Sheraton Neues Schloss Zurich
The Sheraton Neues Schloss in Zurich is located close to Lake Zurich and the main shopping and business area at Bahnhofstraße and Paradeplatz. It could be reached by public transportation easily either from the main station by tram in a few minutes or from the airport by train and tram in less than 30 minutes. The nearest tram stop is ‘Stockerstraße’ and even ‘Paradeplatz’, which is a main tram interchange, is an easy five minutes’ walk.
The hotel is not very big and more boutique style. It has five floors and does not differ much from the (older) apartment building next to the hotel – in fact the hotel is a converted former apartment building.
A small staircase leads to the lobby with the check in desk which is a disadvantage for people who need access without stairs. There is usually only one agent on duty, though two desks to check guests in and out are available and during times of higher demand two agents are available. To the left of the check in desk is the small lobby which also offers the Link by Sheraton work area, a number of sofas and armchairs and table. The Lobby bar is also bar of the lobby and beverages as well a light snacks are served there.
To the right of the check in desk is the entrance to the restaurant “Le Jardin Suisse”, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The opening times vary according to the demand and the restaurant is usually open for lunch only on weekdays. The restaurant is not very big and offers only a number of chairs and tables. Seating is a bit narrow, but the restaurant is usually not that busy and therefore it is the most times not that difficult to find a seat. The quality of the food is good but there are many restaurants in downtown Zurich which are less expensive, though not always better.
In the morning breakfast is served in the “Le Jardin Suisse” from 06:30 to 10:30 on weekdays and 07:30 to 12:00 on weekends. The buffet offers hot items like roesti, scrambled eggs, mushroom, tomatoes, bacon and veal sausages, salami and ham (including the famous ham from Grison), salmon, jam and marmalade, cereals, fruits, pastries and bread and rolls. Tea and coffee are either brought by staff or available from the buffet.
During breakfast, there is a dedicated area for SPG Platinum members. Until now breakfast is complimentary for SPG Platinum members and the extended breakfast time on weekends is another advantage.
The Sheraton Social hour is available every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 17:00 to 19:00 during which three different international and regional wines area available for 10.50 CHF.
A small elevator leads to the floor with the rooms. The hotel does not offer a lounge or any other facility like pool or gym, which is a bit of a down. But if you prefer to work out, the lake shore with many opportunities to run is next to the hotel and a fitness center is also close to the hotel.
The hotel offers only 55 rooms and 5 suites.
The 11 Classic rooms are quite small and measures 14 to 16 sqm. The rooms offer minibar and tea and coffee facilities as well as an in room safe. The bathroom has only a shower, although there might be some classic room offering a bath. The classic room is available as single bed room (4 rooms) or double bed room (7 rooms).
The 16 Superior rooms measure 18 to 21 sqm depending if they a single bed rooms (12 rooms) or double bed room (4 rooms). They are slightly larger than the classic room but otherwise are not different than the classic rooms.
The 28 Executive Rooms are 20 to 27 sqm and offer double beds. They offer a bathtub in the bathroom and all the amenities of the Superior rooms. Some of the 28 executive rooms offer a balcony and some are also equipped with a Nespresso machine.
The Junior suite measures 25 to 32 sqm and come with an balcony, a Nespresso coffee machine and an iPod docking station. They are at the top floors of the hotel.
The Senior Suite offers 40 sqm and is divided into a living and a bedroom and has a large balcony with chairs and table. It offers also an in room entertainment system, a Nespresso machine and has a more luxurious bathroom with digital water tabs and a larger rain shower head. The Suite is located on the top floor of the hotel and there is only one available.
stays June 23, 2012 - January 03, 2014 -
Arrival Date: June 23, 2012
Departure Date: June 24, 2012
Room type booked: Classic room (got Executive)
Rate Plan: Beatthetimer
Room Number: 203
Room Rate: 199 CHF (excl. taxes)
Status of Guest Program: Platinum
We arrived at the hotel from the airport using public transportation on a warm day in June around 14:00. We were welcomed in the hotel by the friendly check in agent who retrieved the booking from the system and asked me to see if the details are correct. ID of both of us was verified and we were informed that we had been upgraded due to my Platinum status with Starwood to an Executive room with balcony (something I already had noticed in my online profile).
The agent also gave us two vouchers for a free drink at the bar and mentioned that we were invited to have breakfast in the restaurant “Le Jardin Suisse” due to my Platinum Status with SPG as the hotle does not have a club lounge.
Our room was located on the second floor facing the Stockerstraße at the corner of the hotel offering a quite large balcony.
There was a hallway leading from the entrance to the room. In the hallway was the entrance to the bathroom and the large closet with in room safe.
The bathroom had a bath, sink ad toilet. There was enough space to store the usual utensils and bathroom amenities (lotion, shampoo, shower gel and conditioner) were provide by the hotel. There was only one pair of slippers and only one bathrobe. A hairdryer was mall mounted and a vanity mirror was also available. One could listen to the sound of the TV / radio in the bathroom.
The showerhead was okay and so was water pressure. There was no shower curtain, only a glass panel which was a bit too short. It was nearly impossible to avoid water dripping on the floor while taking a shower.
Towels were provided for two people in small, medium and large size, however only one pair of slippers and one bathrobe were available although the booking was made for two persons.
The room featured a double bed on the right side with two bedside tables with a lamp and a gooseneck reading spot on each side. On one of the beds was one of the two phones in the room.
Opposite the bed was the desk, which was large enough to work with a laptop and place papers or other documents on it on the same time. Nice to have was an international plug socket adapter including Asia, US and UK. The LAN adapter was also available on the desk. Not so nice was that the flat TV was above the desk, something I really dislike.
