmet Restaurant Guarda Val (Image: Sundroina Pictures/Guarda Val)

What is the best advice you have received from your mother or father?

Pride comes before a fall & honesty is the best policy.

Philip Arnold has been Co-Director of the Guarda Val Maiensaess-Hotel since spring 2021. His partner Bettina Arpagaus supports him in the same role. After training as an insurance clerk and a stay abroad in New Zealand, Arnold attended the Hotel Management School in Lucerne. After various positions both domestically (Giardino Ascona, Beau Rivage Palace Lausanne) and abroad (HUKKA Lodge Taupo), he ended up at an altitude of 1600 meters in Sporz, Lenzerheide, following his training. Growing and maturing in this way, he took over the management of the unique establishment in Lenzerheide.