2018 Favorite Hotel Award goes to…….

Atlantis by Giardino in Zurich 

 

“Zurich is a stunning and magical city filled with the beautiful Swiss Alps.”

 

            If you haven’t visited Zurich, then there is your first mistake. Zurich is a stunning and magical city filled with the beautiful Swiss Alps. I used an Eurail pass to travel within Switzerland and it was the best value for getting around and very easy to use. 

            I spent 3 lovely days in Zurich. What a vibrant, colorful, and beautiful city. It was very clean and sophisticated. I loved walking around the old town in Zurich and exploring down the narrow cobblestone streets. There were adorable cafes and restaurants. It’s an expensive city, but it’s worth it. In Switzerland, you use The Swiss Franc which is somewhere between the Euro and US dollar in value. Even the money is very vibrant and colorful.  

            In Zurich, I chose to stay at Atlantis by Giardino. Atlantis is an urban retreat right in foot of the Uetliberg mountain. It is a bit outside of Zurich, but boasts breathtaking views of the city and mountains from the hotel balconies and from the lookout point ten minutes from the hotel. You can take the train to and walk up. It’s incredible and so worth the walk up. The best way to get here is to take the S10 Train from Zurich’s main station, then you exit at “Schweighof” and either walk up to the hotel, or get a taxi, it’s a ten minute walk, but if you have a lot of bags, perhaps pre book a taxi before or have the hotel arrange a pick up, as there won’t just be taxi’s there waiting because it’s a small station. 

            The hotel is stunning! Wow, how did I get so lucky? I had no idea before choosing this hotel that it would become one of my favorite hotels of the year and mission thus far. It is true perfection. If perfection could be defined by one hotel, then Atlantis would surely take it for the win. The hotel is beaming with a beautiful color selection of golds and turquoises. The spiral staircases and wood and marble make it exquisite. 

            The check in was quick. My friend Ashli and I were welcomed with hot towels and welcome drinks. The staff throughout our stay always said our names when addressing us, which is a huge detail of impeccable service and attention to details.

“If perfection would be defined by one hotel, then Atlantis would surely take it for the win. ”

The room was very large and beautiful with great color choices. A very large bathroom awaited us with a rainfall shower. There was also a huge balcony overlooking the mountains. They sent us an adorable chocolate high heeled shoe, and chocolates which was such a sweet gesture. It was so gorgeous I didn’t even want to eat it, but I also didn’t have the willpower to sit there and stare at all that chocolate. It was truly delicious.

We ate both nights in the hotel and the food was delicious. The second night they even opened “Ecco”, their 2 Michelin Starred restaurant for some of us guests, and it was the best meal I’ve ever had in my entire life. Truly. It was about 7 courses and the presentation, flavor, and authenticity was astounding. The chef, Stephan at Ecco really has a true talent for the whole culinary experience. We even met him at the end and thanked him for such a beautiful and delicious meal. He was lovely. I took so many photos of our meal. It was serious food envy for any foodie when I posted it on my social media channels. 

In the mornings, we would have brunch at The Hide and Seek restaurant, which was again, amazing. There was so much variety to the breakfast, and the quality was amazing as well. The server there, Kevin, really went above and beyond for Ashli and I, and always made sure we were happy and had everything we wanted. He even made me my own beautiful cheese board in the morning, as I’m a little fussy with certain cheeses. Thank you, Kevin, you were a delight and are a true asset to Atlantis! That being said, the staff as a whole was amazing. The manager was also incredible and very hospitable. 

Atlantis truly got it right in so many ways. The property is beautiful. They have an amazing spa with a lovely indoor pool that looks out onto a waterfall over rocks. It has a great selection of treatments and saunas. There is also a huge and beautiful outdoor pool you can really enjoy in the summer and soak up the sun! 

            

Now back to the food. The breakfast as stated above at Hide And Seek is fab as is the lunch. They do a cool Sunday brunch that locals even come to that has a great vibe. We sadly missed this, but the photos look like it’s quite the experience. There is also a swanky and sophisticated bar inside Atlantis, which hosts live music on certain nights. The drinks at the bar are also awesome and the bartender is very engaging and sweet. 

“Atlantis has the biggest suite in Europe. It is 50,000 euro per night and takes up the entire top floor.”

One thing I haven’t mentioned, is that Atlantis has the biggest suite in Europe. It is 50,000 euro per night and takes up the entire top floor. It was made with the finest materials and even has real gold fixtures in the bathrooms. It has Middle Eastern design and is gorgeous and huge. Ash and I had a tour and couldn’t believe just how big it was. There are multiple rooms, bathrooms, seating areas, and balconies. It’s bigger than most people’s houses. I thought it was so awesome to be able to say I’ve been in the most expensive suite in Europe.

            The hotel partners with brands like Hublot, Landover, Samsung etc. so you will see these names and products throughout the hotel. It is true luxury.  

            

“It is true luxury at its finest and is truly a hotel everyone should add to their hotel bucket list”

Atlantis first arrived in Zurich in the late 60’s and hosted stars like Frank Zappa and Freddy Mercury. It has true glamour and history to it and now being redone and newly reopened in the last couple years it is the best accommodation in Zurich in my opinion. You just can’t go wrong staying here. There are just so many details here that aren’t always provided in other hotels. Another detail I loved is the turn down service and the pillow menu. There were about ten different pillow choices you can have a butler bring to you free of charge. I chose the anti-stress option and it was a great sleep with a fluffy pillow that smelled of lavender. 

            Atlantis is a true urban retreat right outside of Zurich. It is true luxury at its finest and is truly a hotel everyone should add to their hotel bucket list. Check this hotel out and enjoy Zurich and all it has to offer. It’s truly stunning! My advice it to just walk around Zurich and get lost. It’s such a cute city.