There are hotels that stay with you because of one thing: an exceptional spa, a great restaurant, an unforgettable setting. The Dolder Grand is one of the rare hotels that has it all.
It is, without question, one of the most special hotels I’ve ever stayed at.
The hotel sits high above Zurich, surrounded by forest, with views stretching across the city, Lake Zurich and, on a clear day, all the way to the Alps. Yet it’s less than 20 minutes from central Zurich.
Once you arrive, though, it feels like a secluded resort in the middle of nature. You can spend the morning walking through the forest, the afternoon inside one of Europe’s most impressive hotel spas and the evening having dinner at a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, all while still being only minutes from the city.
And the arrival alone is memorable. As you wind your way uphill through the trees and the Dolder finally comes into view, with its pale façade and three distinctive towers rising above the forest, there is a real wow factor. It looks less like a city hotel and more like a castle from a storybook. It’s like entering a fairy tale.
But what impressed me most during my stay wasn’t just the architecture. It was how many things the Dolder does exceptionally well.
Luxury hotels often have one clear strength. You go to one for its spa, another for its restaurants, another for its location. At the Dolder, there is serious fine dining, a world-class wellness program, an art collection that could almost constitute a small museum, an extensive array of outdoor activities, and restaurants compelling enough that I would recommend them even if you weren’t staying at the hotel.
Setting & Location
The Dolder dates back to 1899, and much of its original character is still visible throughout the hotel, especially in the grand lobby and main building, with its soaring ceilings, ornate architectural details and sense of old-world grandeur. More than a century later, the original building was beautifully restored and expanded with two contemporary wings.
Calling the Dolder a Zurich hotel doesn’t quite capture its setting. Technically, you are in the city. Experientially, you feel as though you have escaped it, surrounded by forest high above central Zurich. And this means that you don’t have to choose between Zurich and a resort. You get both.
What’s also important to know is that getting into town is also much easier than the setting suggests. The hotel operates a complimentary shuttle between the property and central Zurich every 20 minutes. If you’re visiting Zurich primarily to shop, dine and spend every waking hour walking around the center, there are more convenient addresses. But if you want to experience Zurich and still feel that you’ve actually gone away, I think the Dolder’s location is difficult to beat.
Rooms & Suites
The contrast between old and new continues in the rooms and suites. Rooms and suites are spread between the historic main building and the contemporary wings, so the design changes depending on where you stay.
Of course, the rooms are as pampering as you can imagine, with plush king-size beds, luxurious toiletries, spacious sitting areas, separate showers and whirlpool bathtubs, and the list goes on. I stayed in a Junior Suite, and for me, the biggest highlight was the view. From the balcony, I could look directly over the Dolder’s fairy-tale entrance and out across Zurich, all the way to the Swiss Alps. The view is so beautiful, you could spend all day just looking at it.
Dining
Food isn’t an amenity at the Dolder. It is one of the reasons to come.
The hotel has four major restaurants and the Canvas Bar & Lounge. The Restaurant holds two Michelin stars and 19 GaultMillau points, MIKURIYA has 17 GaultMillau points, blooms has 16, and Saltz has 15.
During my stay, I ate at The Restaurant, Saltz and blooms. If you are in Zurich and love fine dining, I think The Restaurant is an absolute must, whether you are staying at the Dolder Grand or not.
The dining room is beautiful and classically elegant, with sweeping views high above Zurich. As you would expect at this level, the cooking is extremely precise. Every course felt meticulously executed, and the service operated at the level you expect from a two-star restaurant. But those weren’t the things I remembered most.
The wine pairing was the best I’ve ever had at a fine-dining restaurant, and I’ve been to more than a few. The wines were unbelievably delicious, and each one brought something different to the dish. It made the entire experience that much better.
The second surprise was the warmth. There are fine-dining restaurants where everything is technically perfect, yet you remain very aware that you are participating in a formal production. This didn’t feel that way. The experience at The Restaurant felt so personal and relaxed, almost as though we had been invited into someone’s home.
That is not something I’ve experienced at a restaurant operating at this level, and it was one of the reasons the meal was so special.
For guests who want an even more intimate experience, there is also a Chef’s Table inside the kitchen, where diners can watch Chef Heiko Nieder’s team prepare the meal from close range.
Breakfast was another highlight of my stay, and truthfully, I think it deserves far more attention than hotel breakfast usually gets.
I’ve stayed at several high-end hotels in Zurich, and I haven’t experienced another breakfast in the city like this one.
