Baur au Lac, Zürich

Zürich grandeur with a friendly face

Published in the Financial Times Globetrotter column, 26 February 2024

https://on.ft.com/3Kcu73H

Photograph by Laura Hodgson

It is almost 25 years since I first stayed at the Baur au Lac, and I still find myself trying to pinpoint exactly what makes this hotel so exceptional. I think the answer lies partly in the Baur’s traditional Swissness, a quality that has been somewhat eroded across Switzerland as the country has globalised, but which the seventh generation of the Kracht family maintains, while ensuring that the hotel remains fresh and contemporary. This defines the essence of the hotel: luxurious without being flashy, an operation run with such thought and accuracy that everything appears to be effortless, a place that always feels familiar and stable but never stuffy or static. This is a very grand hotel and yet you always feel that you are coming home.

The hotel’s location at the lake end of the Bahnhofstrasse is excellent. Everything is a stroll away: behind you, the main business and shopping districts; across the bridge, the Bellevueplatz, the Opera, the galleries of the Rämistrasse and the Kunsthaus; and, directly in front, the lake, perfect for a walk, a jog or a swim. Just over the street is the charming Bürkliplatz, which has a wonderful food market on Tuesdays and Fridays where you can stock up on Swiss cheese, and, on summer Saturdays, a lovely antiques market. 

Sitting in the lobby, you witness the sophisticated cosmopolitanism of this city — a constant ebb and flow of influence, money and culture from the colonnaded forecourt, through the revolving doors and past the traditional newspaper kiosk into the hotel, and back again, visitors and locals alike. An ebb and flow that has been continuing for centuries: this is where Liszt used to stay (and invited Wagner to perform the premiere of the first act of Die Walküre), where Thomas Mann honeymooned and where Marc Chagall turned his suite into a messy studio.

The 300 or so staff make this hotel the warm and welcoming household that it is: concierges, receptionists, telephonists, bagagistes, kiosk attendants, cooks, waiters, sommeliers, barmen, housekeepers, maids, handymen (the hotel has its own upholsterer, electrician, carpenter, plumber and painter), the house florist and even garage mechanics — each a proud member of the hotel family, attentive and discreet. Herr Marro, the head chef, has been at the hotel for 35 years; and Frau Fischer, the florist, for 27. 

Photograph by Andrew Jones

Rooms

The rooms exude warmth and privacy. Many face the lovely Schanzengraben canal, while grander suites overlook the lake. Decor is traditional with eclectic furnishings combining neoclassical, Art Deco and modern elements, hung with prints by the likes of Joan Miró and Le Corbusier. The bathrooms gleam and contain the Baur’s own collection of products, much loved by regulars.

Garden

When the hotel opened in 1844, it was at the edge of town, a luxurious villa in a large garden. The generous garden remains an important part of the hotel, home to its beehives (which supply honey for breakfast) and herb garden, hosting events but also a lovely place for a cigar under the giant Ginkgo, whether on a cold winter’s morning or a balmy night in summer. In the summer months you can have lunch or tea here. Look up and you will see the lake and the mountains behind.

Restaurants and bars

The Baur’s Le Hall lobby bar is a focal point of the hotel, an elegant drawing room under a cupola for coffee, tea, cocktails and light meals. In summer, the action moves to the generous Terrasse at the front of the garden, where you can lunch on sea bass and steak tartare under the shade of the 19th-century sequoia and watch le tout Zürich. 

The hotel has an elegant and fashionable brasserie in Baur’s, recently made over by Martin Brudnizki in a cosy-elegant green idiom, and where classics such as Zürich Geschnetzeltes (veal in cream sauce), Chateaubriand and saffron risotto are served alongside salads and fish.

The hotel serves a delicious breakfast buffet, a spread of Swiss mountain dairy and hams, bread with perfect crusts and excellent Bircher muesli and fruit. 

Good for: location, service and grand hotel vibe.

Not so good for: the hotel doesn't have a formal spa, although treatments are available in-room and several nearby Badi around the lake and river offer swimming from mid-April to late October