The Dolder Grand: Luxury-class City Resort Zürich

This year the Dolder Grand celebrates its first anniversary… and what a year it’s been!

The City Resort of Zurich reopened after almost four years of conversion and restoration works on 3 April 2008. Originally a “Curhaus” – health spa – the hotel has been transformed into a luxury-class city resort with 173 luxurious rooms and suites, two restaurants, banqueting and conference facilities and a 4000-square-metre spa area.

In its opening year, the City Resort has attracted attention from all over the world. The well-known British magazine Wallpaper awarded the Dolder Grand the title of “Best new or renovated hotel”. The luxury establishment is listed in the “World’s 50 Best New Hotels” issued by the American website ForbesTraveler.com, and the spa was named the “Smartest Escape” in the Tatler Spa Award.

Leading London architects Foster and Partners have combined the historic main building, dating from 1899, with the innovations of modern architecture. All the extensions added after 1899 have been demolished. Two new wings, the Spa Wing and the Golf Wing, curve around the fully restored main building in a fusion of past and future. The Dolder Grand occupies a unique elevated position, between the city and the surrounding woodland, and guests enjoy superb facilities, including tennis courts and a golf course.

173 rooms and suites

The categories of the 173 rooms and suites range from single rooms to deluxe rooms and suites, variously dimensioned and appointed. Double room rates start at 870 Swiss francs a night. Four top suites aim to cater for individual extravagance. Largest of the top suites is the Maestro, housed in the tower of the historic Main Building. A stay here, on two floors covering 400 square metres, is bound to be a memorable experience. The rates for top suites are from 5 500 to 14 600 Swiss francs a night. The rooms and suites reflect the Dolder symbiosis of tradition and modernity. Interior architects United Designers, also from London, have shaped new living spaces. In the Main Building, their refined, eclectic configurations instil a sense of history, while the two wings epitomize the spirit of the modern age. Cuisine and banqueting The Dolder Grand has two restaurants and a bar. The Restaurant offers fine dining, lunch-time and evenings and is award 17 points Gault Millau and one Michelin Star. The sophisticated Garden Restaurant is open all day every day. Its menu comprises a wide variety of European-influenced dishes. Both restaurants and the bar are open to hotel guests and the general public alike. The terraces afford a magnificent view of the city of Zurich, the lake and the Alps.

Most striking of the banqueting rooms is the great ballroom, topped with its unusual cupola. Other possibilities for special events, meetings and receptions are offered by the Gallery, the individually combinable Garden Salons, Breakout Rooms and Libraries.

The Dolder Grand Spa

The inspiring wellness facilities of the Dolder Grand Spa cover an area of 4000 square metres. European and Japanese influences have shaped this unique complex, created by the American spa designer Sylvia Sepielli. It comprises a pool with panoramic views, ladies’ and gentlemen’s spas, workout, movement and mind-body studios, as well as 19 treatment rooms and two spa suites for exclusive, private relaxation.

Pioneering energy concept

Despite the doubling of the useful area from 20 000 to 40 000 square metres, geothermics have cut the Dolder Grand’s energy consumption by half. Geothermal technology is based on the transfer of heat to and from the earth. 70 earth probes were sunk 150 metres deep into the earth. The system transfers heat to and from the earth, cooling the indoor environment in summer and heating it in winter.

The Dolder Grand positions itself as a top-ranking international luxury hotel. The City Resort is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World and the Swiss Deluxe Hotels.

November 2008 ForbesTraveler.com (US): The Dolder Grand listed in the World’s 50 Best New Hotels. January 2009 Wallpaper* (UK) Design Awards 2009 Winner Best new or renovated hotel. April 2009 Condé Nast Traveler (UK) Hot List 2009 (list of the world’s best new hotels). May 2009 Condé Nast Traveler (US) Hot List 2009 (Hot Hotels and Hot Spas), Travel + Leisure (US) It List: The top 45 new hotels of the year 2009, SonntagsZeitung (Swiss Sunday newspaper), Swiss Hotel Rating: Ranking 1 in Best Swiss City Hotels

Image © Peter Hebeisen

• New York Palace Hotel, Madison Avenue – One of the Dorchester Collection
• Poseidon Undersea Resort 2010
• Apeiron Island Hotel – Dubai 7 Star Luxury
• Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London – Opens 2010
• Hotels You Just Have To Be Seen At