Review: the Park Hyatt Zurich hotel

This is our review of the Park Hyatt Zurich hotel.

Coming back from Lake Constance from a 50th birthday party, I stopped over in Zurich for two nights to continue our unofficial series of reviews of the best Park Hyatt hotels in Europe.

Over the last couple of years we have looked at Park Hyatt Vienna (review) and Park Hyatt Milan (review). Rob is due to visit Park Hyatt Paris Vendome in October. Zurich and Istanbul are the only other Park Hyatt properties in Europe until Park Hyatt London Riverside opens in October.

Park Hyatt provided my room for two nights. HfP paid for all other expenses.

Where is Park Hyatt Zurich?

I arrived by train from Lake Constance at the main train station, which is also where your train would arrive if you came in from the airport. With my wheely suitcase I walked to the hotel but it is a relatively long stroll and you might find a taxi to be the better option.

What I loved about the location of the Park Hyatt is that it is just 200 metres from the lake. In high summer this offers you the opportunity to try outdoor swimming in the public bathing area (I would have tried it but the weather was freezing for June). The location is also very good for Bahnhofstrasse shopping, business, the old town, the key museums and the opera house.

As you can see above the hotel is a large modern building which occupies an entire block. Occupancy was high when I was there and the entrance was a constant stream of vehicles picking up or dropping off guests.

Park Hyatt Zurich lobby

You enter the hotel through revolving doors and are greeted by the exceptionally friendly and helpful doormen and concierge. I should say now that service in general was excellent across the entire hotel.

After a few steps the space opens up into a large atrium with a massive metal sculpture in the centre. To the left are the check-in desks .…

…. and to the right is the lounge with relaxed seating on sofas and armchairs and further back dining tables. There is also a huge fireplace, albeit not lit in June.

The lounge offers all-day dining and I had one dinner and one lunch here. On both occasions I ordered the same thing – it was still white asparagus season and as a fan I needed to make the most of it! The price was CHF 38 for 350g and it was delicious.

The other eating option is the Parkhuus restaurant which is high end and which I didn’t have time to try, apart from at breakfast.

For a traditional Swiss lunch I went to Zeughauskeller in the old town which I can recommend for the atmosphere and rustic food.

My room at Park Hyatt Zurich

I had a standard King Bed room on the sixth floor, which is the highest. Although the hotel is not new it is very well maintained and the rooms are no exception.

You enter via a small hallway with the well-stocked minibar, coffee machine, a selection of teas and crockery and glasses on the left. A little vase with fresh flowers was a welcoming touch.

There was also a small wardrobe (not pictured) with hanging space and a few drawers just big enough for a short stay.

My view was to an inner courtyard and very quiet.

As is often the case with Park Hyatt hotels, the interior used a lot of wood which creates a warm atmosphere. On the left of the picture below you can see sliding panels to the bathroom.

The room was a good size with a table (instead of a desk), an armchair and a comfortable chaise longue.

Next to my bed were USB-A and Swiss plug sockets which I wasn’t quite prepared for – they are not the same as standard two-pin European ones. Luckily, there was one converter for English plugs in the room and reception sent a second one up.

When I came back to the room in the evening I had a lovely surprise awaiting me. On the table was a small bottle of champagne, fruit and various Swiss chocolates. This lovely chocolate milk cow here would cost you CHF 80 if you bought it for cash (not a bargain!).

It is possible that I only received this because I was reviewing the hotel, but given the rates here (£1,000 per night on busy dates), perhaps not.

The marble bathroom had one sink and a toilet to the left. The amenities, in large bottles, were from Le Labo – Bergamotte 22 is their signature scent. I also noticed a small black towel for make up removal which was very handy.

To the right is the shower and a bath tub. I opened the sliding panels for the picture, which would allow you to have a lovely bath whilst chatting to your partner in the room.

and

A Park Junior Suite

I wanted to have a look at a larger room and was shown a Junior Suite. Whilst the style and furnishings were similar to my room it offers substantially more space and storage.

The seating area is particular lovely.

The suite also offers a walk-in wardrobe with a small dressing table:

The marble bathroom is spacious with one sink ….

…. and a separate rain shower and bath.

