At the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Switzerland, guests can have a good time and enjoy luxury in a class of its own. With its new Spa Suites, the 5-star-resort has created an oasis addressing all their senses, mind and body. Soft fabrics, harmonious colours, sparkling crystals and above all the light – sometimes brightly shining, sometimes softly glowing, sometimes in bright colours – create an unforgettable aura of cosiness, a place to feel at ease. To achieve this, the designers opted for the user-friendly ZBOX lighting management system to be installed in the Spa Suites.
For the bathrooms, Zumtobel also supplied high-quality LED downlights and light lines, which provide scintillating colour effects
and an exciting interplay of light. The new Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is based on two existing hotels: Grand Hotel Quellenhof – opened in 1869 and rebuilt in 1995 – and Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz. Last summer, a modern nine-storey Spa Tower was added to the hotel complex situated in a 500,000 m² park.
56 new Spa Suites leave nothing to be desired by guests requiring a relaxing luxury stay in a contemporary, purist ambience. Even a walk from the Quellenhof into the seven-metre high lobby of the Spa Tower, which boasts a glazed front, white leather furniture on white marble floors and very little else, is like a refreshing breeze. “Designed as an independent unit with its own formal language, the Spa Tower is the link between the Quellenhof and Hotel Hof Ragaz.
The classic design in combination with urban materials gives the new building a look of timeless elegance”, as Daniel Hauswirt of Burckhardt+Partner AG explains the building’s integration into the existing hotel premises. Finally, in addition to the spacious hotel area, the Grand Resort also comprises the 7,500m². To B. Wellbeing & Spa, the public Tamina thermal resort, a medical centre, seven restaurants and two golf courses, the Kursaal – a former entertainment hall, now a business & event centre – and an in-house casino.
It is a masterstroke of architecture that the buildings, except for the casino and the Kursaal, are not only linked by short walkways, but also – despite their different characters – in perfect harmony with each other. This was achieved
by interior designer and architect Claudio Carbone, who was also in charge of the new Spa Suites’ design. “It was a fascinating challenge”, Carbone recalls. “We based our design on the assumption that guests who feel great will return.”
Each of the loft-like rooms in the new Spa Tower has large windows and balconies. Thus, the infinite space of Nature outside is brought right into the hotel room. When guests enter their temporary refuge, they step on cool, oiled walnut parquet flooring. The lighting is pleasantly dimmed. White leather chairs invite them to sit down, the soft bed entices them to drift into the land of dreams. Mostly materials from Nature were chosen. In line with the Grand Resort’s motto – ‘Time to enjoy and experience luxury’ -, guests are provided with all kinds of amenities ranging from high-tech TVs to beds with softness-adjustable mattresses to whirlpools.
Especially important is the lighting, as Carbone passionately describes. ”For us, light is of the essence. Light produces colours, thus evoking emotions. In the Spa Suites, we took particular care to use focussed and dynamic light, in an interplay with shadows and contrasts, so that a special atmosphere and character is conveyed to the rooms.” For this reason, the designers and clients opted for the sophisticated ZBOX lighting management system, which welcomes guests with pleasantly bright lighting, but also provides discreet lighting for watching TV, focussed lighting for working, and conveniently dimmed lighting at night.
Four control points are positioned at the entrance, the desk, the bed and in the bathroom to provide the required lighting scenes at the press of a button. Carbone took extra care in designing the daylight-based bathrooms – for it is not without reason that the new building is called “Spa Suites”: every bathroom has its own Ragaz thermal water supply, the showers can be turned into a steam bath, and nearly all rooms have their own sauna facilities. Another extra: free-standing bathtubs. Thanks to elegant Swarovski crystals mounted above the whirlpool, each bath becomes a special experience: LED downlights installed above the crystals make the ceiling above the bubble bath sparkle in shades of red, green, yellow or blue. Thus, in a quick and uncomplicated way, only one Circle control point is required to turn the entire bathroom lighting – consisting of Slotlight light lines as well as Micros and Panos downlights – into a true oasis of well-being for mind and body.