13 Best Hotels in Eastern Switzerland, Switzerland

On the edge of the Old Town, this former embroidery factory is now an upscale hotel with sleek interiors (polished cabinetry, subdued floral fabrics), a uniformed staff, and a five-star attitude. There's a generous breakfast buffet, laid out in the skylighted top-floor loft. The bar is dark, leathery, and appropriate for the business-class clientele. A modern annex houses more rooms, and guests have free access to an adjacent fitness center and spa.

This is a cookie-cutter modern chalet, but its setting on a velvety green hillside overlooking town is the most scenic and tranquil you'll find in the area. Built in 1969, it has guest rooms that are bright and airy, with Appenzeller murals and modern, white-tile bathrooms. Four rooms have balconies, and the broad, shaded café—festive in the evening with strings of yellow lights—shares the picture-pretty views. About 15 minutes from the city center on foot, it is also easily accessible by car.

With one of the most elaborately frescoed 15th-century facades on the Rathausplatz, this hotel has a split personality: colorful on the outside, no-nonsense on the inside. The decor is airy, slick, and immaculate, with industrial carpet, white stucco, and blond wood throughout. Double-glazed windows cut some of the noise from the square. A local family runs the hotel, so family groups will fit right in. The cheerful restaurant serves an excellent mix of French and local fish dishes, such as the two-course medley of perch, pike perch, trout, and pollan.

Although built only in 1983, this warm, comfortable lodging has all the gabled coziness of its neighbors, with a view over the Landsgemeindeplatz and beyond to the mountains. Homey rooms, with polished wood, owe their airiness to the traditional rows of windows. The fine woodwork and antiques in the breakfast room are remnants of the previous house. The restaurant downstairs has the look of an upscale American pancake house, but the cooking is right on the regional target.

This warm, modern-design hotel in the heart of the Klosterviertel district puts you just steps from the Abbey Library. This is Switzerland's first lodging to be run by people with disabilities, and it provides stellar service. The minimalist and monochromatic rooms overlook the city's tiled rooftops and cobbled streets. A free breakfast buffet and honor bar filled with local wines and beers are a refreshing break from the stuffier hotels nearby.

A popular destination among locals seeking a massage or other spa treatment, the sprawling and leafy Hotel Hof Weissbad is on a quiet street in the village of Weissbad. The resort remains a local favorite for wellness breaks and romantic retreats and offers an array of spa treatments with emphasis on baths and cosmetic treatments using everything from local hay to beer malt. The spa also includes a sauna, thermal pool, and steam room. The proximity to an 18-hole golf course attracts a golf crowd. Rooms are bathed in deep reds and rich fabrics. The service is warm and flawless, and a buffet on each floor offers complimentary drinks, fruit, and pastries.

This fine, quiet city hotel in the heart of Schaffhausen's Old Town has a traditional shutter- and flower-trimmed facade; inside, all is modern, with tidy, well-constructed rooms cheered by birch furniture, cherry-stained paneling, and abstract prints. The refurbished "Antiques Suite" is resplendent with stucco ceilings and hardwood floors. The elegant bistro-style restaurant serves excellent, refined versions of local dishes, including fresh fish and homemade pasta.

Except for the no-nonsense elevator tacked onto the exterior, this belle époque mansion has been transformed into a small hotel with little disruption to its grand but familial style. Many of the original furnishings—inlaid pieces, chandeliers, Persian rugs—remain. The upper floors are modern but retain their eccentric shapes; some have Rhine or fortress views. The fine old garden room is luxurious and a steal (the toilet is down the hall; all the other rooms have full baths). The hotel sits slightly uphill from the Old Town.

Almost every room has a Rhine view at this waterfront landmark, which was built between 1508 and 1517. True to its history, the knight in the stairway greets guests, the floors creak with 16th-century authenticity, and the 150-year-old furniture still helps guests relax in their rooms. The restaurant draws crowds from the area for its freshwater fish dishes; it is closed every Wednesday between September and June.

In the quiet town of Murg, this mod lodging is a high-concept, low-budget boutique hotel overlooking the sparkling Lake Wallen. The rooms occupy a former industrial mill and range from an awkward four-story tower loft connected by a spiral staircase to more normal rooms overlooking the water. Biking, cooking classes, and other activities keep the place feeling fresh and filled with young, creative types.

With a crisp and formal ambience, this prestigious hotel has been in business since 1835. Old-style touches—inlaid wood, painted beams—mix comfortably with the jewel-tone rooms and gleaming walnut cabinetry; some rooms have four-poster or canopy beds. The restaurant serves regional specialties in either of two wood-lined dining rooms: one Biedermeier, the other a folksy Appenzeller style. Guests can borrow bikes for free.