this describes itself as a quiet select hotel with a personal touch, but it wasn't quiet and it's not particularly select. staff were helpful when we complained about the noise in our room which was at the front of the hotel, they did move us to a room at the back of the hotel, which was sadly almost as noisy. the noise was in part from the traffic / taxis / streetcleaners / refuse collection which was fairly continuous each night but also from Chez Alain the restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel, which kept its big front windows open till the last guest went home so all the conversation / heated discussions / music etc blasted up into our room, even though we were on the 3rd floor. the noise at the back was from air conditioning units to offices and other hotels and also the noise from the nearby train and tram stations. moan over, the location is fine, there is nearby secure car parking and Basel is a lovely city, but i won't be returning the the Helvetia.