Private luxury boutique hotels may be synonymous to France but Regula & Jan Brucker have ensured that visitors to Switzerland do not miss out on this unique service. Opened for business in 1995, the Widder Hotel is Switzerland’s first private luxury boutique hotel – A Swiss Deluxe hotel. The über-modern hotel acquired its name from the nine historical houses, from which it unfolds: The “Haus zur Widderzunft”. Since 1401, the “Haus zur Widderzunft” has been the residence of the butchers’ guild and remains today the meeting place for traditional events. It is remarkable how the hotel explores the use of stone and wood successfully to make it an exquisite destination in its well-positioned location in the quaint Augustiner quarter of Zurich’s old town.
The legacy of this 5 star luxury venue began after the refurbishment of nine historic town houses
The legacy of this 5 star luxury venue began after the refurbishment of nine historic townhouses into one exquisite boutique hotel comprised of 42 deluxe guest rooms and 7 luxury suites. Set as far back as the middle ages, the room decors of these late townhouses are an expression of the owners’ social class. The “Rennweg”, where the main entrance of the Widder Hotel is located, was Zurich’s most prestigious street from the 17th to the 19th century.
Widder Hotel greets its guests with the friendly and professional hotel concierge, who escorts them to the deluxe guest rooms after check-in. What was more fascinating was the meticulous effort that is made to ensure that all guests enjoyed privacy. To access each floor, one is required to have a room key for electronic identification. Needless to say that it is no surprise that the hotel welcomes several international stars and politicians every year. Despite its humble exterior, the hotel is grandiose and boasts a total of five basements, six upper floors and nine lifts connecting the various levels of the individual houses.
I was pleasantly stunned to find an historical ‘Grisaille’ painting from the late 17th century in one of deluxe guest rooms. Apparently it was discovered beautifully intact during the restoration period on one of the bedroom walls. This aside, the room is a haven for lovers of modern and elegant architecture; designed with the finest of wooden wall panelling and complete with modern equipment including a sophisticated sound system from Bang & Olufsen, cable widescreen TV, fax and wireless internet connections.
Bedrooms
Widder Hotel has 42 standard rooms and 7 suites, some with private terraces measuring between 25 and 50 square metres. Special wood and stone distinguish them from each other. Three rooms at Rennweg for example display these have beautifully; one has furniture made out of ebony with fine root textures; another room displays beech wood with marble intarsias and the other prides itself in walnut and serpentine-granite-inlays.
Conference, meeting room and business facilities
A large proportion of the hotel’s clientele comes from the business sector, and for that reason, the hotel prides itself on providing first-class conferencing service. The MICE facilities of the hotel caters for up to 200 delegates in its 8 very different meeting rooms all fully equipped with advanced technology.
Widder Hotel
Rennweg 7
8001Zurich-City
Switzerland
Tel: +41 44 224 25 26
Email: home@widderhotel.ch
www.widderhotel.ch
Explore the Widder Hotel in full colour in this month’s September Digital edition