The spread at Saltz is enormous and generous: beautiful Swiss cheeses, fruits, juices, breads, pastries and everything you would expect from a serious breakfast buffet, supplemented by à-la-carte options. It isn’t just about having a huge amount of food; the quality is there across the board.
For the best experience, I recommend sitting on the terrace if the weather permits.
I haven’t eaten breakfast at every luxury hotel in Zurich, so I can’t claim to have tested them all. But among those I have experienced, this is the best hotel breakfast I’ve had in the city.
And importantly, you do not need to be staying at the Dolder to eat here. If you are visiting Zurich and want a beautiful breakfast experience, I would absolutely come up to the Dolder for it.
Saltz also functions as the hotel’s everyday restaurant, open from breakfast through dinner. During our stay, the food was excellent, there was a great children’s menu, and the wine and Champagne selection meant that it worked equally well for a family lunch or a more leisurely dinner.
Blooms, where Chef Heiko is also the chef, is completely different. I guarantee this is one of the most enchanting places you’ll ever have a meal. You are sitting outside at the edge of the forest, among vegetable beds, herbs and fruit bushes, many of which provide ingredients for the restaurant. The vegetarian and vegan menu focuses on regional, seasonal produce.
Of course, each of the dishes was delicious, but it’s the surroundings that make the experience so memorable. It’s intimate, quiet and incredibly beautiful, with the garden and forest becoming as much a part of the meal as the food itself.
Note that blooms is seasonal and entirely outdoors, this means that the schedule changes by the season and it only operates in dry weather.
For something more casual, Canvas Bar & Lounge is the place to see and be seen. Located just behind the lobby, it has a beautiful indoor lounge and, when the weather is good, an even better terrace.
It works equally well for coffee and dessert in the afternoon or cocktails later on. The hotel’s pastry team makes cakes, pastries and macarons in-house, including the signature Dolder Torte, and Canvas was named Switzerland’s best hotel bar in 2023.
But if the weather allows, I would absolutely sit outside. The terrace is one of the best places in the hotel for people-watching. Order a coffee, a glass of Champagne or a cocktail and watch the almost endless procession of extraordinary cars pulling up to the Dolder’s castle-like entrance.
Facilities & Activities
The award-winning Dolder Grand Spa is another reason the Dolder stands apart. At 4,000 square meters, it is enormous and ranks among the best hotel wellness spaces in Europe.
There is a 25-meter indoor swimming pool, indoor and outdoor whirlpools, steam rooms, relaxation areas and an outdoor terrace. The Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Spa areas each include their own sauna, steam bath, aroma pool, plunge pool and foot-bath facilities.
The important thing to know is that this isn’t a spa you visit only because you’ve booked a massage. You can easily spend half a day here without booking a single treatment. You can relax on the lounge chairs inside by the swimming pool, or head outdoors to the lounge chairs overlooking the surrounding forest. The spa is an experience in itself.
What’s also very convenient is that the spa is open from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., while hotel guests can access the fitness center 24 hours a day.
The Dolder is also a dream if you like to stay active when you travel. The gym is, of course, state-of-the-art, with Technogym machines, but some of the best options are right outside. Walk out of the building and you are in the forest. There are hiking and walking trails around the property, dedicated running routes, complimentary e-bikes and mountain bikes, nearby tennis and a nine-hole golf course. You can see the hotel’s full range of outdoor activities and Destination Dolder facilities here.
Art
The Dolder has one of the world’s most impressive art collections for a hotel. There are more than 100 works by around 90 artists throughout the property, including pieces by Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Keith Haring, Takashi Murakami and Fernando Botero. And what’s unique is that the art isn’t simply there as hotel decoration.
You see it everywhere as you walk through the property—through the lobby, on your way to dinner or even near the spa.
A nice touch is that the hotel encourages guests to actually engage with the collection. The artworks have QR codes that allow you to learn more about each artist and piece as you walk around. You can also explore the Dolder’s art and architecture collection before your stay.
My Recommendation
The Dolder Grand is one of the most special hotels I’ve ever stayed at. What makes it so unique is that you don’t have to choose between the things you typically look for in a luxury hotel: city or nature, serious dining or serious wellness, history or modern luxury.
You are surrounded by forest, with Zurich only minutes away. You have one of Europe’s most impressive hotel spas, exceptional restaurants, beautiful rooms and a level of facilities that makes it possible to spend days here without leaving.
If you want to experience Zurich while still feeling like you’ve escaped somewhere completely different, this is the hotel I would choose. The Dolder Grand gives you all of it.