Modern & Chic Oasis in Zurich
Written: Jun 08 '07 (Updated Jun 08 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: modern, chic, terrific staff, best muesli
Cons: can be expensive
The Bottom Line: From the friendly staff to the modern and sleek rooms, the Plattenhof does it right. A stylish place to stay in an equally stylish city.
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| Nagase's Full Review: Design Hotel Plattenhof |
Over the year of 2006, I visited Switzerland three times. It wasn't because of business; rather, I just loved the country so much that I kept going back. Believe me, if you ever have a chance, do visit. The amazing chocolate, cheese, snowy Alpine scene, pristine lakes, the veal bratwurst, Sprungli's Luxemburgerli... all of these are special to me, and a great reason to see this incredible country.
My first visit to Switzerland was March 2006. This was intended as a "scope out"... just to see if I would like it there. I had a short stay of 4 days in Zurich, and booked a room at the Plattenhof. I liked it because of their website; it reminded me of W in NYC, modern and stylish, but with its own personality. It did not disappoint in person. The hotel is actually quite small, with an exterior that looks like a New York townhouse. The decor is modern and hip, but what i didn't expect, was the zen-like feel (almost like some new age spa); it had a very relaxing, calm quality about it. I found my room nicely sized, with a huge bathroom in black tile and open shower, and a vestibule/hallway separating the two once inside (that is, the bedroom & bathroom each had their own doors that close -- though i think that was one of the few rooms that had this). Other features included the 10 feet high ceilings, 2 large windows with ceiling to floor sheer white curtains, and a low platform bed (some kind of memory foam) with down comforter and pillows (all in white), closet, TV, and desk. The spa-feel was completed with the robe, scented tealights, bottle of Evian, and scented toiletries that remind me of peonies. The staff is quite young (all looked in their 20's) and very friendly, with none of the pretention that one'd expect in a place like this. Plattenhof is in a somewhat residential neighborhood, so it was very quiet at night (except for some church bells, though they're far away).
My second visit to Switzerland was more planned and organized, during the month of June. Zurich was the beginning and end of my 2-week trek through the country (because of flight plans), so this really made it my 2nd and 3rd stay at the Plattenhof. Both Julia and Sonia who worked at the front desk remembered me from my last visit (which I liked). And once again, I'm impressed by their hospitality; it's so easy to engage in conversation here with the staff, as if you were old friends.
At the start of my trip, I had the Design Einzelzimmer. It was somewhat small, but I loved the decor: floor-level platform bed in dark stained wood, incredibly airy comforter/pillow, ceiling to floor tan curtain, large window (facing the courtyard), and boxy minimalist loveseat in red. There was also a 14-15" LCD TV complete with X-Box (which I didn't play). The bathroom wasn't as impressive as the room from my last stay with the walk-in shower, but the panel-like sliding door that closes it from the main room is clever. Other neat touches include the Artemides light, which you control with a remote and casts the room in hues of red, blue, green, orange, etc. I didn't use it much since it runs hot and can get stuffy in the room on a summer night.
On my return trip, I had the Design Doppelzimmer, which was huge by the standards of any hotel room. I was almost a little intimidated by how much space there was, especially coupled with the austere styling of the Plattenhof. It had everything the Einzelzimmer offered, except it included a King size bed, a fancier 20" LCD TV w/ X-Box, a potted orchid, and a (Mies van der Rohe styled) Barcelona chair in tan leather. The room was street facing, which I didn't like as much, because bugs tended to swarm about the street lights in front on the warm summer nights (and then get into my room). The fancy, exotic bottled sparkling water left in both rooms was a nice touch, as was the tan-colored, linen bathrobe.
By the way, there is no air conditioning at the Plattenhof (and that applies to most hotels in Switzerland). It wasn't ever a problem for me; even when it was hot in the day time, the nights were quite cool as long as you have the windows open. Also note that even though I loved the low platform beds (which I found very comfortable along with the crisp, starched sheets), they may not be for everyone. In fact, I had an accident in the middle of my trip doing active things in the Jungfrau region, scrapped and bruised both knees, and ended up limping for the rest of my vacation. And on my return to the Plattenhof, I found that it wasn't so easy to get in and out of bed with bum knees when the bed is only 5 inches off the floor.
Every morning, I had the breakfast buffet served in Sento. The breakfast at Plattenhof is easily the best among the ones I sampled at hotels throughout my 2-week trek, in terms of quality and variety. There were various cheeses, cold meats, hard boiled eggs, fruits, cereal, excellent coffee, assortment of juices and breads, and of course, the famous Swiss cow milk. The raspberry muesli is simply fantastic, the best I've had anywhere.
My third visit to Switzerland was to spend Christmas. This time, I actually booked an apartment in the mountain town of Wengen (in the Berner Oberland) for 1 week. It was the last night of my trip that I stayed at the Plattenhof, since it was easier to be in Zurich and catch the 10am flight out in the morning. Julia was there again, as peppy and funny as she always is, and full of great advice. When I told her that she must think I'm crazy for staying at the Plattenhof so much... she joked and said, "we have people that stay here every week!" This time, I had a standard room, on the fourth floor. This was actually the simplest room I've had at the Plattenhof, but still, it was modern and elegant. The wood furniture had some scratches and one of the glass lamp shades had broken (and not replaced), which I didn't expect from my previous stays here. Honestly, any hotel is going to have good and bad rooms, so I can't really fault them for it. One nice plus is the big bathroom, with a huge soaking tub that could accomodate my 6'1" frame. If you've visited Switzerland in December (think cold, windy, icy fog), then you can imagine how nice it was to soak in the tub after wandering up and down the Bahnhofstrasse, admiring the Christmas displays, at the end of a long day.
The Plattenhof is calm and peaceful, modern and stylish, and inviting with a terrific staff. It's chic enough for the most extreme of fashionistas, without being pretentious. But also warm and welcoming, like staying at the home of an old friend. The Plattenhof is my hotel of choice in Zurich, a city that is at no shortage of accommodations. I would not hesitate recommending this great hotel to anyone visiting the city.
Tip on getting there:
Take Tram 6 from Hauptbahnhof to the Platte stop, which passes about 4 or 5 stops along the way (roughly 10min). The Plattenhof is less than a block from the Platte tram stop. You can also walk from the hotel to the city center (about 15-20min), but the Swiss trams are really fun to ride, imo.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Nagase
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Location: New York City
Reviews written: 22
Trusted by: 1 member
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