Zurich

New and noteworthy hotels in Zurich

“Having shaken its reputation for stiff formality, Zurich now sits at the centre of European art and culture” GQ and “a glut of stylish hotel openings” Tatler has come as part of its revolution. “Cultural heritage and a lakeside location” National Geographic form a recurring theme across many of the city’s most noteworthy hotels while “the most Instagrammable property on this side of the Alps” Forbes stands out from the crowd by bringing Dubai extravagance to the heart of Europe.

Here we explore the best new hotels in Zurich along with the city’s most noteworthy properties.

Providing “Dubai flair in the middle of Switzerland” Falstaff, FIVE Zurich is the first international opening from the Dubai-based FIVE Hotels brand and is now “easily the most Instagrammable property on this side of the Alps” Forbes. The “smart new hotspot” Time Out puts drinking and dining at the forefront with an “extravagant culinary” L’Officiel offering made up of seven international concepts, including “some of Dubai’s hottest restaurants” Time Out. Guests can enjoy dinner at “the 1920s-inspired Maiden Shanghai” Time Out or street food spot Soul Street before heading to The Penthouse for drinks, which is “perfect for dancing the night away” Four Magazine. The eye-catching interiors see “neon lights illuminate the hallways” Forbes and there’s also “a first-class spa area with indoor and outdoor pools” L’Officiel.

“A small luxury hotel” Forbes Ambassador Zurich has just opened in “a ballustraded neo-Baroque castle” The Telegraph right next door to the city’s “temple like” The Telegraph opera house. Just a few steps from Lake Zurich, the hotel provides “a commanding view” Forbes that’s best enjoyed from the expansive roof terrace, from where the Alps can also be seen. Other highlights include a cosy library with its own honesty bar and a regular weekend line-up of DJs.

Having “artfully converted one of Zurich's oldest movie theatres” Suitcase Magazine Ruby Hotels added to its “ever-growing coterie” National Geographic of properties with the opening of Ruby Mimi. The “sexy, sleek 208-room hotel” Suitcase Magazine takes inspiration from the “cinematic glamour” National Geographic of its past by combining “Hollywood touches with the pared-back luxury that defines each Ruby hotel” National Geographic. There’s also an on-site cinema that comes “complete with red velvet curtains and a popcorn machine” National Geographic and an art deco bar “open at all hours to satisfy every late owl’s thirst” Food and Travel Magazine.

Perched on a hill high above Lake Zurich, The Dolder Grand is “a landmark in the region” Town & Country Magazine with “majestic turrets” The Telegraph that are notable from the shores below. Two Norman Foster-designed wings made of steel, stone and glass were added in recent years, sweeping “wave-like, around the shuttered cream-and-merlot Belle Epoque building” The Telegraph, resulting in a unique setting that’s “equal parts modern and traditional” Town & Country Magazine. Works by the likes of Salvador Dali, Takashi Murakami, and Andy Warhol create an impressive art collection while other reasons to stay include “a 43,000 square foot spa with sweeping views of the Alps” Conde Nast Traveller and “an eight-course tasting menu courtesy of Michelin-starred chef Heiko Neider” Conde Nast Traveller.

“A place to see and be seen” GQ Baur au Lac is “a luxurious grand villa” Conde Nast Traveller that dates back to 1844 and counts the likes of Elton John and Plácido Domingo among previous guests. “Cloaked in leafy private parkland” The Telegraph, the exclusive property presents “old world luxury re-interpreted in Art Deco, Louis XVI and English Regency styles” The Telegraph with the “dazzling centrepiece” The Telegraph being Le Hall, where afternoon tea is served under a “tumbling sparkle of chandelier” The Telegraph. “If you're lucky, you'll get a room with a balcony on the water” Conde Nast Traveller or alternatively you can “use its sky-high gym, with views over Lake Zurich” GQ. For dinner, guests can either dine at the casual brasserie or splash out at Michelin-starred Pavillon, which is “worth the indulgence” Conde Nast Traveller.

“A Zurich institution since 1909” Conde Nast Traveller the Eden au Lac was completely reimagined in 2020 when it joined Michel Reybier’s La Réserve portfolio. The design for this new addition comes courtesy of famed architect and designer Philippe Starck, whose “radical reinvention” Forbes “brings a little rock 'n roll rebellion to this lakefront classic” Conde Nast Traveller. The interiors are now “contemporary, fun and provocative” The Telegraph that feels “half Versailles, half Studio 54” Conde Nast Traveller. The location is “enthralling” Forbes with the Opera House, Lake Zurich and the “stunning Pavilion Le Corbusier” Forbes just a short stroll away.

Set right on the shores of Lake Zurich, this sleek hotel “makes the most of its tony perch” Wallpaper* with “French doors that open directly onto lake views” Wallpaper* and a concept that’s “all about bringing the outside in” The Telegraph. The hotel is “a more boutique affair” GQ than Zurich’s heritage properties with “small but smart” GQ rooms and an “understated” Evening Standard contemporary style. The “jewel in the crown” Evening Standard is the Boat House restaurant with “vast picture windows” The Telegraph that “make you feel as if you’re floating, yacht-like, on the water while you dine” Evening Standard. Arrive in style with a ride in the hotel’s very own private motorboat.