The Dolder Grand – Zurich, Switzerland
Kurhausstrasse 65
8032 Zurich
Switzerland
Tel +41 (0)44 456 60 00, Fax +41 (0)44 456 60 01
www.thedoldergrand.com
Review by Valerie Tesler
 Often viewed as a businessman’s city, Zurich is an easy European mini break destination with plenty to offer art lovers, culture vultures, keen shoppers, foodies and night owls alike, while the surrounding mountains will keep outdoorsy types busy hiking and climbing for days. Visitors can enjoy lakeside strolls around the quaint Old Town and trips to museums and galleries, as well as nights out enjoying some of the country’s liveliest nightlife or choice creative cuisine, all against the backdrop of breathtaking views of the snow-capped Alps.
While many business trippers may be loathe to pick a hotel away from the city centre, a stay in Zurich is the ideal opportunity to combine work with pleasurable relaxation, while crossing one of The Leading Hotels of the World off their must-see list.
 The city’s last word in historic exclusive luxury; namely the newly renovated Dolder Grand, which re-opened in 2008, is only a six minute car ride from town and just 20 from Zurich Airport. The more scenic route involves taking the funicular through the wooded landscape, to arrive at the most picturesque of destinations.
Perched on a mountaintop with a panoramic view of the city, the lake and the Alps, the imposing chateau-like building has retained its magnificent exterior, dating from 1899, and has been combined, by world-renowned architect Lord Foster, with two new wings, curved round the fully restored main building “in a fusion of past and future”, and an expanded floor area.
The multiple award-winning “luxury-class” City Resort boasts all the innovations of modern architecture together with facilities including 173 luxurious rooms and suites, five clay tennis courts, a 9-hole golf course and winter ice rink. The 4,000 square-metre European and Japanese influenced spa complex itself is a destination (and a member of the Leading Spas of the World), with its indoor and outdoor whirlpools, chic black swimming pool, sanarium, steam bath, Medical Wellness centre and 18 treatment rooms.
 Upon arrival, one of the hotel’s staff led the way down one of the new wings to a newly designed minimalistic modern room and bathroom, demonstrating the modern technology, which included a remote control touch gadget for the flat screen TV and another television panel on the bathroom mirror. All the rooms and suites “reflect the Dolder symbiosis of tradition and modernity”, with “a sense of history” attached to the Main Building’s bedrooms, while the two wings, each at the end of long glass encased corridors, “epitomize the spirit of the modern age”.
Foodies will get a kick out of dining in The Restaurant, which has 2 Michelin Stars and 17 Gault Millau points, while those who prefer a liquid supper can choose from 500 wines or a drink at the stylishly modern bar with its myriad hanging candles.
Anyone with a few hours spare would be well advised to visit the hotel just to enjoy the terraces’ magnificent views while also catching a glimpse of the imposing entrance hall, the chic Garden Salons, or the great ballroom topped with its unusual cupola.
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