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Hotel Ambassador Picnic with a Tesla in Graubünden
We recently won a contest run by the Hotel Ambassador à L’Opéra in Zurich and the prize was a day out with a Tesla and a lavish picnic from the hotel.
View From the Roof Terrace of the Hotel Ambassador
We set off on a glorious August morning, and after going to the hotel to pick up the car and the picnic (and taking a quick peek at Zurich from the hotel’s rooftop terrace, The View, see the pictures below), we headed off in the direction of Graubünden.
Tesla Model S
The car we were driving was the Model S. According to Tesla, the Model S ” is designed to be the safest, most exhilarating saloon on the road. With unparalleled performance delivered through Tesla’s unique, all-electric powertrain, Model S accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 2.5 seconds”. So we decided to put it through its paces!
The first thing you notice in a Tesla is how smooth and quiet it is. The next is the acceleration – it is super quick – as you can see from the stats above!
Inside it is spacious and comfortable and the seats have great lumbar support, as you find in many sporty cars. One of the best things is that the display is big and clear and you can see both the speed controls (as well as what speed you should be doing in the place you are driving though (very important in Switzerland as it changes every few hundred metres!).
A great bonus is the fact that it has internet connectivity and had Spotify which was excellent for choosing the music you wanted to listen too. Also the Satnav facility was provided via Google Maps – which I found so much easier than the usual satnav which you usually have to fiddle around getting to know before you are able to plan your trip. It even comes with Autopilot capabilities too – though we didn’t actually test these out.
We headed initially for Caumasee, a gorgeous location close to Flims with turquoise coloured water and wonderful parkland.
Lag Grond – the Laaxersee
However, after a short stay here we decided to explore the region a little more and we discovered the beautiful and quiet lake called Lag Grond or Laaxersee. It was not too crowded and we found a beautiful spot under a shady tree to taste the bountiful picnic which Hotel Ambassador à L’Opéra has prepared.
Hotel Ambassador Zurich Champagne Picnic Hamper
It was truly delectable with beautiful jars of char gilled vegetables, smoked salmon rolls, cheeses, paté and salads as well as desserts too! It was accompanied by a wonderful bottle of champagne (not for the driver of course!) and it all came with a picnic rug, a beautiful hamper and proper plates, cutlery and glass ware.
Tesla Power Points
We had enough power to get back to Zurich but decided to err on the side of caution by using the Tesla app to locate an electric power point close by to do a quick recharge. You have to make sure when you search for recharging points that the are compatible with the car you are driving as there are a couple of different systems in play. However, there seemed to be plenty of Tesla points available and after charging up whilst we stopped for coffee, we headed back to Zurich.
Pros and Cons of the Tesla
Pros – its fast, quiet, rooms with good acceleration. We loved the great display and easy to use Satnav as well as internet connectivity and great music system with Spotify.
Cons – I was conscious that we might need to look out for charging points, and it is quite a long car to park in some Swiss parking spaces!
All in all it was a great car and we had enormous fun driving it from Zurich to Graubünden and back.
Tesla Motors
For more information on Tesla cars please visit the Tesla website here.
Hotel Ambassador Champagne Picnic Hamper
We absolutely loved the Hotel Ambassador champagne picnic and it would make a great present or be perfect for a special occasion. The hotel offers packages on both the car and the picnic. For more information please visit the Hotel Ambassador website here.
With thanks to the Hotel Ambassador for such a great prize!
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