THE WALTHER CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

Hotel life in the early days

The Hotel Walther was designed in the early 20th century as a palace, that is to say, a luxurious Grand Hotel. The high-class guests expected lofty standards, including luxurious furnishings, excellent service, a wide range of leisure activities, fine restaurants and bars, and a high degree of privacy and discretion. However, the standards and the effort required to achieve them are hardly comparable to today's circumstances. On top of that, the hotel was located in the mountains at over 1800 metres above sea level - with a corresponding climate, cold nights and lots of snow. We have collected a few curiosities, some of which give an interesting insight into hotel life at the Walther in those days.

Room Insulation

The building was designed so that several rooms could be connected to form apartments. This proved to be a mistake when single occupancy later became the standard. Poor soundproofing meant that noises, such as snoring, spread freely to adjacent rooms. It was also difficult to heat the large rooms adequately in winter.

Chaise Longue

The low sofa with rounded armrests for an afternoon nap was de rigeur – as were the parquet floor and wallpaper.

Body Hygiene

The rooms were kept rather modestly furnished. Suites or apartments with en-suite bathrooms were very chic and modern. The simple rooms just had a simple washstand with a large bowl, a pitcher of cold water and a small iron jug of hot water. The night porcelain was hidden in the side table and had to be emptied every morning by the chambermaid. Those without their own bathroom used the bathrooms on each floor for ablutions ... or had a bathtub wheeled into the room for a fee.

Heating

Heat for the central heating system was provided by two Sulzer ship boilers, as used on the Titanic. However, the capacity was not sufficient to maintain a comfortable temperature in the rooms during the winter.

Electric Light

Electric light flooded the halls and landings of the Walther Palace from the moment it opened. There were also decorative Art Deco lights and reading lamps in the rooms, although these only provided little light.

The Bell System

Guests could ring for the porter or the chambermaid conveniently and without fuss by using the bell system – the bell, labelled with the name of the designated service boy, was connected to a box in the corridor where the room number of the guest ringing could be seen.

The Entrance

New guests reached the entrance via an outside staircase. A bell was rang so that the staff and existing guests could see, meet and greet the new arrivals.

The Elevator

The wide marble staircase led to the different floors, just as it does today. Or you could take the “water lift”. Water was pumped into a tank, the weight of which drove the lift. At each floor, the liftman would stop the lift by pulling a rope. The crate fitted underneath was used to transport the huge trunks to the different floors.

The Lounges

The centrepiece was the large lounge with a fireplace and elegant plush and velvet furnishings. The ladies used the loggia balcony to keep out of the sun and maintain their elegant pallor. There was also a Chinese-style ladies’ lounge and a bar with a billiard table.

The Dining Rooms

The dining rooms at the Hotel Walther were considered avantgarde at the time. There was no “table d'hôte seating arrangement” and guests were free to choose where to sit. This new informality set a precedent. Even the kitchen was not located in the cellar but on the same level. It was even possible to have meals served “à la carte” in a small séparée.

Kitchen And Side Rooms

Cooking and frying was done on a coal stove and a charcoal grill, which generated a great amount of heat that could only be partially reduced by the six-metre high rooms. In the basement were storage rooms and fish tanks, kept cool with ice blocks. In late winter the blocks were painstakingly cut from the glacier and brought in by cart. Fresh ice could be taken from this for an entire summer. The dishwashing room, where the heavy cast-iron pots and copper pans were scrubbed by hand, was probably the most arduous part of the whole operation.

Staff Accommodation

This was extremely modest and was located in the attics above the guest rooms. The chambermaids slept in the so-called “oneand-a-half sleepers” and had to sleep two to a bed. Working hours were from six in the morning to seven in the evening, and time spent in the rooms was strictly regulated. The guests’ own maids and butlers occupied the rooms on the 5th floor and were in direct communication with their masters and mistresses via an internal telephone.

The Laundry

Laundry was boiled and washed in an incredibly steamy climate in a specially equipped laundry room. It was then hauled outside and hung on metres of line. This was followed by mangling, sewing repairs and storage of bed and table linen until the next use.

Surroundings

The hotel was surrounded by a park-like garden. The hotel’s own horses were kept in stables, above which was the hayloft. Chicken and pigs were also kept here to recycle kitchen waste and provide ham and fresh eggs for the kitchen.