The Dolder Grand

Rooms and decor

Picture the car climbing out of central Zurich for just a few minutes. The towers and watch shops of Bahnhofstrasse give way to tall trees, the air cools, and a building with steep pointed roofs rises out of the forest on top of Adlisberg hill, around 600 metres above sea level — that is The Dolder Grand. It has stood above Zurich since 1899, when it opened as the Curhaus in the Belle Epoque era for Europeans who wanted a resort escape on the hill. The main building still keeps its castle outline: steep roofs, a tower and carved wooden balconies. Inside, the lobby opens up with high ceilings, pale marble walls set against modern furniture — the work of Pritzker-winning architect Norman Foster, who renovated the place and designed an entire new wing, reopening in its current form in 2008. The 175 rooms and suites are split between the original Curhaus and the new wing, done in warm contemporary Swiss tones, natural wood, marble and soft fabrics, with big windows. The best ones face the city and the lake (City & Lake View); the others look out at forest and golf course for a quiet woodland feel. Some suites add a private balcony and a fireplace for cold nights.

Food and amenities

The heart of a stay here is the spa, around 4,000 square metres (about 43,000 sq ft) and reckoned one of the largest hotel spas in Central Europe. It runs across 4 floors with an indoor pool, an outdoor pool you can soak in while looking out over the city and lake, several saunas, a warm-stone hammam, a mineral zone, 18 treatment rooms and quiet lounge corners. Plenty of reviews use the phrase 'a world away' once they are inside; some people book just to use it for a day. On the food side, The Restaurant is the 2-Michelin-star room from chef Heiko Nieder — a contemporary tasting menu in a warm grey-toned space with a top-tier wine pairing. Nearby, Saltz, designed by artist Rolf Sachs, serves European and Swiss food in an easier setting, and the Canvas bar opens its whole window onto the city for a cocktail before or after dinner. A standout of its own is the 100-plus contemporary artworks scattered through the hotel — Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Fernando Botero, Camille Pissarro, Sylvie Fleury, Damien Hirst — so a walk through the corridors feels like a private gallery. Golfers get a 9-hole course next door, plus tennis courts and forest hiking trails.

Location and getting there

This is the one thing to weigh carefully. The hill setting is beautiful and quiet, but it sits a fair way from central Zurich — you cannot walk down to Bahnhofstrasse or the Old Town. You take the Dolderbahn funicular down to Römerhof, then a tram, or use the hotel car, around 20 to 25 minutes each way. It is a 15-minute drive from the centre and a 25-minute drive from Zurich Airport (ZRH). If your plan is to be in town and shopping every day, the travel time may feel like a drag — this is one to pick if you mainly want to relax and head into the city now and then.

Things to know before booking

To be straight with you: the first thing to think about is that hill location and the travel it adds. The second is price, which is very high by Swiss standards, from around $1,100 a night, with food, spa treatments and cocktails all at premium levels — some reviews felt the small extras added up faster than expected, so budget for it. The third, raised in a few reviews, is room inconsistency: because the original Curhaus was converted from an old building, some rooms vary in layout and size, and a few come out smaller than you would expect at this price. If you want a roomy modern space, choose the Foster-designed new wing and check the room type when you book. Last, if you are coming in winter, check whether the outdoor pool and some outdoor activities are fully open.

Our take

Pulling together the real reviews and the hotel details, The Dolder Grand suits couples, honeymooners and luxury travellers who want to step away from the city and settle into a full hilltop resort — the huge spa, a Michelin dinner, a world-renowned art collection, and city-and-lake views you will not get from a downtown hotel. If your idea of the trip is waking up to a soak with a view, an afternoon in the spa, then dinner at The Restaurant, this is about as good as it gets, and the kind of stay you remember. But if you are mainly here to see the city, shop on Bahnhofstrasse and walk the Old Town, the hill location may cost you time and not justify the price. Overall we give it 9.3/10 — best for anyone after a luxury resort with everything in one place rather than a standard city-centre hotel.