Hi, I will be traveling to Zurich in January for two weeks. Can you recommend a hotel where I can come home to at night and walk to nearby restaurants/shops. In other words, where there is something to do at night. I am not looking clubs/bars just a place to have dinner, maybe sightsee and shop. Also, the hotel should be comfortable as I will be spending so much time there. I had two recommendations, the Sheraton Sichily (spelling) and the Best Western. However, not sure if these are central. Thank you for your input.

Depending on which side of the river you favor, I would recommend either Hotel Kindli (http://www.kindli.ch/) or Hotel Adler (http://www.hotel-adler.ch/content-n45-sE.html). Both are very central and if I were traveling on my own, as a single woman, I would be happy and comfortable in either one.

Kindli is closer to the fancy Bahnhofstrasse shopping street; Adler is in the pedestrian-only zone of the oldtown (Altstadt), which is a bit livelier (or noisier, depending on your perspective) at night.

There are at least two hotels in central Zurich that are part of the Best Western group. The Montana is very close to the train station but has some negative comments on Tripadvisor.com. We stayed at the Zuercherhof for two nights a couple of years ago. It's in a nice area for restaurants and shopping, and it's within a reasonable walking distance from the train station. The room decor was nothing to write home about, and the bathroom was small. Overall, it was comfortable, quiet and acceptable for the rate we paid.

Sihlcity is a bit out in the woods (well, not quite - but it is 10 min by tram to the center, or 1/2 h walk).

Some people like the Marriott across the train station - it is big ugly highrise but in a very convenient location. Don´t know how comfortable the rooms are.

Zurich is quite small, and for bits you can't walk to there is an excellent tram service, and virtually all parts are safe (even the dodgy bits don't get dodgy until after about 1 am). So it really does not matter a whole lot IMO where you stay, as you can get to a restaurant pretty easily; however I think you probably don't want a long commute to your office. So my first question is: where will you be spending most of your time working?

I like the Kindli, I recommend it a lot, if you are working in or near the Bahnhofstrasse area it is ideal. It does not have a gym and is not what I would call a typical hotel for business, but otherwise it is a good choice if things like a business centre, two phone lines in the room, etc don't matter to you. If they do, pick the Marriott or the Hyatt (which is very nice and is closer to the more officey area of town which is east of the Bahnhofstrasse). Both the Marriott and the Hyatt have gyms, I know the Marriott has an indoor pool (the Hyatt may too) either of which may be useful to you for a long stay in winter. I like the Adler, also mentioned above, the Kindli is more upscale and has more charm, IMO. Do you have a budget.

There are several Best Westerns, the Best Western Glockenhof is in Kreiss 1 (i.e. District 1) and that is a good location, its close to the business part of town and the railroad station. The Zucerhof is in the old town on the right bank and probably has the most charming location of all the Best Westerns. The Montana is behind the train station, not as pretty a part of town (just on the edge of the one sort of dodgy part of town) but location is good generally. The Krone is not too far behind the Marriott and so again is a pretty good location. I think most of these hotels are 3 stars, which means they are clean but probably have old furniture (have not seen the rooms). I think the location of the Engimatt is too far out, unless your office is in the Enge district of Zurich; but in that case you could stay at the Hyatt or the Sheraton Neues Schloss just as easily in most cases.

The Sheraton Sihlcity is almost part of what is called the "Western District" which is a former industrial area now turned into an area of artists lofts and some good trendy restaurants. However, there is not a lot of charm (no cobblestone streets, bow-fronted old houses, etc like you will find in the old town). It's also smack up against the side of the A3 highway. I don't think this area is a great place to stay and it could be a longish commute into Zurich each day depending on where your office is. Is your office near that? That might make sense then. It may also be the newest and nicest of all the hotels you have mentioned. Otherwise the Sheraton Neues Schloss would be the preferred Sheraton, IMO, it is near the Hyatt.

As you have two weeks, you should get the largest room you can, as you have to live in it for a fairly long time. Aks about room size, for two weeks, IMO you want at least 30 square meters and probably 35. You might also want to consider serviced apartments, which would have a kitchen and maid service so you don't have to eat out every meal or have room service. I know that there is one called Ema House behind the Marriott that a friend of mine lived in for a few months that were OK, take a look at http://www.ema-house.ch/. There may be others in town.

Hi L,

We have not been there yet (going in May), but the St. Hosef has good reviews and is in a good location:
http://www.st-josef.ch/

You might wish to consider it.

I was booked into the Zurich Sofitel for a business meeting that was later canceled, but the meeting planner (not affiliated with the hotel) said it was very good and well located. Trip Advisor reviews are positive as well. Any Fodorite feedback? The facade is rather dull, but the interiors seem nice.
If you sign up now for the Sofitel Privilege card (free), you'll get points, various freebies, and it's likely you'll get a free upgrade if a better class of room is available. Esp. for a two week stay.

Hi Lia

My recommendations are:
The Park Hyatt is Zurich's only luxury glass-and-steel hotel with big rooms and all the trimmings. It's close to the lake in a quiet neighborhood. The Widder is made up of 7 or 8 medieval townhouses renovated and connected into a very nice hotel in the center of the old town, close to stores, etc.
In the mid-range, I agree with the the Kindli and the Adler.
At the low end, there's a B&B called Kafischnapps that offers small but very nicely appointed rooms about 15 mins on foot from the old town.
www.outandabout.ch is a good site for further recommendations, also for restaurants, bars, etc.