Maria and Bardhyl Coli are a well known husband and wife hospitality duo with experience working in and running some of the finest hotels in the UK, Germany an Switzerland. We spoke to Maria and Bardhyl about their lives at the luxury 5-star Kulm Hotel, and what they love about life in Arosa.

Bardhyl and Maria on the slopes of Arosa

How long have you been General Manager of your hotel?

We manage the Arosa Kulm Hotel & Alpin Spa for two years now. Before, we were hosts of another hotel in the canton of Grisons, so we were already familiar with this mountain region.

Tell us a bit about your background and previous experience?

Bardhyl Coli is Swiss. His passion was always the hotel business and since he was 15 years old he wanted to become a hotel manager. So he learned to be a chef, waiter, did his sommelier education in Austria and the visited the hotel management school in Zurich. After earning more experiences in London and Berlin, he has overtaken the Waldhotel Davos and Hotel Vitznauerhof in Switzerland together with his wife Maria. Both are known as two of the youngest General Managers in Switzerland. Maria Coli is German and studies in Berlin and Oxford Tourism Management. Her mature skills can be seen in Sales, Marketing and Events. Therefore, the young couple complement each other very well.

What has been your favourite moment working at the hotel?

Guests shining with gratitude because their having their time of the year with us in Arosa.

What do you love about working in the mountains?

Skiing of course! It’s a great quality of living and really a gift, having the slopes right on your doorstep. We can even go skiing on a nice and sunny morning and go to work afterwards. That’s also what our employees do. And it’s the best compensation for a busy time.

Where is your favourite place to ski?

In Arosa you can easily explore all slopes in one day. If you want to see more, the combination with Lenzerheide offers a great addition. We really love to take the Kulm cable car as a starting point of our ski day. It’s just a 3 minutes’ walk from the hotel and on our way back in the afternoon, we can stop exactly in front of the hotel.

What influences have you brought to the hotel?

A local and more easy-going touch. Local because that’s the trend, we see. Tourists from all over the world want to explore the Swiss Alps and everything which comes with it: alpine food, mountain lifestyle, local people, experience of the nature. Easy-going because this suits the Arosa Kulm Hotel very well. It’s rather a sporty 5-star-hotel where kids are very welcome too.

The terrace at the Kulm is equally popular in the summer months

In your resort and in your eyes what makes Arosa a special destination?

Arosa is a place you have to fall in love with. It’s a family destination, easy to learn skiing for children. The nature is just stunning. The restaurants and mountain huts are fancy but local at the same time. And the people are just great! Friendly and down to earth but still offering the highest level of quality a tourist could ask for.

What experience do you want to give your guests when they stay at your hotel?

A ski-in / ski-out experience. A Dine Around experience through our 6 different restaurants and of course, getting spoiled in our Alpin Spa with the great surrounding view on the mountains of Arosa. What new developments are there to the hotel and service this year? The new wood-fired pizza oven in our Italian restaurant Stüva.

Where do you like to spend your holidays?

All over the world. We love to explore new places and beautiful hotels. Definitely one of our most impressive holidays was in Japan. A great country for food and nature lovers – such as Switzerland is. We haven’t made it on the skis, but hopefully next time.

Which is your favourite room in the hotel?

The former King Suite of the Thai King Bhumibol who has stayed at the Arosa Kulm Hotel in the 1930’s. That’s room #427.

What is your favourite dish on the menu in the hotel?

Hmm…there are so many. It would be easier to say what’s our favourite dish in each restaurant. One is definitely the Alp char from the valley Lumnezia which is close to Arosa in the canton of Grisons.