Niederdorf / Old Town

Hotel Adler Zurich

★★★★★

Hotel Adler is the classic good-value base in Zurich's Old Town: a well-run, three-star-superior hotel on the Rosengasse, just off the Niederdorfstrasse, in the car-free heart of the east bank, with friendly staff, renovated rooms and one of the most popular Swiss restaurants in the city on the ground floor. It is certified by HotellerieSuisse as a business and boutique hotel, and it is a reliable choice for travellers who want to step out of the door into the lanes of the Niederdorf, a few minutes from the Grossmuenster and the river. The hotel has 52 renovated rooms, all air-conditioned, which matters in Zurich summers when many older hotels have only fans. Room types cover most needs: standard and superior singles and doubles, twins, triples, family rooms and junior suites, so it works for solo travellers, couples, friends and families alike. The decor is cheerful and personal: each room has paintings of Zurich scenes, the hotel's art associated with the local artist Heinz Blum, so you wake up to the Grossmuenster, the lake or the trams on the wall. Rooms are compact rather than spacious, as is usual in the Old Town, but bright and practical, and the bathrooms are modern. Breakfast is included in the hotel's best-price direct offer. The Swiss Chuchi restaurant, under the same roof, is a destination in itself, serving Swiss specialities from late morning until late evening: several kinds of cheese fondue, including the house Adler Special and the Waadtlaender, raclette, Capuns from Graubuenden and Zurich ragout with roesti. It is busy with locals and visitors, and booking is recommended, though hotel guests have the easiest access of all. The front desk is staffed around the clock, a useful detail for late arrivals. The main station is about ten minutes on foot or a short tram ride from Central.

Room advice: book a superior double for a little more space, a triple or family room for families, and a junior suite if you want room to spread out. Rooms facing the lane can hear Niederdorf life in the evening, especially on weekends; ask for a quieter room if that matters.

Location logic: the Old Town is your doorstep. Walk to the Grossmuenster in five minutes, cross to the Fraumuenster and the Lindenhof, climb to the Kunsthaus, or stroll to the lake at Bellevue. The Central tram hub and the Polybahn up to the university terrace are close by, and the main station, for trains to Lucerne and the mountains, is ten minutes away.

Who should stay: first-time visitors who want the Old Town at a fair price, families, thanks to the triple and family rooms, and anyone who wants fondue without having to go far. Travellers looking for luxury, a spa or a lake view should look elsewhere; this is about location, comfort and value.