> Novotel. Apparently, it is in the Red Light district, but it isn't overly yucky?

No not at all. If the price is right, go for it. You might see some prostitutes on nearby Rue de Berne, but I wouldn't call it "overly yucky" as all. It's not like Pigalle area in Paris. Very central location and Novotel (Geneva Centre) used to be 5* hotel once (Ramada Renaissance - about 15 years ago). Today it's definitely not 5* but I hear the rooms spaceous and good. It's 5 minutes walk to the railway station mostly on Rue de Berne but perhaps it's too early to see any prostitutes there. Security-wise, no problem.

I would want to do a 3 hour train ride in front of a trans-atlantic flight, but that's very personal choice, since your husband can sleep on trains & planes should work fine.

I think staying by the Geneva train station and all of you getting going in the AM together works OK.

Just another piece of info. The Zurich airport is very large and IMO, not user friendly. We had a hard time just finding the door to exit the building into the parking garage.

We arrived in Zurich in 2006, (thanks for all your help on that trip Schuler) and found the train station was very very convenient.