Hotel Adler Zürich

This hotel—dating back to the 1300s—makes a memorable first impression with its salmon-colored structure with teal shutters and a large, bright blue cow sculpture perched on the second-floor balcony. Refurbished interiors are a mix of modern facilities, eclectic art, and old-fashioned decor. A winding staircase leads from the tiny lobby to a sitting area with leather sofas and gold-framed paintings. Amidst modern meeting rooms and granite-floor hallways, large murals on several floors create an imaginary “winter courtyard,” complete with small patio tables and chairs. Several areas do look dated, but there’s a charming quality about the vibe, especially in the restaurant, with its classic alpine furniture and traditional Swiss dolls dotting the space. Quiet, cozy, and even a bit romantic, the hotel is particularly popular with tourist couples.

Surrounded by cobblestoned pedestrian paths, shops, bars, and restaurants, the hotel’s old town location is a leading tourist attraction itself. The popular riverside shopping street of Limmatquai and high-end boutiques of Bahnhofstrasse are two and seven-minute walks away, respectively. Several other sites are also 10 minutes or under away on foot, including the Swiss National Museum, Grossmunster Church, and Lindenhof hill. There are two tram stations located a one-minute walk away. The Zurich Main Rail station is nine minutes away on foot. Zurich Airport is 14 minutes away by both public transport and car.

Rooms are available as Singles, Doubles, or Suites. Although renovated in 2014, the floral drapes and upholstery still look somewhat dated. Alpine furniture, plus full walls of hand-painted murals featuring various Zurich landmarks, give the spaces rustic and artistic flair. Single Rooms are exceptionally small. Double Rooms, while far from huge, are comfortable enough. Suites are large, but don’t have separate living and sleeping areas. Several higher-category rooms have small balconies facing the square outside—the balcony with the hotel’s signature cow sculpture is especially coveted.

Room amenities are simple, and include small desks with USB chargers and electric outlets, safes, TVs, and free Wi-Fi. Tea- and coffee-making equipment isn’t provided, but rooms have refrigerated minibars. The lack of air-conditioning can be especially inconvenient in the summer, as rooms tend to get extremely hot, and the fans provided by the hotel aren’t adequate at cooling. 

Bathrooms are small, without much free space between the toilets and tiny sinks. However, they do manage to fit in shower/tub combos with handheld showerheads. Toiletries and hairdryers are also provided.

The best feature (apart from the walkable location) is the hotel’s Swiss Chuchi restaurant for hearty fare (including fondue, Raclette, and rosti) for lunch and dinner. Guests can eat in the homey environment inside, or enjoy seating on the pleasant outdoor patio. However, it’s a popular eatery, and reservations are often required. Breakfast at the restaurant is included with rates, and the buffet is a varied spread of fruits, cereals, salads, cured meats, cheeses, coffee and tea. Hot items like scrambled eggs come with extra fees.

Restaurant aside, amenities here are few. Laundry service is available, but there’s no pool, gym, or spa. There is no parking on-site; cars must be parked at a nearby lot that has limited free hours. There is a simple board room for business meetings, which is equipped with a projector, along with a single computer in the common seating area. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property. The hotel also houses the city’s only dog fountain, supplied constantly with fresh water.