On a hillside a 15-minute funicular and tram journey from central Zurich, the Dolder brands itself as a ‘city resort’ and has an impressive roster of facilities to back up the claim, a golf course stands adjacent, there’s a 4,000sqm spa and an ice rink opens on the grounds each winter. The setting is even better on a clear day, when Lake Zurich can be seen glistening from below and the snow-capped Alps, distant but still so majestic, loom over the horizon.
Style
Dating from 1899 and reopened in 2008 following the construction of a vast Norman Foster-designed extension, the Dolder’s traditional core is now enveloped by two elegant curved wings. The juxtaposition works surprisingly well, but the property’s most dominant design feature is its unparalleled collection of museum-quality artworks, strewn seemingly casually along corridors and in courtyards. Watch out for a Dali on the way to dinner, a Botero sculpture by the spa and dozens more priceless pieces by artists such as Henry Moore, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring.
Rooms
Rooms in the original Dolder are traditionally styled, with hand-painted wallpaper, gleaming white-marble bathrooms and, sometimes, an integrated sauna. In the newer spa and golf wings, floor-to-ceiling windows capitalise on the wonderful views, bathrooms are finished in sand-coloured Jura limestone and technological accoutrements work seamlessly.
Food and Drink
The Saltz (14 GaultMillau points) restaurant exudes a unique atmosphere of relaxed familiarity combined with an air of understated opulence. It is a place where guests can see things from a completely new perspective. Artist Rolf Sachs has repurposed elements from the Swiss landscape and used cultural references as his source of inspiration for the interior design of the new restaurant. The cosmopolitan menu includes international classics as well as typical locally sourced, seasonal products. “The Saltz restaurant is a new approach at the Dolder Grand. It’s a place for new encounters, for finding inspiration, for lingering a while and for setting trends in the culinary world,” explains Managing Director Mark Jacob.
Spa
The Dolder Grand Spa is a blissful oasis of tranquillity that leaves absolutely nothing to be desired. In the separate Ladies’ Spa and Gentlemen’s Spa areas there are saunas, steam baths, kotatsu foot baths, aroma pools, steam pots, cold-water basins and sunbeds. The relaxation, chillout and meditation areas provide the perfect place for peace, quiet and relaxation. The Aqua Zone features a large 25-metre swimming pool, sanarium, steam bath, the snow paradise and a reclining area with outdoor whirlpool. You can also relax in Japanese style in the wonderfully warm pebbles of the sunaburo.
