Greulich Design and Lifestyle Hotel

Greulich Design and Lifestyle Hotel, Zurich: A Comprehensive Review

Greulich Design and Lifestyle Hotel in Zurich, a Michelin Key Selected property, consistently receives positive feedback for its unique design, attentive service, and tranquil atmosphere amidst a vibrant urban setting.

1. Overall Rating & Sentiment

The general consensus for Greulich Design and Lifestyle Hotel is highly positive, with guests frequently describing it as "very good" and "super lovely". The hotel boasts a strong overall score of 8.5 based on over 400 reviews, with high marks for cleanliness (9.1), comfort (9.2), and staff (9.0). The sentiment emphasizes its well-designed spaces, friendly staff, and delicious breakfast.

2. Key Highlights

Guests particularly appreciate the hotel's distinctive design, which blends Asian minimalist features with contemporary Swiss aesthetics, including a central courtyard with birch trees. Key highlights include:

• Design: Praised for its high-quality, unique architecture and timeless interior, creating a relaxed yet purist ambiance. Many guests find "hidden 'easter eggs'" in the rooms, adding to the design hotel experience.
• Amenities: Complimentary bicycles for exploring the city are a much-loved feature. Rooms also include yoga mats, and the hotel offers yoga classes. Heated floors in the rooms are also a noted comfort.
• Service & Atmosphere: The hotel cultivates an "urban-oasis atmosphere", with common areas having a "nice ambiance and just enough of a hipster vibe".

3. Room Quality

Greulich offers 28 rooms distributed between a five-floor main building and quieter garden rooms in the courtyard. The rooms are described as spacious, functional, and bright, providing a loft-like experience.

• Design Rooms (Courtyard): Feature simple, minimalistic lines and pure white colors, located next to the birch grove for a peaceful setting. These typically include a queen-size bed and a shower in the en-suite bathroom.
• Superior and Loft Rooms (Main Building): Offer a homely ambiance with warm-toned interiors. Superior Double Rooms have a stylish bedroom and a separate living area. Design Lofts are more spacious, featuring a living room with a large table, a fully equipped kitchen, and a separate bedroom.
• Common Room Amenities: All rooms are equipped with hardwood flooring, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, work desks, mini-bars, Tivoli radios, L'Occitane bath amenities (or Soeder care products from Zürich in some rooms), and water and tea stations.
• Comfort: Beds are generally found to be comfortable, though one guest noted an extra bed was firmer than the main bed.

4. Dining Experience

The hotel features the family-friendly Restaurant 555+, which serves Thai cuisine in a modern ambiance and is popular with both guests and locals.

• Breakfast: Described as "delicious" and "nicely presented", often served as an étagère with local specialties, juice, cheese, and fruits, rather than a buffet. Guests have praised the "perfect breakfast".
• Other Offerings: Dinner and high tea are available, accommodating vegetarian, vegan, and dairy-free diets. The café and bar, "Herman's Wohnzimmer," serves as an urban meeting place, offering delicious and healthy food, also available for takeaway. There is also a cigar lounge.

5. Service & Staff

The staff at Greulich Design and Lifestyle Hotel consistently receive high praise for being "friendly and helpful", "excellent", and "forthcoming". Guests highlight their assistance with luggage, suggestions for navigating Zurich, and a generally "personal and family-like atmosphere". The team is described as "young, dedicated", and "easygoing".

6. Location & Accessibility

The hotel is situated in Zurich's vibrant District 4 (Kreis 4), a lively residential neighborhood known for its cultural mix, creativity, and art, with numerous studios, graphic and architectural offices, restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, and galleries.

• Connectivity: It's conveniently located near the main station and plenty of restaurants within walking distance. While outside the main tourist area, it's not far from mass transit, making it easy to reach attractions like Bahnhofstrasse, Paradeplatz, the Swiss National Museum, Kunsthaus, and Xenix Cinema.
• Environment: The location is considered quiet despite being close to the action, offering a perfect retreat after a lively evening. However, one guest noted the hotel is located right next to a busy train line.
• Transport: Zurich Airport is approximately 6.8 miles away. The availability of free bicycles enhances exploration of the city. On-site parking is also available for a fee.

7. Value & Pricing

Guests generally find the hotel to be "great design and reasonably priced for the quality", matching its "boutique price" with plenty of amenities. While specific price ranges were not universally provided, the cost of continental breakfast is approximately CHF 25 per person, and parking is CHF 20 per night. Rollaway beds are available for CHF 60.0 per day, and pets are allowed for an extra charge of CHF 20 per pet, per night.

8. Common Complaints

While overwhelmingly positive, some recurring issues or criticisms include:

• Noise: Proximity to a busy train line was mentioned by one guest as a potential issue.
• Room Layout/Privacy: One review noted that the bathroom in some rooms is an "open separated area with a free-standing bathtub," which might not appeal to everyone.
• Security/Location of Rooms: A solo female traveler felt "uncomfortable and unsafe" in rooms located outside the main building, particularly at night when the reception is not staffed. This suggests that guests should be aware of whether their room is in the main building or the courtyard.

Sources

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