Matthew T.
Yelp
A chic and modern boutique hotel that feels like your very own beautiful loft.
SERVICE
Peter, the manager of the hotel, greeted us and I believe he was on his day off but still was busy making sure everyone in his hotel were extremely satisfied. He was tremendous and really went the extra mile to make sure we had everything we needed. He is very informative and very knowledgeable and best of all he is honest. Before he took off, he even took time to check if we needed anything and wished us well. I like his hands-on approach and determination to make sure every detail is to your liking.
The herbal iced tea they provided us during check-in was delicious and much needed as we were parched from lugging our luggage around the train station. It is these little nuances and attention to detail that really makes this hotel stand out.
At the end of your stay, they offer a train ticket that takes you to Zurich Airport for I believe 6 Swiss Francs. This makes the whole process that much easier as you already will have your pass ready so you can simply board the train to the airport and be off. No fuss, no hassle and that's what you can come to expect from the wonderful people working at this hotel. They really want you to feel at home in Zurich and then make sure when you're ready to leave that you are at ease the whole time.
ROOM
Whereas rooms we stayed in at Grindelwald and Geneva leaned more towards an old-school vibe, here, at Hotel Plattenhof, you get a soothing modern room with complete comfort. In fact, it caters to both the younger crowds but at the same time our parents loved the sleek design of the rooms. Elegant wooden floors meet stylish furniture. Something for everyone.
I also liked how aesthetics combined with Swiss engineering in this room. The restroom area is separated by a partition that features an eye-catching and appealing modern turquoise or dark red honeycomb design and the sink and shower are new-age too.
In the room you'll find an Xbox 360 where you can play DVDs of which they offer a complete library near the lobby. The room itself is immaculately clean and comfortable.
Our rooms were located on the top floor which included its own separate door from the communal hallway. This added for extra privacy and allows the two rooms to be openly accessible without intrusion from any other hotel guests.
Being on the top floor lets you enjoy the quaint city view but also the activity of a university town. From our balcony we were able to see camels being walked across the street, very unique and cool!
Wi-fi worked like a charm as did the electronic adapters they provided us. In the room they also provide Swiss chocolate and complimentary water in a litre size glass bottle.
AMENITIES/GROUNDS
There is a very cute cafe and restaurant on the premises. The cafe is especially nice with its own garden terrace so on a sunny day in Zurich it is the place to enjoy a meal or a drink outside. At night, the restaurant is a hip and cozy spot to grab drinks and socialize.
On a colder night, once you open the door to the hotel lobby you'll be greeted with the toasty warmth of their consistently monitored temperature. It is an unbelievably soothing feeling especially because it can get quite cold walking around the city at night.
Also very neat is their elevator. You'll want to take a picture of the technologically advanced control panel with buttons on the tablet that look straight out of a science fiction spaceship.
LOCATION
Located in college town right by the University of Zurich so we felt very safe at all times. The location is perfect if you want to explore museums and theaters nearby and also the university hospital is steps away, just in case. It is also near the public transit station which in around 30 minutes you can get to Zurich Airport by taking the no. 10 streetcar. Very convenient overall and I believe it is one short ride to the train station where we were able to meet our tour guides up to Mt. Titlis.
We also were able to walk into old town Zurich very quickly and from there we were able to visit Sprungli, take a riverboat tour, and check out the exotic luxury cars in town.
We had a fantastic stay here at Hotel Plattenhof and would certainly come back next time we're in Zurich.