Zurich
Switzerland


The Experience

The Baur au Lac is as synonymous with Zurich as Claridge's is with London and the Ritz is with Paris. But unlike those two, the property -- named for Johannes Baur, who founded it in 1844 -- is still family-owned, 162 years later. This rarefied provenance imbues the hotel with character and property, from 18th-century tapestries to Persian carpets and Jugendstil glass. The hotel's main draw, however, remains its outstanding location, set amid rosebushes and Japanese cherry trees in its own private garden at the end of tony Bahnhofstrasse, within eyeshot of Lake Zurich and adjacent to the Schanzengraben River.

The Rooms

Decorated in period furnishings (opulent Louis XVI, rich Regency, minimalist Art Deco), rooms are elegant without reaching the point of stuffiness. Still, the French and Italian silk, bespoke wood fixtures and fresh-cut flowers do encourage one to dress the aristocratic part. Bathrooms, meanwhile, are carved from marble and feature separate showers and tubs as well as heated floors, which come in handy during those frigid Swiss winters.

The Service

Each member of the staff -- from the doorman to the sommelier -- is impeccably well-mannered and effortlessly multilingual. Being Swiss, they may not exude outward warmth, but don't take that as rudeness. They'll handle any request with a predictably fastidious attention to detail.

The Highlights

As a historically protected building, the hotel has been hamstrung when looking to expand. It lacks a much-needed wellness center, though there is a rooftop gym that overlooks Lake Zurich. Gastronomes, however, are well catered to. Le Restaurant Français is a culinary lotusland that is now complemented by the clubby Rive Gauche Restaurant and Bar. During summer months, a trio of outdoor spaces serves up similar French cuisine, overlooking Lake Zurich and the Alps and surrounded by the scent of blooming flowers.

-- Farhad Heydari

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