Why is the Dolder Grand – and Sexy!

The King of Zurich

Dominating Zurich from its classic towers and enjoying spectacular views, The Dolder Grand  is the King of Zurich.

You know…rappers love the Dolder!

My 18 years old daughter told me.  And I had to smile. But then it made perfect sense, because this grand place is also buoyant, tongue-in-cheek and, as a good rapper would need, sexy.

Art and Architecture

The combination of the fairytale castle and modern (yet warm and full of natural materials) architecture is one of the things that strikes you  most, when you first see The Dolder Grand. Never ending walls and columns or beige stone, curved and impressively high, go perfectly well with the immaculate gardens and stunning views. But what makes it surprisingly fun and even sensual is the impressive art collection one can admire from inside and outside. An 11 meters long Andy Warhol, a huge Botero statue of a “Woman with Fruit”, works from Jeff Koons, Joan Miro, Keith Haring, Takashi Murakami and many more are to be admired at every corner – you simply can’t avoid stopping and staring. The cover photo is a work by Mel Ramos, “The Pause that Refreshes”, my absolute favourite. It’s the first thing I showed my daughter when we checked in for a night.

How A Daughter and a Mom See the Dolder Grand

My daughter loved the spa most, and I must say there was a lot of giggling while discovering all the different places and possibilities in it: the bath tubes filled with tiny, deliciously warm black stones that we kept finding between out body and swimming suits, the aroma therapy steamers with coloured LED lights, the snow room at minus 15 (that didn’t last long!), the spa library with gorgeous and inspiring photo books, the whirlpool with different temperatures, the healthy snacks waiting for you even in the cloakroom, the golden mosaic, fresh flowers and so on. I also recognise one can spend two days just relaxing at the spa and discovering all its different activities – it is big – but my favourite remained the art collection, spread everywhere. Oh, and the views over the lake and the Alps. Oh, and the food.

And you know what? My girl made more or less the same comments. After all, there was no big difference in how we saw our experience at The Dolder Grand: we were both enjoying its perfection, while relaxing and having a smile.

Any Downside?

The Dolder Grand is above the city, so if you are looking for busy and lively places you need to catch the pretty, steep red train down to town, or drive away from this oasis of peace and calm to hit the shops and main streets. Another thing that one could criticise is the hotel’s steep prices. But to be honest, since this is Switzerland and prices are steep everywhere, at the Dolder Grand one really gets what expected.

The Terrace

If you want to see it without a whole stay, you can go for a drink or a meal at the newly opened terrace. We went during the week, and it was quite lively. People are so happy to be able to enjoy beauty and social activities again, and this place with the best view in Zurich is probably the best idea if you are looking for a very special treat.