From my room, I look down to the street below. The avenues are paved with stone and brick. Trendy shops and cafés are located in the bottom floors of old and architecturally interesting buildings. In the background I see a church tower. People are walking and bicycling all over, and I admire that the city was built up and not out like at home.
This is my first glimpse (ever!) of Europe. I’m not sure what I expected, but I love what I see.
Hotel Adler was easy to reach by taking a 15-minute train ride from the airport to the main train station, or hauptbahnhof. From the train station, it is about a 5 minute walk to the hotel, or a short cab ride if you have more luggage than I had.
I was greeted by the friendly staff immediately upon entering the hotel. One employee showed me up to my room on third floor. He struggled with the electronic key a bit and shyly apologized, saying that it was his first day. When I returned, nine days later, he was an experienced pro, of course.
My room was small and tidy. The bed, with a down comforter and pillow, was very inviting, as did the Swiss chocolate on my pillow. Above the bed was a lovely small mural of one of the historical buildings of Zürich. A postcard of the mural was also left for me on my pillow. When I stayed in a different room on my return trip, there was also a mural and postcard, but of a different scene. There was a television, desk, chair, mini bar, and safe. The bathroom was modern and spotless. There was a shower but no bathtub.
Hotel Adler offers laundry service, dry cleaning, and free internet (which was on the fritz during both my stays – but the hotel manager let me use his office computer to make up for the inconvenience). There is no pool or sauna, but there is so much to see and do in Zürich, you won’t be spending much time at the hotel anyway. When I did go out to explore the neighborhood, I returned to find a fresh fruit plate in my room – a classy touch.
The breakfast in the morning was excellent in the cozy restaurant Swiss Chuchi. There was fresh bread, croissants, sweet rolls, cereal, granola, yogurt, fresh and dried fruit, cheeses, cold meats, and of course coffee, tea, and juice. I was not as impressed with dinner at the hotel restaurant, and found it a bit expensive.
Hotel Adler has an excellent location near the Limmat River on the north side. It is in the heart of the Neiderdorf district, with hip shops and pubs and a lively atmosphere (but still quiet at night). It is a 5- to 10-minute walk to the Main Train Station, Lake Zürich, the exclusive Bahnhofstrasse shopping district, and numerous churches, museums, and historical sights.