Baur au Lac
by the TopOfHotel team
Baur au Lac is a legend run by one family for 7 generations across 180 years — a private lakeside garden, staff who remember your name even when you come back a decade later, and a spot right at the head of Bahnhofstrasse.
Baur au Lac is a legend run by one family for 7 generations across 180 years — a private lakeside garden, staff who remember your name even when you come back a decade later, and a spot right at the head of Bahnhofstrasse.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
There are 89 rooms including 26 suites, designed by two studios — Pierre-Yves Rochon handled the classic side and Federica Palacios the contemporary one, so each room has its own character while staying of a piece. Most face the garden and lake, with a small private balcony where you can have morning coffee with the Alps behind. Rooms run beige, cream and gold, with real parquet floors, an Hermès sofa, hand-woven wool rugs, Italian Frette linens, and a marble bathroom with a tub looking onto the garden. The small touches people notice are the fresh flowers changed daily, seasonal fruit set out in the room, and Sprüngli chocolate (a Zurich legend) by the pillow in the evening. The top-floor suites have wide balconies that take in both the lake and the spire of the Fraumünster church. Some rooms keep the original feel — crystal chandeliers, a real marble fireplace, and antique furniture restored across two or three generations. Anyone who loves history will be very happy here.
Food and amenities
The heart of the food here is Pavillon, the one-Michelin-star restaurant in a glass pavilion in the middle of the garden, serving contemporary French as a tasting menu. In summer it opens a waterside terrace; in winter the glass is wrapped in canvas and it becomes the Pavillon Winter Bar, serving champagne and caviar with live piano — you do not need to be a hotel guest, but always book ahead. Nearby is Rive Gauche, a Parisian-style brasserie open 7 days a week from breakfast through lunch and into the night, with Beef Tartare and Wiener Schnitzel that many call the best in town. Le Hall, the lobby bar where Richard Wagner and Empress Sisi once sat, still draws business people, artists, and regulars for a pre-dinner drink. In the latest year the team added Spa Sophia in the building next door, with Swiss alpine treatments using La Mer products, a steam room, sauna, a small indoor pool, and a fitness room overlooking the garden. The Les Clefs d'Or concierge is the service guests praise most — booking sought-after tables, arranging a watchmaker, setting up a quick trip to Jungfraujoch, even calling a Rolls-Royce for the airport. Reviews say there is almost nothing this team answers with a no.
Location and getting there
The building stands right at the head of Bahnhofstrasse — one of Europe's most expensive shopping streets, lined with Swiss watch boutiques, major fashion labels, and a 150-year-old chocolate shop. On the other side it is flanked by a large private garden that opens onto the Schanzengraben canal and Lake Zurich, with the Alps in the distance on a clear day. It is about a 7-minute walk to Zürich HB, the main station, 2 minutes to the lake, and 10 minutes to the Altstadt old town. From ZRH airport, a direct train into the central station takes just 12 minutes.
Things to know before booking
To help you decide — the gripe that comes up most is room size in the original building. Some entry-category rooms are not as large as many expect at rates from about $1,200 a night, because the 1844 Belle Époque structure has its limits, and the bathrooms in some categories are standard rather than grand. If you really want space, move up to a Junior Suite or pick a Lake-view room, where the balcony and sitting area open up far more. The other thing is the overall mood: classic European luxury that is fairly formal — staff open doors, someone works the lift, the restaurants expect neat dress. If you prefer a modern, minimal, playful boutique like an Edition or a Soho House, this may feel too old to you. Last is price — during summer, Art Basel, or the Zurich Film Festival, rates climb well above the starting figure, past roughly $2,850 a night in some periods. Check your dates before you commit.
Our take
From reading the real reviews and the history, Baur au Lac sells "a legend that is still alive" with full confidence — one family for 180 years, staff who stay long enough to remember guests, a Michelin restaurant in a glass pavilion in the garden, a lobby bar where Wagner once sat, and a spot at the head of Bahnhofstrasse where one step out the door puts you at the centre of the city. If the trip in your head is shopping Swiss watches in the morning, afternoon tea in a lobby with live piano, dinner at Pavillon, and a nightcap of champagne in Le Hall — this is the answer, and it lands above even the hill-top Dolder Grand. But if you are after a stylish design boutique that wows your friends on Instagram, Baur au Lac may read a touch classic. Overall we give it 9.4/10, best for traditional luxury travelers, honeymooning couples after a special memory, and business guests who want a central location with service that is hard to beat anywhere.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- The Kracht family has run it without a break for 7 generations since 1844 — review after review agrees that many staff have worked here for years and remember returning guests' names, drinks, and favorite floors. It feels like coming home rather than checking into a hotel.
- The location is right at the head of Bahnhofstrasse, so you can shop the major Swiss watch and fashion boutiques from the moment you step out the door. The hotel is wrapped by a private garden that opens onto the Schanzengraben canal and Lake Zurich, and most rooms face the garden with the Alps behind.
- The one-Michelin-star Pavillon sits in a glass pavilion in the middle of the garden. In summer it opens a waterside terrace; in winter the glass is wrapped in canvas and it becomes the Pavillon Winter Bar for champagne by warm lights — a rare kind of atmosphere in central Europe.
- Rive Gauche brasserie is open 7 days a week with easygoing food all day, and the Le Hall bar draws business people, artists, and regulars. It was once a meeting spot for Richard Wagner, Empress Sisi, and several European prime ministers.
- It is a member of Leading Hotels of the World and Swiss Deluxe Hotels and earned 3 Michelin Keys in the latest year. Most major travel guides rank it the number one hotel in Zurich. The team also recently opened Spa Sophia in the building next door, with Swiss alpine treatments and La Mer products.
- Some classic or entry-category rooms in the original building are not as large as you might expect at this price, because the 1844 Belle Époque structure has its limits. If you want genuinely spacious quarters, move up to a Junior Suite or pick a category that faces the garden and lake directly.
- Rates are among the highest in the city, starting from about $1,200 a night, and during summer, Art Basel, or the Zurich Film Festival they climb several times higher — past roughly $2,850 a night in some periods. On a tight budget, one or two nights can feel like a stretch.
- The overall feel is classic Old-World European luxury and fairly formal — staff open doors for you and the restaurants expect neat dress. If you are after a modern, minimal boutique that makes your friends say wow on Instagram, this place may read as too old-fashioned.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Zurich
Day tours, attraction tickets and experiences around Zurich — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
See activities in ZurichAffiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Insider Tips
- If you come in winter, do not miss the Pavillon Winter Bar — they wrap the garden's glass pavilion in canvas and turn it into a candlelit champagne lounge with a 1900s European feel you will not find elsewhere in Zurich. You do not need to be a hotel guest, but always book ahead.
- Ask for a garden- or lake-facing room (Garden or Lake-view) when you book, because even a Junior Suite facing the street cannot match a small balcony looking at the Alps in the morning.
- Use the concierge to book sought-after restaurants, arrange the train up to Jungfraujoch, or set up an appointment with a watchmaker along Bahnhofstrasse — the Les Clefs d'Or team here is known for opening almost any door in the country.