We stayed in the Hotel Basilea for one night as a break in between flying from Canada to India in November. This hotel was recommended to us by our travel agent as a reasonably priced hotel in the heart of the old city. The location can not be beat, minutes from rail city, and seconds from shopping, historic attractions, and restaurants. We booked the bottom class of room, and it was tiny but workable for one night. The walls were thin but for the price it couldn't be beat. Awesome breakfast the next morning, and decent service. Was slightly put out they could not accommodate an early check in but the staff were helpful in recommending places to eat and things to see while we waited.

So. Firstly. Swiss hotels are expensive, generally, compared to the rest of the world, and at CHF245 a night I was expecting something half decent. It was not.
Upon checking in, I was greeted by a young woman who was very disinterested. I had a couple of bags with me and asked for an iron and ironing board to be sent to my room. The response I got was that I could take it up with me. I was wondering which one or the 3rd and 4th hands they would fit in? great customer focused service!
In fairness, the room was clean and the bed comfortable. There was no air-conditioning in the room and the shower was very small.

The breakfast room was very “functional” in its offering with a continental breakfast – for CHF245 a night. Not what I would have expected, when you compare against other hotels at that price across Europe and the rest of the world, and as I have been travelling as a business traveller, frequently, for over 25 years, I feel I can adequately made a decent global comparison on this having travelled on all continents during this time.

The most disturbing part about this hotel is its location. Yes it is only 5 minutes walk from the main Zürich hauptbahnhof station. But it is also located in the heart of the Zurich “red light” district and I walked outside the hotel to look for a restaurant to eat an evening meal and was immediately accosted by a “pack” of prostitutes. I was not happy and it made me feel very uncomfortable.

Overall, this was a poor hotel 2 star 3 at best and very over priced. I would not recommend it.

Our travel agent picked this hotel, and we were very pleased. The hotel is very near the train station, so you can easily skip the taxi and roll your luggage over to the hotel. It's near a major restaurant area as well, and it's easy walking distance to the downtown attractions.

We arrived tired from a transatlantic flight, early in the morning. The receptionist allowed us to check in 2 hours early, which was greatly appreciated. We heard a little bit of street noise, and I'd say that it's not ideal in the middle of summer when you really need to keep the windows open, but it worked very nicely for us.

The Basilea hotel, and every hotel we visited in Switzerland was impeccably clean.

The breakfast room was open before the posted time and the food was excellent, especially the yoghurt. Service was also great.

We didn't have a laptop with us, but were able to use the computer in the lobby.

Stayed there for one night in september. Quick check-in and check-out. Didn't eat breakfast. Everything quite tight and small - the reception, the stairwell, the elevator, the room. Room and bathroom extraordinary clean and new-looking, really had everything needed - even a shaving mirror, extra paper towels, and small safe. Walls seem to be a bit thin, but heard no noise. Good sleeping and yet right in the very center of the city life. No objections. It would get an excellent grade if it was a tiny bit cheaper.