This is meant to be Zurich's best hotel. Its not impressive. The rooms are either incredibly dated but with a view of the canal or refurbished (nothing wow - rather classic and standard) but with a view of the street! The dated rooms have bathrooms that ..well..should have been renovated 15 years ago. They charge a fortune for below par accomodation. The garden is the best thing the hotel has to offer. The breakfast room (again so very dated and stale!) serves a great breakfast and the concierge are bubbly and up to task. Check in staff although polite and very correct, lack any form of friendliness. The whole place is old and fuddy-duddy. Clients range from Russian oligarchs in Ferraris and Lamborginis to old actresses and prima donnas that no one would recognise today but who still demand over the top service and get it ..which means more 'normal' high end customers that dont make a fuss, get very little attention. Simply not worth the money and Zurich does have better 5 star places to stay.

Beautiful location at the end of the Bahnhofstrasse in a small garden by the lake. The hotel is in easy walking distance or a short tram ride from the cities best restaurants, shops and attractions. The rooms are large and all you would expect of a five star hotel but without being over the top. The hotel is well over a 100 years old and marries its history with all the mod cons you would expect. What sets the Baur Au Lac apart is its service, they manage to make you feel as if you are 'part of the family' even when you are travelling with two small children. Breakfast is wonderful but the restaurants suffer from the 'hotel mentality' at the other meal periods...however as mentioned there are some great restaurants and cafes closeby so this is not a problem. Having stayed at most of the top hotels in Zurich over the years we always find ourselves returning to the Baur Au Lac...the competition is very good but the Baur Au Lac is better !

My wife and I stayed here shortly after New Years as part of the special deal offerred during the holiday period. The deal was supposed to include an upgrade if available, but none was offerred and this time, I just didn't have the energy to ask. The room was pleasant and smelled clean; and the bathroom was truly lovely with white marble and a fantastic shower and separate tub. I think the shower may have been my favorite part of the whole room! There was unfortunately an oil stain on the cloth headboard which I found distasteful and surprising for a hotel that has such a reputation and charges so much per night - and again, on this trip I just didn't have the energy to make a fuss. After checking in and exploring the room, my wife and I went strolling in Zurich and decided that although the hotel was pleasant, it wasn't the amazing out-of-the-ordinary experience we (especially I) had hoped for. Rather than fuss or complain, we just decided to curtail our stay and leave after the one night. The service was extremely polite and taking a late night meal and dessert was very pleasant in the main room, but I just don't feel the experience overall justified the price. I am willing to spend a lot of money on a hotel, but I expect a lot in return when I do. The Four Seasons likes to ask if they achieved "An Unexpected Touch" when you stay with them - and I'd say that's what was missing from the experience here. I may go back one day if I'm feeling particularly wealthy - although the recently refurbished Dolder Grand will probably call to me when next in Zurich in my search for extraordinary hotel experiences.

Given that Baur au Lac attracts a certain type of clientele (high profile business travellers, rich Eastern Europeans and the standard international pack) I guess that one should expect snobbery and over attentiveness as a part of the package, together with completely outrageous prices for every single service provided. Got a "newly renovated" deluxe room on a high floor when asked for an upgrade and no doubt the room is nice and spacious, as is the marble bathroom. A big minus on the TV though, I mean when paying close to 1000 CHF/night one doesn't want to have a 20" blurry, obsolete CRT screen (unless this is some kind of nostalgia trip courtesy of the hotel management). Very nice lounge area, with excellent and relaxed service and the restaurants are definitely worth visiting at least once. As an old Zurich resident I would definitely say head out and enjoy a wonderful city instead of lounging around this old grand dame of Swiss prestige hotels. Can definitely agree it for people without a budget, but younger travellers better look towards Hyatt for more chilled out five star property.

As a frequent traveller, you end up noticing small nuances in luxury hotels. The Baur au Lac offers the kind of personal service that only a family-owned palace hotel can deliver. Everything, from the greeting on arrival till the drive back to the airport, was superb. The location is unbeatable, the room was very comfortable, the bathroom renovated and beautiful (with natural light, which is becoming rare), the service (reception, concierge, restaurants, housekeeping) outstanding and the view from the well equipped fitness room was extraordinary (directly facing the lake). The food in the restaurants was very good, but the breakfast buffet (very elegantly displayed in the main restaurant) could be a little more imaginative (e.g. home-made jams, locally sourced honey, etc.) I read in the hotel's magazine that a new series of renovations is about to start (a building platform was being installed on the canal next to the hotel). Although the hotel is in mint condition, it can still improve by updating some of the decor of the rooms (the bedroom was a little chintzy) and the restaurants (especially the summer restautrant). Smoking (including cigars) was a problem (there are essentially no separate spaces for non smokers in the public areas of the hotel), but a smoking ban is slowly appearing on the horizon in the canton of Zurich. Overall, the Baur au Lac is a gem, and I look forward to going back, although, on my next trip to Zurich, I will try the newly renovated Dolder Grand.