Club Olympus Spa & Fitness

The gym is not huge but very well equipped and enjoys daylight which is always a positive. Note that the back wall is a mirror which makes the gym appear larger in the photograph than it is.

If you happen to have forgotten your sports clothes the front desk will loan you a set on a complimentary basis.

If you prefer some outdoor exercise the hotel offers the complimentary hire of two e-bikes parked outside the entrance. Unlike London, Zurich is good for cycling and this offers a way of seeing a bit more of the city.

The hotel has also a small spa. There is no pool (but the lake with its dedicated swimming areas is in close proximity) but you can use two large saunas. Here is the sauna in the female changing room (there is also a steam sauna):

The relaxation room can be accessed from both the male and female changing rooms. I thought it was disappointing. The rather sober space doesn’t invite you to hang out and relax for long, in contrast to the rest of the spa and gym.

Breakfast at the Parkhuus restaurant

Breakfast is served in the Parkhuus restaurant. It is a large, bright and lovely space:

One part, on the left of the picture, is reserved for the Wine Cellar – an atmospheric private dining and wine tasting room.

The kitchen is open with hot and cold dishes arranged around the sides.

The selection is extensive. I am always on the look-out for local foods and there is a good selection of Swiss cheeses and Bundnerfleisch, air-dried meat which is utterly yummy (in my opinion!).

In the middle of the restaurant are two counters, one for the fruit and yoghurts and one for bread and cakes. The fruit and veg offer was great with particular lovely strawberries. The staff were pro-active in refilling as soon as a dish became half empty.

Here is the traditional Swiss Hefezopf, a yeast cake with apple:

International guests are well catered for with, for example, a selection of Arabic mezze.

Coffe is made to order and there is an extensive a-la-carte breakfast menu to choose from including a Swiss farmer’s breakfast with cheese and cold cuts. I opted for Swiss Birchermuesli classic with nuts and fresh berries (CHF 13), some fruit and a slice of the Swiss Hefezopf.

Onyx Bar

Park Hyatt Zurich has a large bar with an extensive spirit selection. The pictures were made in daylight but it looks even better at night.

The bar is closed on Sundays but is otherwise open from 5pm to 1am.

Conclusion

Park Hyatt Zurich is superbly located in the city centre close to the lake, key sights and shopping. It was the perfect starting point for me to explore the city.

Despite being very busy – it was apparently at full occupancy during my stay – the hotel still felt calm and staff and service were outstanding. I also liked the understated but not under-decorated design. It reminded me a lot of Park Hyatt Hamburg where I had many stays over nearly 20 years until it closed last year (it will reopen as a Conrad in 2025).

Zurich is, unfortunately, very expensive. For weekends in August you can book the Park Hyatt for around £500 per night, but it goes well above £1,000 per night on midweek nights outside of the summer.

On peak dates you can make substantial savings by buying World of Hyatt points in a promotion, since the hotel is never more than 45,000 points per night. As long as an entry level room is bookable for cash, it will be available for points – this is Hyatt policy.

There are excellent upgrade deals for points. The Junior Suite I showed above, for example, can be booked for the cost of a standard room plus just 6,000 World of Hyatt points per night.

If you are booking for cash you may be better off booking via Emyr Thomas, our Virtuoso agent partner. Emyr can access a number of additional benefits under the Hyatt Prive scheme, including:

• Upgrade to next category at time of booking (confirmed within 24 hours)
• Complimentary breakfast for two
• $100 equivalent hotel credit once per stay
• Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability 

To get these benefits, simply reach out to Emyr via this contact form.

PS. A sightseeing tip ….

If you looking for something ‘off the beaten track’ to visit, try Viaduct on Limmatstrasse. This hosts a number of lifestyle shops, trendy brands, interesting cafes and restaurants. Most stores are housed in the arches of the viaduct but it is definitely worth walking around the wider area.

Below is the flagship store of iconic brand Freitag which makes bags from recycled truck tarpaulin. In the middle of the store is a tower of 10 stacked containers with a viewing platform on the top. It was raining (also raining in) and I was alone as I climbed up the tower, with gaps in the structure making me a bit shaky as I went!

Markthalle Im Viaduct is also worth a visit for its impressive food selection including a British cheese deli.

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World of Hyatt update – April 2025:

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