In front of the window and next to the entrance to the balcony was an armchair along with a standing lamp.
The room was using a contemporary design with warm earth tones; however it did not have any typical Swiss style design elements like wooden floors, closets or other elements.
I had difficulties to connect to the internet using my last name and the room number and the connection failed. Immediately someone was sent to my room but unable to solve the issue. It was not an issue with the internet as a voucher worked. The problem seems to be the automatic system using room and name as staff failed as well. In the end I received a voucher for 24 hours. The requested second pair of slippers and a second bathrobe was brought to our room while we were discovering Zurich.
We visited the bar in the evening and enjoyed a glass of white wine and a cocktail. The agent serving the bar was very attentive and addressed us by name from the moment she knew our room number.
Breakfast in the restaurant was also. The restaurant was not very busy on the Sunday morning and we enjoyed a leisurely extended breakfast. Some guest used the outdoor seating, but we remain inside the restaurant. The buffet was frequently restocked and quality and quantity are very good.
It was nice to relax on the balcony in the afternoon before it was time to check out. A late check out till 15:00 was granted without any problems.
Check out was quick and efficient. The folio was correct and printed during check out.
The Sheraton Neues Schloss is one of my favorite hotels in Zurich, it is small and the location is hard to beat. There is no lounge and not gym, but the free breakfast offers from my point of view even a better value than a club lounge, especially if it also means you receive 500 SP Points. It has not the style and the ambiance of the Hyatt across the street, but although the rates are not low, the Sheraton is much cheaper than the Hyatt next door which was not available for less than 570 CHF for the same days for a standard room.
Arrival Date: January 03, 2014
Departure Date: January 05, 2014
Room type booked: Classic room (got Executive)
Rate Plan: SPG Hot Escapes
Room Number: 409
Room Rate: 171.86 CHF (excl. taxes)
Status of Guest Program: Platinum
I arrived at the hotel from the airport using public transportation on a rainy afternoon. I was welcomed in the hotel by the friendly check in agent who retrieved the booking from the system and asked me to see if the details are correct. ID and credit card were verified and I was told that I had been upgraded due to my status with Starwood. Everything was correct and I got the key to my room. I had to ask if breakfast for SPG Platinum was complimentary or if I had to choose this as my Platinum amenity. Also it was not mentioned, if green choice was available.
I was told that the hotel still offered complimentary breakfast to SPG Platinum Members and that green choice was also available. If I would like to participate in green choice, I should hang the sign on the knob of the door indicating that there was no need to clean my room.
I also received a voucher for a free beverage in the lobby bar and also a 15% off voucher for the restaurant.
My room was located on the fourth floor facing the back of the hotel. Rooms facing the back are the quieter compared to those facing Stockerstrasse. The rooms are not very large given the size and the layout of the hotel.
There was no hallway; one was right stepping into the room. The bathroom which was compared to the size of the room large offered bath, sink ad toilet. There was enough space to store the usual utensils and bathroom amenities (lotion, shampoo, shower gel and conditioner) were provide by the hotel in addition to slippers and bathrobe. A hairdryer was mall mounted and a vanity mirror was also available. The sound of the TV/radio could be turned on in the bathroom, so listening to music from the radio was possible while being in the bath.
The showerhead was okay and so was water pressure. The temperature of the water had minor variations in temperature – nothing serious and no changes from very hot to very cold, but from warm to not so warm. There was no shower curtain but a glass panel which was a bit too short to avoid water dripping on the floor while taking a shower.
Towels were provided for two people in small, medium and large size, however only one pair of slippers and one bathrobe were available although the booking was made for two persons.
The room featured a king bed on the left side with two bedside tables with a lamp and a reading lamp on each side. A night light on the bottom of the bedside table was also available. On one of the beds was one of the two phones in the room.
Opposite the bed was the desk, which was small, though working with a laptop was possible but not many documents or paper could be placed there as the available space was reduced to the Nespresso machine and the phone on the desk. Nice to have was an international plug socket adapter including Asia, US and UK. The LAN adapter was also available on the desk. The minibar was part of the desk. There was no water kettle.
To the left of the desk was an armchair placed along with a standing lamp.
The closet was located to the right of the desk opposite the entrance to the room. It hosted the in room safe as well as iron and ironing board.
The room was using a contemporary design with warm color like light brown and beige, however it did not have any typical Swiss style design elements like wooden floors, closets or other elements. But Zurich is a city and not an Alpine resort, so the average guest would not except these in Zurich, however I was told that some guests were disappointed not to have an Alpine touch in the room.
I had been in the bar on the first evening and enjoyed two glasses of white wine. The service was very attentive and it was a quiet evening and there were only two other guests in the lobby bar.
Breakfast in the restaurant was also good. The restaurant was also very busy during the visit on Saturday morning and only one member of staff was serving the restaurant. Used dished were cleared regularly and refills of coffee and tea were offered. The buffet was frequently restocked and quality and quantity are very good.
Check out was fast and efficient and a lat check out was given without problems. The folio was correct and printed. The agent was friendly and we chatted a bit about the new Sheraton being opened in a couple of weeks (now open).
The Sheraton Neues Schloss is still one of my favorite hotels in Zurich. The location close to lake Zurich and close to Bahnhofstraße are hard to beat. Unfortunately rates could be quite high but this is Zurich after all. It is a small hotel and it does not offer a lounge or even gym or pool. There are also a small number of suites, so one should not expect to be upgraded to a suite. To me, the ambiance of the hotel and the service is what I like very much. The free breakfast is another advantage and I like to have time for an extended breakfast on the weekend without need to rush.
