Boutique & Design Hotel Volkshaus Basel

I stayed in Volkshaus Basel for 3 nights in October 2024. I loved this boutique & design hotel so much that I stayed there again during my recent 4-day trip to the city.||I enjoyed the very central location of the hotel, the understated and functional design of the room (a nice job by Herzog & de Meuron) and the good service of the staff.||This time we’d Room 306 on the 3rd floor facing the street (as opposed to a room on the 1st floor also facing the street last time). So we didn’t have the little noise problem of last time.||The only thing which I don’t like about the hotel is that there’s no fridge in the room. It’s a very minor issue though.

Here are the superlatives:|1) wonderful warm and helpful staff |2) Free Basel Card for duration of stay- free or half price to all museums and tours. Free public transport.|3) Clareplatz just 100m away, multiple tram lines; wonderful Clara food venue with a dozen ethnic eateries inside the food court.|4) Walkable to all old town sights and museums.|5) restaurant is more than pricey and waiters unfortunately officious- but food is excellent.|6) Rooms are large and quite nice- |7) Delicious free apples in lobby; great coffee and hot water machines on all floors. |8) interior rooms facing courtyard are very quiet, unlike rooms overlooking street. ||NEGATIVES;|Can’t think of one!

Loved this hotel, wonderfully designed bedroom, super service and great value - which says a lot in Switzerland! Rooms on the street are noisy as the church opposite chimes regularly but great design makes up for it.

My friend and I stayed here - we found the studio room to feel spacious and modern. I particularly loved the dark green colour scheme throughout the hotel. The shower and toilet were separate, and I liked the concept of drawing curtains around the bathroom area after stepping out of the shower for privacy. The hotel is located very conveniently near the historic Mittlere Brücke (bridge) and the Claraplatz tram station, where the No.8 tram can take you to Basel's main train station (e.g. to then get to the airport) and also into Germany, Weil am Rhein! Coop and Migros are also nearby for food shopping. Each floor has a water, tea, and fruit station, which was great. The downside was our room didn't have a mini fridge, so we weren't able to keep any drinks or food that required refrigeration. Additionally, the table in our room also only had one chair (and a lower reclining chair in the corner) so we weren't able to sit at the table together.

We had a very attractive and clean and quiet room on the top floor. We appreciated that the ventilation system was quiet, and the room was cool even in hot weather. The only thing that irked me is that the room price was hugely inflated because of Art Basel, and breakfast was not included. Also, we couldn’t make use of any of the public rooms because they had been rented out, it seemed, to an Art Basel group. That’s fine and I have no objection to it. If anything, however, it should make the room price go down. No one likes to feel fleeced. The hotel did not seem at all full, so it should seem to me that it would be smarter to marginally raise the price and have a full occupancy. But I’m not in the hotel business. Otherwise, very nice personnel who went out of their way to be accommodating. Certainly, I would recommend this hotel.

The location of this hotel is perfect, right by the river and within walking distance of the old town. We stayed for 2 nights in the signature design room on the top floor. Aside from the weak wifi in our room, we were quite happy with our accommodation and felt that it offered great value for money. Each floor has a pantry where guests could get tea, coffee and fresh fruit anytime. Although there are not many staff members, they respond promptly to any requests. The lobby closes at 11:00pm, but guests can enter and exit through the night entrance next to the bar. The staff we encountered were helpful and friendly. We even received a travel pass for local transportation to use during our stay in the city center. Breakfast was of good quality, and we enjoyed the breakfast service.||One odd experience we had was on the night of our arrival when we decided to dine at the hotel restaurant. We did not have a reservation and arrived at 8:00pm, only to be told that the restaurant was full. When we asked the manager if we could return later, he initially said no. It was not until we mentioned that we were hotel guests that he seated us immediately. During our meal, we noticed other guests arriving without reservation and waiting for tables, which left us confused about why we were initially denied entry. I believe this issue should be brought to the attention of the management.

Volkshaus hotel is fabulous! My husband and 6 year old son stayed here for 3 nights in June. The rooms were clean, modern and stocked with everything we needed. The staff were very friendly and gave us great recommendations on dining and museums and how to float down the Rhine river. We had a blast will definitely stay here again if back in Basel.

Amazing hotel with lovely staff, beautiful rooms, and a great location. The restaurant and bar next store is a total gem. Even if you are not staying at the hotel, you must go to the restaurant and bar.