Park Hyatt Zurich
The Park Hyatt Zurich is located in downtown Zurich, close to Lake Zurich, famous Bahnhofstraße and the Financial District as well as the old town. The hotel could be easy reached from the train station by tram (Tram lines # 6, 7 and 13 to Stockerstraße, from where it is a short 300 metre walk to the hotel). The airport could be easy reached by train to the main station and then continue by the tram lines mentioned above. The hotel offers a limousine to the airport, which is 150 CHF one way. Congress Center and famous Tonhalle are just across the street.
The hotel has five floors (six if you use the American system) and is a very modern glass steel building. Impressive but not very locally styled. The first floor is set back, so there is some sort of covered driveway. The side parts are used by one of the restaurants (Parkhuus) as terrace seating if the weather is nice.
One enters the hotel through a revolving door and is right in the lobby. On the left side are a hallway towards meeting rooms, followed by the desk of the concierge and the check in desk. There are two places to check in and out guests.
Next to the check in desk and in the centre of the ten metre high lobby is “The Lounge” featuring an open fireplace and a bamboo garden. The design has wooden elements paired with leather chairs and artwork by Sol Le Witt. Simply a luxurious and modern design and cosy as well..
The hotel offers a gym on the first floor, which is open 24/7. One machine for body training, a few treadmills and bikes are available, the equipment is by Technogym and modern with built in screens and iPod docking stations. The gym is not really big, especially compared to the size of the hotel, but I have never experienced it too crowded. But if you are there during peak time, it might be different. Towels, water, fruits are available and also headphones for the use at the machines are offered.
Next to the gym is the SPA with steam room and sauna, a separate one for each gender. Two showers and lockers are also available. Sauna and steam room are not very big, but I have never experienced both crowded. Towels and bathrobes are provided for the use in the SPA area. Next to the sauna and steam room is a relaxation room, where water and fresh fruit are offered while relaxing after a visit in either the sauna or the steam room.
The hotel offers 878 square metres of meeting and conference rooms. Available are one huge ballroom and four conference rooms and one board, all with natural light and foyer space.
The hotels has three food and beverage outlets, one bar and two restaurants and all are located on the ground floor.
There is “The Lounge” with a cosy atmosphere and a fireplace. Here breakfast is served as well as lunch and dinner. Due to a window in the ceiling the lighting is very bright, though is has no window.
The “Parkhuus” restaurant features a show kitchen and is modern yet cosy and offers international cuisine with local ingredients. Masterpiece is the “wiichäller” room which offers not only 3000 bottles of wine, but could be also used for private dining. In addition to this room, there is another private dining room with its own entrance, if you prefer a more private dinner. Big windows to the street make this room very nice, though people passing by could watch you.
The “Onyx” - so named after the Onyx stone finishings used by the interior designer - is a bar offering cocktails, vintage wine and cigars. It is the only place you can smoke in the building. Windows to the entrance offering a view to the public passing by.
“The Lounge” is serving breakfast, either a la carte or as buffet, where the hot items could be ordered from a menu but not stocked on the buffet. Available are a selection of cereals, fresh fruit, yoghurt, rolls and bread, confiture, cheese, salami, cold beef, salmon and also pastries. Tea (loose tea) or coffee is brought to you by staff.
Unsurprisingly the price level of the hotel as well as the bar and restaurants is high, but the quality is outstanding and you get the quality and service you pay for.
The interior of the hotel used light and dark brown colours, which look elegant but in a modern way of design.
Stays June 19, 2010
direct linkt to hotel Park Hyatt Zurich
Arrival Date: 19 June 2010
Departure Date: 22 June 2010
Room type booked: Park Room
Rate Plan: Free night
Room Number: 420
Room Rate: 0.00 CHF
Status of Guest Program: Platinum
I arrived around 15:00 at the hotel and was already greeted by staff in front of the hotels assisting arrival and leaving guests. Since I was travelling only with hand luggage and needed items out of it during check in, I took it myself. In the hotel I was greeted by the front desk staff and welcomed in the hotel.
