It’s no secret Switzerland is expensive. I’ve been a handful of times since 2001, mostly passing through for one night but a couple of times on longer stays in Zurich. I don’t know why I’d expect anything different, but I still get sticker shock each time I arrive. But Switzerland is a beautiful country and worth visiting, so where to stay in Zurich at a realistic price point?
The short version: Stay in the Altstadt if it’s your first time and you want to walk everywhere. Everyone says this and they’re not wrong.
What everyone else says: Most posts recommend luxury hotels priced at a minimum €500/night. This is completely unrealistic for most of us.
What I think: A nice, mid-range hotel is going to set you back around €200/night, but if you’re prepared to be a few stops out on the tram, I know a lovely boutique hotel around the €170/night mark.
Where to Stay in Zurich
Top Pick
Ruby Mimi
AltstadtRuby is a smaller European hotel group and one I keep coming back to. Minimalist rooms, genuinely good design, Marshall speakers, an organic breakfast that’s better than it needs to be. Quiet and clean. Not outrageously expensive, which in Zurich counts for a lot.
Ruby Mimi is right by the Hauptbahnhof in the Altstadt, which makes it the easy answer if you’re arriving by train, and the obvious choice if you’re only in Zurich for one night. The Ruby is exceptional value for money considering what you get and its location.
Check Availability
Next Best in the Altstadt
25hours Hotel Langstrasse
Langstrasse / Train Station
25hours is my other reliable brand in Europe. I’ve stayed at their hotels in Vienna, Hamburg and here in Zurich. They’re always clean, always in the more interesting part of town, and they make a real effort with local producers, artists and designers in the fit-out. Free bikes, free tea and coffee, and an organic breakfast buffet that’s worth getting up for. The Langstrasse location is a short walk from the main station, which makes it a practical base. It’s cheaper than the Ruby Mimi, but in the same area.
Budget Boutique Hotel
25hours Hotel Zurich West
Zurich West
In Switzerland, you might not be able to get everything you want within your budget, but if you can be flexible on location, you can still find some great deals. The last time I was in Zurich I stayed at the 25hours Zurich West and would definitely go back. This is my top recommendation if you’re on a budget, but keep in mind you’ll have to hop on the tram to get around.
25hours have two locations in Zurich, City West is a former industrial area now great for brunch, coffee and evening drinks. The Langstrasse location is near the train station in the heart of Zurich. 25hours Hotel in the City West neighbourhood is the cheaper hotel and in my opinion, it’s in a nicer neighbourhood than the Langstrasse location although it is further from the city centre.
25hours Hotel Zurich City West – book here.
25hours Hotel Langstrasse – book here.
Luxury Hotel: Worth the splurge
Baur au Lac
Altstadt
Zurich has plenty of what I would describe as special occasion hotels. Luxury stays that could be worth the splurge depending on the reason for your visit. Baur au Lac definitely fits that bill. Everything about this hotel is exceptional, from the lake views, to the quality of the rooms to the service. In this price range, it’s not for everyone but if you’re looking for a special hotel experience this is one to remember.
Baur au Lac – it’s expensive but have a look anyway
Take a Zurich food tour for a unique experience to remember.
How to Actually Choose a Hotel in Zurich
Normally I’m looking for somewhere clean, modern and minimalist, ideally with some thought given to sustainability or local suppliers. Location matters too, but usually less than the room itself.
A few things worth knowing before you start:
- Budget doesn’t mean budget. The floor for a decent central hotel is around €200 a night. That’s not a deal, that’s the entry price. Anything meaningfully cheaper usually means a hostel or a hotel out of the centre.
- Mid-range is where the sensible options are. Ruby Mimi and the 25hours hotels sit in this band, and so does most of what I’d actually book.
- Boutique is roughly double. Sorell Boutique and similar hotels are around twice the mid-range price.
- Luxury is four figures. Baur au Lac, the Widder and the rest. Beautiful, and a different conversation entirely.
- Read the review count, not just the score. Hotel Felix sits at 8.7 across more than 4,000 reviews. Expensive cities can hide mediocre hotels behind their reputation, so the volume matters.
I’ll also admit I often eat in my hotel room in Switzerland. Picnic supplies from the supermarket, eaten on the bed. Not as bad as it sounds given the delicious bakeries and delis in Zurich, but still.
