Colleen C.
Yelp
Upon entering, the manager conducted himself as follows:
"Hello, and welcome to Hotel Helmhaus, you must be Colleen C. We're so happy you've arrived here to stay with us. Would you like a glass of our specialty made strawberry wine while we complete check-in?"
Me: Dumbfounded look. "Yes, yes please!"
And it was all gold-plated daisies and rainbows from there folks. My stay at Hotel Helmhaus was nothing short of five stars all the way. The staff was never anything but extremely friendly and helpful.
I sipped my chilled strawberry wine ("nothing to do with the inferior grapes!") and was shown to my room. I had booked the smallest of the rooms since I wouldn't be spending much time...so in there lied a bed somewhere between a double and a twin. It was comfy enough, but I was most impressed with the rest of the room. Very well appointed and orderly, with fine touches. The bathroom was very clean. The closet very organized with room for much. A desk within a window looking out over the street of revelers, and allowing in fresh air. A small chair and foot stool. For such a small room, it really packed a punch. A good value. It's a boutique hotel with boutique service, so while the flashier hotels may have more room...I felt very comfortable in my 3-night stay at Hotel Helmhaus.
Also included in my rate (I booked through Expedia, but you can go through the hotel!) *An exceptional breakfast spread. Eggs, bacon, sausage, breads, croissants, juices, coffee (made fresh by order), tea, etc. Each morning I started my day by heading to floor 1 for this breakfast, a quick look at the international papers and caffeine. In general, hotels do breakfast much better in Europe...but I even found this to be quite nicer than others.
*Free wifi. They'll give you a separate code for each device. The only bother is that every time you shut down or log in again, it has you re-enter the login info. Not a big deal and it is free...so you do with it as you will! The reception was pretty good.
Another option I utilized was the laundry service. I'd been traveling for 10 days with a carry on, so this became necessary. They offer an "economy wash" where they'll take a bag of your clothing and wash/dry it all for 20CHF. No folding. However, when I returned my clothes were all neatly folded on my bed. A nice extra touch, and well worth the investment.
Hotel Helmaus is a lovely option for your stay in Zurich...I will definitely stay on my next trip. The area is great (very near the Opera, train station, easy walking to many fine districts and dining throughout Zurich).
Traveler tips:
*Taxi to/from airport is upwards of 60CHF per person. Cabs in Zurich are very pricey.
*Shuttle to/from airport is 32 CHF per person. (arrange with hotel, very easy)
*You can also take the train to the main station and then the tram to Helmhaus, the most economical route.