24 Hours at the Hotel Schweizerhof, Zurich
Directly in front of the central station of Zurich there is one of Switzerland's finest places to stay: the Schweizerhof. Having expected to find a comfortable four-star-property, things got completely different and in fact I landed in one of the most personal hotels I ever stayed at. I stopped the car in front of the main entrance, the doors were opened and the bellmen took care of everything else (Valet parking, luggage service), so I could continue to the front desk and enjoy a nice glass of sparkling wine. Check-in has been done rapidly, my room was ready and after a brief introduction of the management I swept up to the fourth floor.
Having arrived in my wonderful, newly renovated junior suite, I knew exactly that I chose the right place to stay. A spacious room, bright and elegant bathrooms with bath tub, lots of daylight and views towards famous Bahnhofstrasse - probably the most expensive shopping street in the world (in terms of shop rentals). All in all I loved the newly designed rooms of the Schweizerhof with its cool purple and grey tones. Personally, I found the blankets to be extremely heavenly (like completely new and unused), while the pillows and bed were also very good. During the night it was very quite, anyhow if you want to open the windows you should go for a courtyard room. The idea of having a massive television was also very welcome and I loved the nice welcome amenities.
In addition to the welcome amenities there is a daily evening Butler Service who helps with any requests and hands out newspapers and chocolates. This is a lovely touch and much appreciated by regulars and business travelers. In general I would say this is a place for business travelers during the week, while it is hit by families and individual tourists on the weekends. As mentioned above my spacious room had a marble bathroom, which was equipped with skincare products by Luis Widmer (facial cream and moisturizer) as well as Asprey toiletries. So there I was standing in the shower and feeling like at solid city Ritz Carlton - the best available option to compare the Schweizerhof Zurich.
I guess there was nothing missing in my spacious and airy room and would definitely go for this room category again, as I love the idea of a staying the middle of Zurich with excellent access to public transportation plus the old town can be reached within five minutes walking distance. After this heavenly night, I was ready to enjoy breakfast. Served on the first floor, you are literally sitting above Bahnhofsplatz, the most lively place in Zurich. While the buffet was not vast, I would say it was of high quality and the Mumm champagne came up for it. Scrambled eggs and fresh orange juice were excellent, as the service at the front desk, who knew our last names within hours after check-in! That's Swiss Hotel Perfection, Well done!
How did they catch my breath? A handwritten welcome letter, a fruit plate with chocolates, a nice view, Asprey toiletries, personal service being available and helpful, being welcomed by our last names, champagne for breakfast - all these small details are making the Schweizerhof one of the best hotels of Europe!
I was a guest of Schweizerhof Zürich and my stay has been complimentary. However this is a top hotel and all above written expresses my personal opinion.
