What does it take for a brand-new hotel to feel as though it has always belonged?
In Sils Maria, a tiny village high in Switzerland's Engadin Valley, Chesa Marchetta offers a compelling answer.
Opened by Artfarm in December 2025, Chesa Marchetta is technically one of Switzerland's newest hotels. But its story began long before its 13 bedrooms welcomed their first guests.
For almost 80 years, this building was an acclaimed restaurant and pensiun run by the Godly family. From 1947, it welcomed generations of visitors to Sils Maria, including artists Gerhard Richter and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
And its location is significant.
Opened by Artfarm in December 2025, Chesa Marchetta is technically one of Switzerland's newest hotels. But its story began long before its 13 bedrooms welcomed their first guests.
For almost 80 years, this building was an acclaimed restaurant and pensiun run by the Godly family. From 1947, it welcomed generations of visitors to Sils Maria, including artists Gerhard Richter and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
And its location is significant.
A village that has inspired generations
Sils Maria has long held an almost mythical place in European cultural history. Surrounded by mountains and lakes, this tiny Engadin village has inspired an extraordinary roll call of artists, writers and thinkers, from Friedrich Nietzsche and Marcel Proust to Hermann Hesse, Marc Chagall and Alberto Giacometti.
It is this creative legacy that Artfarm has chosen to build upon. Rather than imposing a new identity, Chesa Marchetta's four-year redevelopment draws deeply from the place and its past, resulting in a 13-bedroom hotel that feels distinctly Engadin.
It is this creative legacy that Artfarm has chosen to build upon. Rather than imposing a new identity, Chesa Marchetta's four-year redevelopment draws deeply from the place and its past, resulting in a 13-bedroom hotel that feels distinctly Engadin.
Look closely at the walls
Perhaps the loveliest expression of local culture is the hotel's use of sgraffito, the centuries-old engraved plasterwork characteristic of traditional Engadin houses.
Each guest room features its own botanical, animal or symbolic motifs, with books curated in dialogue with the designs and the wider cultural history of the region. It's a thoughtful detail that captures Chesa Marchetta's philosophy: local culture isn't simply referenced, it shapes the hotel itself.
Each guest room features its own botanical, animal or symbolic motifs, with books curated in dialogue with the designs and the wider cultural history of the region. It's a thoughtful detail that captures Chesa Marchetta's philosophy: local culture isn't simply referenced, it shapes the hotel itself.
An art collection with a sense of place
Given that Artfarm was founded by the owners of Hauser & Wirth, art naturally plays an important role, with a collection that connects international names with the region itself.
Bedrooms feature works by Swiss artist Emma Kunz, while the restaurant houses a 1956 work by Alberto Giacometti. Elsewhere, guests encounter Louise Bourgeois, Nicolas Party, Daniel Spoerri, William Kentridge and Paul McCarthy.
Bedrooms feature works by Swiss artist Emma Kunz, while the restaurant houses a 1956 work by Alberto Giacometti. Elsewhere, guests encounter Louise Bourgeois, Nicolas Party, Daniel Spoerri, William Kentridge and Paul McCarthy.
The story continues in the kitchen
Perhaps most importantly, Chesa Marchetta hasn't forgotten what came before. Its restaurant takes inspiration from Maria and Christina Godly's celebrated use of seasonal ingredients, with a menu rooted in Northern Italian and Swiss mountain traditions.
Produce is sourced across the Engadin and neighbouring valleys, while local flavours extend from Alpine trout and ibex ragù to cocktails built around ingredients such as pear, quince and Alpine juniper.
Produce is sourced across the Engadin and neighbouring valleys, while local flavours extend from Alpine trout and ibex ragù to cocktails built around ingredients such as pear, quince and Alpine juniper.
Why we've selected Chesa Marchetta
At The Libra Guide, we're interested in hotels that couldn't simply be picked up and placed somewhere else. Chesa Marchetta belongs to Sils Maria.
Its architecture, food, craftsmanship, books and art all draw from the Engadin, while its transformation respects the building's previous life.
Because authenticity doesn't mean remaining frozen in the past. Sometimes, it means preserving what makes a place special while allowing a new generation to add its own chapter.
Chesa Marchetta may be new. Its sense of place is anything but.
Its architecture, food, craftsmanship, books and art all draw from the Engadin, while its transformation respects the building's previous life.
Because authenticity doesn't mean remaining frozen in the past. Sometimes, it means preserving what makes a place special while allowing a new generation to add its own chapter.
Chesa Marchetta may be new. Its sense of place is anything but.