5 Best Hotels in Zürich, Switzerland

Richard Wagner premiered the first act of his Die Walküre here, accompanied on the piano by his father-in-law, Franz Liszt. Kings and queens, empresses and dukes took turns visiting (and let's not forget Arthur Rubinstein, Marc Chagall, Henry Moore, and Plácido Domingo), making this hotel a truly upper-crust establishment from the time it opened its doors in 1844. This is still one highbrow patrician—it even goes so far as to turn its broad back to the commercial center; its front rooms overlook the lake, the canal, and the manicured lawns of its own private park. Upstairs, the rooms are individually decorated in a mix of styles that range from art deco to English Regency to contemporary. Meals are served in the glassed-in pavilion along the canal.

Zürich's most captivating hotel was created when nine adjacent medieval houses were gutted and combined—now steel fuses with ancient stone and timeworn wood. Behind every door is a fascinating mix of old and new: a guest room could mix restored 17th-century frescoes and stone floors with a leather bedspread and halogen bell-jar lights. Set in the heart of Zürich's historic quarter, many of the houses look out into a communal courtyard, and others flaunt views of the Rennweg or the Augustinerkirche. The library with Eames chairs is a lovely touch, and gallery-worthy pieces by artists such as Andy Warhol hangs throughout. 

This wedding-cake hotel just across the Zürich’s iconic Seebad Utoquai public bath reopened in 2020 after a head-to-toe refurbishment by designer Philippe Starck. The design evokes yacht club vibes, an apt fit for the lakeside locale. Much like a yacht’s berth, rooms—available in eight categories, many with views from the balcony—are compact but whimsical with animal prints and mirrored disco bathrooms. There's a secret fumoir and a ground-floor lounge and restaurant strewn with leather, wicker, and wooden chairs that’s elegant and clubby but still Swiss and cozy.

The wide-open spaces of Zürich’s first American-style luxury hotel play out elegantly a few blocks from both the lake and city center. Buttercream neutrals are accented in black marble, rich maple, and lots of gleaming glass, as well as a 90-strong chunk of the Hyatt art collection. Glimpse up at Sol le Witt’s rainbow-colored mural in the lobby, painted to the same surface area as a standard Park Hyatt double, to see why rooms feel so spacious. All room categories are comfortable, featuring parquet floors with soft carpets, Italian-made beige furnishings with earthy green accents, and floor-to-ceiling windows with fresh-air panels onto a surprising amount of greenery. Bathrooms are so huge and luxurious—with deep baths, rain showers, and Le Labo toiletries—you'll want to take one home with you. . . . Actually, you might not want to go home at all. The restaurant is excellent; the lobby lounge with its low-slung sofas and all-day menu hums with comings-and-goings (and serves a mouthwatering afternoon tea of handmade pastries); and the bar, where businesspeople collect for after-work drinks, is styled in rare pale onyx and does its own gin.  

Set atop the Zürichberg mountain with the best view in Zürich, this sprawling resort hotel, which began life as a Victorian-era Kurhaus (health spa resort), blends the Corinthian capitals and crystal chandeliers of the original structure with two modern glass-and-steel wings that mirror the natural surroundings. The sumptuous guest rooms, some with hardwood floors, are complemented by an extravagant in-house spa offering everything from soothing massages to cosmetic surgery. Architect Norman Foster designed the hotel's newest wing. The restaurant has two Michelin stars, and the downstairs piano bar is locked in another era. It also has its own historic wooden funicular, connecting to Römerhof for Tram 3 or 8 to the city center, and one of Europe's largest open-air ice rinks (October to March). What more could you want in a hotel?