Zurich Neighbourhood Guide
If you would prefer to learn a bit about Zurich’s neighbourhoods before you book a hotel, I’ve written a brief guide to help you out. Zurich is compact and well connected, so no neighbourhood is a mistake. Trams run constantly and you’re rarely more than fifteen minutes from anywhere. The choice is really about what you want outside your front door.
Best areas to stay
Altstadt (District 1)
The old town runs along both sides of the Limmat between the Hauptbahnhof and the lake, and it’s where most first-time visitors should stay. It’s largely car-free, entirely walkable, and almost everything you’ve come to see is here: Grossmünster, Fraumünster, Lindenhof, the Swiss National Museum, Bahnhofstrasse for shopping you probably can’t afford. Niederdorf, the eastern half of the old town, has the narrow lanes and most of the good bars.
Hotel Rössli
In the historic centre between the Town Hall and the Opera House, about 300 metres from the lake. Modern and very clean, though fairly basic, and some rooms are small or have low ceilings. The reviews are excellent. A good choice if a central location is the priority.
Hotel Felix
A three-star hotel in Niederdorf with an exceptional location and more than 4,000 reviews sitting at 8.7. Clean, modern, simple design, and reviewers consistently mention how friendly the staff are. Rooms are small, which is standard for Zurich. It’s close to the station, so it works well for a single night, and it’s decent value for what you get.
Sorell Boutique
In Gassen, just off Paradeplatz, and the location is about as good as it gets. Lovely design, high quality throughout, excellent reviews. This is the one I’d book if I were willing to spend at the boutique end, and I’d probably enjoy it more than the grand old hotels.
Enge (District 2)
On the western shore of the lake, green and residential, and the best area if swimming is part of the plan. Strandbad Mythenquai is here, along with Museum Rietberg and the Sukkulenten-Sammlung. Quieter in the evenings than anywhere central.
B2 Boutique Hotel and Spa
A former brewery converted into something genuinely unusual. Beautiful rooms, a spa unlike anything else in the city, and a rooftop pool that’s outstanding. Not cheap, but cheaper than most of Zurich’s luxury hotels, so it’s worth checking for a deal.
Seefeld (District 8)
A narrow strip of streets on the eastern side of the lake, walkable to the old town and much quieter. The Opera House sits at its edge on Sechseläutenplatz, and further along you’ve got Zürichhorn park and the Chinagarten. Good cafes, good bakeries, artisan chocolate shops. This is where I’d stay for a slower trip.
Hotel Seehof
The Seehof is an exceptionally clean and modern hotel. This is the best hotel if you want a mid-range hotel by the water.
Train station / Langstrasse (district 4)
The former red light district, now Zurich’s nightlife strip. Bars, clubs, cheap eats and a genuinely international mix of restaurants. It’s the grungiest of the central neighbourhoods and also the most affordable, and it’s a few minutes from the main station.
Apartment stay
City Stay – Zeughausstrasse
An apartment option on Zeughausstrasse, useful if you want a kitchen. Self-catering makes a real difference to the cost of a Zurich trip, and it’s an easy walk to the station and the old town.
The 25hours Hotel Langstrasse is also here, covered above.
Zurich West (District 5)
Zurich West was rough around the edges and fairly isolated when I stayed there in 2001. It’s now the trendy part of the city, full of professional couples and young families, hipster cafes and Sunday brunches. The old industrial bones are still visible, which is the appeal. Frau Gerolds Garten, the shops and restaurants under the railway arches at Im Viadukt, the Freitag Tower built from shipping containers, the Prime Tower, the Löwenbräu-Areal with Kunsthalle Zürich inside it.
It’s further out than some people are comfortable with, but the tram gets you into the centre quickly and on towards the lake. The 25hours Hotel is in this area.
So, Which is the best area Stay?
If it’s your first visit and you’re only there a couple of nights, stay in the Altstadt and walk everywhere. If you want somewhere with a bit more life to it, Zurich West is worth the tram ride and it’s cheaper.
Zurich is an interesting city. The food is excellent, the museums are worth your time, and the lake is genuinely lovely on a clear day. If the weather’s with you, it’s worth taking the train up Uetliberg, the wooded hill on the edge of the city, for the view back over the lake and the Alps beyond. It’s a half-hour from the main station and it’s the closest thing Zurich has to a mountain without leaving town.
