Canadian Expat Mom

Swiss Luxury at its Finest: Baur Au Lac, Zurich

I knew we were going to love it at Baur au Lac from the moment my daughters went barreling through the turn style entrance, only to be greeted as warmly by the concierge as they would be by their own grandparents.

We were shown to our room and one of the first things I noticed, besides how wonderfully spacious it was, was how much it felt like home.  Don’t be mistaken though; our home doesn’t have as nice of a decor, but the way the room was designed, made me feel at home.  I was ready to kick off my shoes and relax on the couch.  And the moment I did that, we noticed that along with a regular TV, our suite also had a TV built into the mirror above the fireplace.  How very cool.IMG_9015IMG_9031IMG_9026Our welcome was wonderful.  With stuffed animals, colouring books and giant cookies on personalized plates for the kids.  They were feeling right at home too, as they made quick work of the sweets and then started digging into our welcome fruit platter.IMG_9030IMG_9038I did my standard quick check of my favourite things in the hotel room.

The bed.IMG_9018The bathroom.IMG_9019The bonus.

IMG_9078The mini bar was free!  That’s right!  Help yourself to whatever you like in there.  Don’t worry, you won’t be charged.

The room didn’t disappoint, and it was time for me to do a tour of the hotel, which is when I became even more excited about where we were staying.

The hotel was rich with history, and the first fun fact was how the lower floors, where the bigger rooms and suites were had wider hallways than the rest.  It’s because back in the day, the servants floors were higher up, with smaller hallways.  My favourite nugget of information was that when Sesi, the Empress of Austria used to stay there she would have to stay on the lower floors because her dress was so big it wouldn’t fit down the hallways of the higher floors.

Another insider scoop: The Nobel Peace Prize was created over a chat in the lobby of this hotel.  That’s right, Alfred Nobel is no stranger to the establishment.  He’s not the only famous name to spend the night though.  If history impresses you there’s a long list of royals, rulers, scientists, explorers and writers who have rested their heads here.

Even though Baur au Lac has been around for a long time, it’s still modern, and hip.  With events like kitchen parties, you can throw on an apron, grab your glass of wine and join a group of amazing chefs, and a DJ in the ‘back of the house’.  They take the kitchen party to a whole new level.

This all sounds amazing right?!  But maybe you’re reading this and thinking you are so rich and famous that you don’t want anyone to even see you entering the hotel. Don’t worry!  They’ve got a solution for that too.

There is a suite in the hotel, for the elite, such as yourself, with it’s own private entrance.  High profile guests don’t even have to go through the main entrance. The suite also has 2 other rooms next door for security, or staff of the guest.

Do you want to see the room?

Of course you do!  I know I did!

Here’s a glimpse of the living room space.

IMG_9047It’s lovely, but I was imagining something really over-the-top.  However, I was then told that the room is decorated in neutral tones because when guests come they custom decorate the room for each of them.  If a princess is staying and they know she likes a certain flower, the 2 in-house florists will tailor the suite to her liking.  That wouldn’t be so bad, now would it?

When my tour of the hotel was complete, I knew I had a bit of time before my kids(and husband) would be up from their nap, so I took advantage of my surroundings and headed to the lobby to enjoy the ambiance, appreciate my surroundings and indulge in a glass of afternoon Champagne.  Why not, this hotel had fabulous written all over it!

Thank you to the Baur au Lac Hotel for having us as guests.  All opinions are my own.

2 thoughts on “Swiss Luxury at its Finest: Baur Au Lac, Zurich

  1. lisa w

    Woo whooo!! there’s those stuffed animals “we” have come to expect!! Are you going to go to any more spas. It’s report card time and I could use a good relaxing story! 🙂 Are your mom and dad still with you? Ah…you have the life Lise the life!!

    1. Canadian Expat Mom Post author

      Yup, this was a good one!! 🙂 I do have a Switzerland Spa coming up–think chocolate! I’ll put it up next week just for you and your report cards! 😉 Keep an eye out!! 🙂
      Parents are gone back home. Cousin is here now, and then the in-laws a few days later. It’s company season! Nice to hear from you. Hope you’re well, and thanks for reading. Wishing you speedy report cards!! 🙂

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