Are you planning a trip to Switzerland where you can explore a variety of cities from a central location? Then, Zurich may be a good choice.
We thought a hotel just outside the city would let us easily access other towns without traffic congestion or rush hour headaches. So, we chose the Dorint Airport-Hotel Zürich, a four-star hotel in Glattbrugg. The hotel was less than 30 minutes away from the city center by tram and only a three-minute walk to the station. Day trips to Appenzell, Ebenalp of other picturesque destination were all very doable.
On the plus side, the hotel was attractive and contemporary. Rooms were large and clean. Being a hot week in July, I was pleased to see that there was air conditioning, and it worked very well.
No Rumble of Aircraft
Being an airport hotel, I was concerned about noise, but the room was quiet, even though it was just a stone’s throw from the airport. Roll-down blackout blinds ensured a good night’s sleep.
At about 200 euros a night, the hotel isn’t cheap. We thought everything would be great, but looks can be deceiving. We expected more than we got for our money.
A Hotel for Groups
This is clearly a group business hotel, as the line of tour buses behind the hotel indicated. Crowds of foreign tourists flooded the reception area throughout the day and evening.
The large number of visitors wasn’t a problem at check-in, but when morning rolled around, it was a different issue. The breakfast buffet was a nightmare. For a four-star hotel, the selection of food was disappointing, to say the least. Much worse, though, was the traffic jam at mealtime. Due to the hotel’s heavy booking, we were given a specific time to be at breakfast. Our time slot seemed to be miscalculated by the hotel staff. It was at the height of the breakfast rush hour with long lines to the coffee machine and the bread toasting station. Luckily, most guests seemed to dine outside of the hotel as the restaurant was relatively deserted at dinner.
It’s All in the Details
There were lots of little “fails.” I liked the fact that we had a comfy duvet for the bed, but my bed sheet had a large rip in it. The linens were clearly better suited for the trash or rag bin. Surprisingly, on the second day, I arrived back to the room to find the pillowcase on my bed had a huge hole in it. The housekeeping staff not only put the torn pillowcase on the bed, but they put the large hole front and center. Seriously?
That wasn’t the only oddity. The ceiling fire alarm was covered with a shower cap, which seemed bizarre, as well as a safety hazard. But it was not as odd as my friend’s room. He found sheets of paper taped over the air conditioning vent. They were probably put there to reduce the flow of air. As I mentioned, the air-conditioning worked REALLY well. Great for a Minnesota gal used to the frozen tundra.
My friend let the hotel know in the morning. When he returned to his room that evening, he found the sheets of paper removed. And the sheets of paper were placed on the desk in his room!
Much to my surprise, the hotel received decent reviews on several of the hotel and travel websites. Based on my experience, I would have to give the Dorint Airport-Hotel Zürich a 2 out of 5. Hopefully, you will have a better experience than we did.
Cover photo: Courtesy of Dorint Hotels website