The reservation was retrieved from the system and they had already noticed that I booked three separate stays. I was accompanied to the room and on the way the features of the hotel were explained to me. However I had to ask for the opening hours of the gym and the SPA.
The room was nice overlooking the entrance of the hotel.
After entering the room there was a small hallway, laid with dark laminate. Next to the entrance was the walk in closet with enough hangers to hang jackets, blazers and shirts, but the room to store sweaters and pullovers was a bit limited. A sliding door leads from the hallway to the bathroom. The bathroom could be separated with two sliding elements made of wood from the main room. The toilet was separated with another sliding door from the bathroom. A phone was also located here.
The bathroom consists of a sink with a big heated mirror behind it. There was enough space to store belongings such as shaver and cosmetic utensils. The hairdryer was placed under the sink.
A heated towel rack was also available closer to the bath and the stand alone shower with rainforest shower head in addition to the regular hand shower. A smaller second heated mirror was located in the shower. A glass element separated the shower from the bath. The bath was next to the sliding elements and if you open them, it is possible to watch the TV in the room while enjoying a hot bath.
Towels were available for three person restocked and changed daily as were the used bathroom amenities (by “Blaise Mautin”). The water temperature in the morning was very long cold and it took some time before it became warm. But this seems to be a problem of this room only, since I did not discover it in another room I have stayed as guest of someone else later.
The room was of average room size. On the left side was a “lady's table” with a mirror. A decorative element separated this table from the sideboard with the TV by Bang & Olufsen. This decorative element made from frozen glass could be illuminated; the night light was also in this elements. The TV could electronically turned left or right by the remote control, since it had the B&O power stand unit. A DVD player was also available. Next to the sideboard was the table, which could be also used as desk. A lamp and a small sideboard to store utensils were available as well as an international socket with international plugs (US, Germany, Switzerland). A phone and the LAN connection was also located here. Two chairs were placed on each side of the desk, unfortunately not real ergonomic desk chair but regular ones. In addition to the LAN connection W-LAN was offered, which came with 0,50 CHF / minute for a maximum of 30 CHF / day. The W-LAN in my first room was not very stable, but worked well in other rooms.
In front of the window was a lounge chair with a small table and a lamp.
On the right side was the bed with two bedside tables, reading lamps, which could be dimmed.
The design of the room was elegant with dark and light brown colours. While the furniture were made from dark wood, the carpet and the wall were using light brown colours. Behind the bed was a wall carpet framed by dark wood. Although there was only one small painting, the room was not looking cold and one had not the impression there was missing something.
The furniture was in good condition, but scratches were clearly visible, but nothing serious. The carpet and the wall had no stains and scratches.
The night light concept was nice and also it was also nice to have a phone on each side of the bed and also a light switch for the light in the room.
Writing pads and pens were also restocked daily.
The air condition worked very quiet and without draught. A shade could be opened to let fresh air into the room. Nice to have, since the windows could not be opened. A sunshade, electronically operated, could be lowered to avoid the sun heating up the room and also make working easier.
Water as well as fresh fruit were restocked daily.
A special service is a morning coffee or tea brought to your room. In the evening during turn down service you receive a card and can choose your selection of tea and the time you want the service team to deliver it. Since I really like a hot tea in the morning, I simply like this service.
Breakfast is starting with 39 CHF and served as buffet as written in the overview of the hotel. Hot items are available on request and could be ordered from a menu. The hot items are slightly more expensive (47 CHF). The quality is excellent and the quantity also very good. It is restocked frequently and also if one small amounts are used so that is nearly every time everything available. Service is attentive, though the could be a bit more friendlier. They have not a deep knowledge about if breakfast is included or not, you have to sign the bill anyway.
Checking out was hassle free. An informative bill was brought in the night and one could sign it and use express check out or do it the usual way. I preferred the later one and the internet was taken off the bill, However I was not asked if everything was okay and this time the agent were a bit cold and not the friendliest one.
Nevertheless it was a nice stay in a hotel with a really good location. The service was okay, there is a little bit room for improvement but on the other hand this is Europe, while the hotel itself is really a nice place, modern but cosy with everything one needs.
