The Dolder Grand

We're looking for spa style hotels similar to the Dolder Grand in our Asia planning.

We're big fans of spa-focused luxury hotels, and the Dolder Grand sets our benchmark. When we're choosing between Tokyo-Okinawa or Seoul-Jeju combinations, we're specifically looking for something that delivers the same level of spa excellence and overall experience that we found in Zurich. It's become our reference point for what a great spa hotel should be.

I stayed at the Dolder for the first time this year and fell completely in love with it.

It's perfectly positioned — close enough to Zürich that you can fly there for a weekend and pop into town for dinner and shopping, but it still has all the benefits of a resort. Apart from that practical convenience, it's just a stunning hotel. The combination of city access and resort amenities is exactly what I was looking for in Europe.

The Dolder Grand offers hilltop eclectic luxury that's genuinely impressive.

Among the three five-star hotels I visited in Zurich, the Dolder Grand stands out for its unique positioning and architectural vision. It's perched on Zurichberg hill with a combination of historic charm and modern design that creates something truly special. The other hotels I saw have their merits, but the Dolder Grand delivers a completely different experience with its resort-like amenities while still being accessible to the city.

We've stayed at many special hotels, but this one holds a unique place in our hearts.

We came to this hotel for many years and had so many special occasions there. Our last visit was celebrating my husband's birthday with our 6-month-old baby, and I'm extremely happy with everything — the place, atmosphere, food, location, and especially the staff. They are genuinely friendly and thoughtful, with special thanks to Muhammed Turkmen who pays attention to every single detail and truly understands world-class service.

We regularly visit this hotel and consider it one of the finest in Switzerland.

The Dolder Grand is, in our view, one of the finest hotels in Switzerland and an example of absolute top-class hospitality in every respect. We come here regularly with friends, whether for dining, drinks, or overnight stays. The view over Zurich is simply unmatched and remains breathtaking every single time. Service, atmosphere, cuisine, and rooms are consistently maintained at the highest international standard.

My stay was a great experience, though the breakfast service showed some strain.

The room and bathroom were very spacious, and I appreciated the comfortable mattresses and lake view from the balcony. The location on the hill half in the forest makes it calm and majestic, with art pieces positioned throughout that I really appreciated. The wellness facility has an interesting layout with both shared and gender-specific areas, covering temperatures from ice rooms to 90-degree saunas. The Sunday breakfast was kind of packed with a queue to get in, and staff were barely able to pull it off — we had to reorder our coffee several times.

The Dolder is my favorite hotel in Zurich and one of my favorites in the world.

I think I spotted an original Salvador Dalí among the sophisticated art collection, and even the details like their Piega loudspeakers and the currywurst they serve in the bar are something to write home about. The hotel feels more like a work of passion than merely an elite hotel — my cab driver said the Dolder is not a hotel but a castle. When I was jetlagged and couldn't sleep, I walked through the hotel and one of their outstanding staff members showed me around and even presented pictures of the construction, which was a mindblowing effort.

I travel all over the world in Leading Hotels and need to say a big thank you to the staff.

They managed to find a solution very quickly and in the most respectful way. The food is very good and the entire hotel is even beyond luxury standards. We cannot wait to be back. Thank you! The staff during both night and day shifts were exceptional in how they handled everything.

It used to be a good hotel with a great spa, but I don't like the current arrogance of the hotel staff.

The concierge and spa staff are a total disaster. They used to be top professionals, but that's changed. The spa is not clean enough and overpriced for what it is. The staff has developed an arrogance that didn't exist before, and the standards have clearly declined from what they once were.

Despite the beautiful setting and excellent breakfast, my experience was disappointing due to service issues.

Right from check-in, we had several incidents. We were escorted to a room only to discover another guest was still inside — extremely embarrassing. After several back-and-forths, we finally got a room, went to the spa, but when we returned, we found our room completely empty with all belongings removed without consent or notice. Throughout the stay, staff entered rooms after knocking only once and immediately opening the door.

My third time at The Dolder — I was debating the Mandarin Oriental this time but I'm happy I stayed loyal.

There is just no place like this. I stayed three nights in room 1307 in the Spa Wing. The breakfast is great, especially the Dolder's bircher muesli which is the best I've had. I have to say the rooms don't have the WOW effect anymore — maybe a bit too plain for five-star, very white and kind of lacking warmth, especially after spending days at the Chedi Andermatt. But the balcony and view were amazing, and I love the new bar design.

Beautiful hotel with big rooms and lovely nature, but the service is very slow and not well organized.

Our bags arrived two hours late, breakfast orders were often delayed or forgotten — a green tea took an hour — and housekeeping didn't clean our room even when we asked. As a large family booking many rooms, we sometimes felt the hotel was a bit annoyed by us, which was disappointing. Having stayed at top Swiss hotels like Riffelalp, Gstaad Palace, Park Vitznau, and Kulm St. Moritz, we expected similar service levels but unfortunately it didn't match.

We did not have a great experience overall and would not stay here again.

Booked two rooms five months ago, but arrived to be told the only room in our booking class was directly overlooking the entry area where noise was an issue and second-hand smoke from waiting drivers was noticeable. I cannot say I felt there was a 'Let's find a way to solve this' attitude that I would expect at a high-end hotel. We also discovered guests would smoke on their balconies, and drafts up the hill would push smoke smell into your room.

As frequent travelers who enjoy the world's best hotels, we had high expectations that were not met.

The property is unquestionably overpriced for what it offers. When we checked in around 1 PM with our 3-year-old, we requested a table at the restaurant only to be told it was 'fully booked.' Instead, we were told to take our child to the bar for lunch. On the way to the restroom, I passed by the supposedly fully booked restaurant and found 80% of the tables empty. As a person of color, I could not shake the feeling that we were not welcome or at least not a priority.