The street in which Mandarin Oriental Savoy sits is no ordinary boulevard. No, this is Bahnhofstrasse: not only one of the world’s most expensive and exclusive shopping avenues, but also the public-facing side of Zurich. A first calling point for many tourists, it soaks up both their energy and the fizz of the conspiratorial bankers, wealth managers and insurers who scheme in the surrounding offices.
Such an atmosphere extends into the hotel’s lobby, where the feeling is of having arrived at an A-list event minus the red carpet and security. This sensation continues in the terrace restaurant, in decadent rooms with soaring balconies, and in the rooftop bar, which offers sucker-punch views of the copper-green steepled Fraumünster.
This is not a destination hotel — it would sit equally well in Paris, New York or Bangkok — but in a city with no ceiling on price, it works perfectly. Service-wise, Switzerland does preening and polishing arguably better than anywhere else, and, as you’d expect, everything runs like clockwork, particularly at the front desk.
Overall score 8/10
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Rooms and suites
Score 8/10
The 44 rooms and 36 suites, spread across 14 categories, start at Superior singles and doubles (21-30 sq m), which have seating areas and courtyard or citywide views. With large marble bathrooms and swish furnishings that wouldn’t look out of place in a palace, the doubles feel more like junior suites.
The higher up the ladder you then go, category-wise, the more impressive the walk-in wardrobes, balconies and alfresco terraces become. At Alpine altitudes (aka the fifth or sixth floor), the opportunity to sunbathe above Paradeplatz and Bahnhofstrasse could even be described as the ultimate Swiss luxury. Found throughout, the decor and furniture’s colour scheme — pearly white, satin silver, soft green, light blue — is influenced by Zurich’s lake, sky and ruffled setting.
Food and drink
Score 8/10
The story starts with the one-Michelin-star Orsini, overseen by Italian chef Antonio Guida (who also runs Seta, a similar two-star kitchen, at Mandarin Oriental’s Milan outpost) and offering a set lunchtime menu and evening tasting menu that draw in the local moneymen and women. In terms of dishes to bank on, try the tortello stuffed with Swiss hare or the lobster-claw soup.
Entirely different is the Savoy Brasserie & Bar, which serves a flutter of eggs, pancakes and dim sum at breakfast, then spills out onto the street beneath the giant sun umbrellas. Its menu has by-the-numbers dishes like carbonara and caesar salad enlivened by a few curveball companions like open-face pork belly bao. Disappointingly, some ingredients come all the way from Asia.
There’s also that dramatic, summer-only rooftop bar. Named after the year the building debuted, 1838 overlooks a thrilling sweep of Zurich’s finest buildings and squares. Despite playful cocktails (coffee and coconut negronis; an Aperol spritz with yuzu), though, it all feels very grown up.
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What else is there?
Score 7/10
Various exclusive tours are offered, from visiting a watchmaking workshop to a bean-to-bar chocolate factory visit — perhaps in part to compensate for a lack of any other diversions inside the hotel besides a fitness centre.
Where is it?
Score 9/10
Despite its entrance sitting unobtrusively on Poststrasse, the hotel takes over a whole block of Paradeplatz and Bahnhofstrasse. If you were to get Google Maps to drop a pin to demarcate Zurich, it should land here. This is a city of exquisite dining and shopping choices and, due to the area’s history, there’s plenty of wow factor in nearby arcades and guild houses shaped by centuries of good food, wine and wealth.
Price B&B doubles from £763
Restaurant mains from £24
Family-friendly Y
Accessible Y
Mike MacEacheran was a guest of Mandarin Oriental Savoy, Zurich (mandarinoriental.com)
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