Inside the Mandarin Oriental Savoy Hotel : Where Zurich History Meets Modern Luxury

Zurich may be famous for its lake, impossibly clean streets and postcard-ready Old Town, but there's another side to Switzerland's largest city that's decidedly more glamorous.

And at the Mandarin Oriental Savoy Hotel, Zurich, you're checking in right at the center of it.

The hotel sits directly on Paradeplatz, just steps from Bahnhofstrasse, the city's famous luxury shopping boulevard, and within an easy walk of the Old Town and Lake Zurich. Zurich's compact size already makes it an easy city to explore on foot, but from this address, there's very little you can't reach with a short stroll.

That's especially useful when you've spent the afternoon exploring the city and would prefer your journey home to involve a few minutes on foot rather than figuring out another tram.

But location is only part of the story.

Mandarin Oriental may be the newest chapter for the property, but hospitality on this corner of Zurich stretches back almost two centuries.

Hotelier Johannes Baur opened the original Hotel Baur en Ville here in 1838, and over the decades the property welcomed guests including Charles Dickens, Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner. Mandarin Oriental ultimately took over the landmark hotel and, following an extensive renovation, opened Mandarin Oriental Savoy, Zurich in December 2023.

The result doesn't attempt to erase what came before it.

Historic details have been retained throughout the hotel, including original marble pillars and chandeliers, while contemporary interiors bring the property firmly into the present. There's a sense of history here, but thankfully, it doesn't feel like you're sleeping in a museum.

Even some of the hotel's more private corners offer a glimpse into its past. The property remains home to the Savoy Club, a private gentlemen's club that has occupied space within the hotel for more than a century.

Elsewhere, framed photographs of famous faces who have spent time in Zurich , including Sean Penn, James McAvoy and Kristen Stewart, line the lobby, adding a little celebrity spotting to check-in.

The contemporary side of Mandarin Oriental Savoy really comes through once you head upstairs.

The hotel's rooms and suites were designed by Paris-based interior designer Tristan Auer, with warm colors, handcrafted details and subtle influences drawn from Zurich and the surrounding Swiss landscape. Some overlook the city's historic landmarks, while suites and higher-category rooms can offer balconies, terraces and views across Paradeplatz and Bahnhofstrasse.

But it's the art that gives the rooms more personality.

The hotel commissioned works from 25 different artists , 23 of them women , and rather than repeating the same pieces from floor to floor, individual selections appear throughout the property and guest rooms.

It means your room doesn't feel like an exact replica of the one next door, a small but noticeable detail in an era when luxury hotel rooms can sometimes start looking suspiciously alike.

And for anyone who wants to really settle into life above Zurich, the Mandarin Rooftop Suite comes with its own private terrace overlooking Bahnhofstrasse.

You could easily spend a weekend eating your way around Zurich, but Mandarin Oriental Savoy makes a strong case for staying close to home for at least a few meals.

Savoy Brasserie & Bar is the hotel's more relaxed all-day option, serving a French-inspired menu that mixes international dishes with Swiss classics. Its terrace also puts you right in the middle of the action, making it a particularly good spot to stop for lunch, an afternoon drink or an early evening aperitif while watching Zurich go by.

For something more elevated, there's ORSINI, the hotel's intimate Italian fine-dining restaurant. Led by Chef Dario Moresco, the restaurant has earned a Michelin star and 17 GaultMillau points, with a menu focused on refined Italian cooking.

Then there's the Mandarin Lounge, where an open fireplace, cocktails and light bites offer somewhere quieter to retreat when you've had enough of the city outside. Afternoon tea is also served seasonally from October through May.

Perhaps the hotel's most fun surprise, however, is waiting upstairs.

1838 Rooftop Bar takes its name from the year the original hotel opened and comes with panoramic views stretching across Zurich and toward the surrounding mountains. Asian-inspired plates are paired with cocktails, wine and Champagne, while the atmosphere becomes considerably livelier as the sun starts to drop.

And the rooftop isn't simply a modern addition dreamed up for the Instagram era.

When Johannes Baur opened his hotel in 1838, its rooftop was already something of a sensation. An Italian garden filled with orange trees occupied the terrace, while guests could order food and drinks via speaking tubes before their orders were transported upstairs using a mechanical lift. Today, mandarin trees have replaced the orange trees, cocktails have become considerably more elaborate and the rooftop's namesake keeps that history alive.

It's a great piece of hotel history , and proof that apparently Zurich was into rooftop drinks long before the rest of us.

Ultimately, the biggest luxury at Mandarin Oriental Savoy, Zurich may be how effortlessly the hotel fits into a city break.

Step outside and you're immediately on Paradeplatz. Bahnhofstrasse is right there, Zurich's Old Town is around a five-minute walk away, and the lakefront can easily become part of a morning stroll rather than a planned excursion. Zurich Hauptbahnhof is also only around six minutes away on foot, making arriving by train, or continuing elsewhere in Switzerland, very straightforward.

Then, when you've had your fill of cobblestone streets, Swiss chocolate shops, lake views and spent maybe a little too many Swiss franks on Bahnhofstrasse, you can be back inside one of the city's most historic hotels within minutes.

Nearly two centuries after guests first checked into a hotel on this site, the Mandarin Oriental Savoy proves a great Zurich address never really goes out of style. It just gets a very good renovation.