Dalí, Miró, Murakami, and Warhol come together at The Dolder Grand, Zürich’s hotel-museum
Dalí, Miró, Murakami, and Warhol come together at The Dolder Grand, Zürich’s hotel-museum
In all the world, there is no other hotel that offers such a close relationship with art as The Dolder Grand. This five-star hotel located in Zürich has a collection that is the envy of many museums – and that’s no exaggeration: its walls, hallways, and exterior spaces feature paintings and sculptures by Salvador Dalí, Fernando Botero, Joan Miró, Takashi Murakami, Niki de Saint Phalle, and Jean Tinguely, amongst many others. Perhaps the most striking painting in the collection is Big Retrospective Painting, a piece by Andy Warhol which measures 11 meters in length and reigns over the reception area. Guests are invited to tour the hotel to see these masterpieces with the help of an iPad which provides them with a detailed description of each piece.
It is no surprise that great art collectors like Leonardo DiCaprio who visit Art Basel every year choose to stay at The Dolder Grand. Even so, the aforementioned actor is not the only celebrity guest who has slept at the hotel since it opened in 1899: Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, and, more recently, Bill Clinton, Vladimir Putin, Nicolas Sarkozy, and David Cameron have all been lodged there.
After more than 100 years of the hotel being in operation, Norman Foster was commissioned to expand and update the building in 2004. Without forgetting about the valuable legacy of the existing structure, Foster restored the building to keep its style and he also added two new, more modern wings –the Golf Wing and the Spa Wing– which are home to the hotel’s new services and new rooms. After four years of work, the final result was unveiled in 2008: a luxury accommodation option with 175 rooms and suites where past and present coexist in harmony.
In addition to its 47 Junior Suites and Suites, The Dolder Grand also has four Top Suites and one Residence Suite: the Maestro Suite, which draws its inspiration from orchestra conductor Herbert von Karajan; the Carezza Suite, which commemorates sculptor Alberto Giacometti; the Masina Suite, which gets its name from actress Giulietta Masina; Suite 100, which is inspired by the Rolling Stones and their show at The 100 Club of London, and the Terrazza Residence, for long-term guests. The price to stay at the Top Suites ranges between €5,000 and €14,000 per night.
In terms of dining, The Dolder Grand has a bar, the lounge in the lobby where famous Swiss pastries can be enjoyed, and two restaurants: ‘Saltz’ and ‘The Restaurant,’ the latter of which has been awarded two Michelin Stars.
Another of the reasons why the hotel attracts so many visitors is its spa: 4,000 m2 dedicated to a philosophy that they have baptized as ‘The Dolder Grand Life Balance,’ featuring relaxation, beauty, vitality, and detox programs. In order to implement its philosophy, the spa has –in addition to the water area– 17 treatment rooms, 2 spa suites, a meditation room, a gym, activity studios, medical consultation areas, a cafeteria, bookshop, hairdresser, and shop.
Whether you aim to revitalize your body at the spa, enjoy the delicacies prepared by Chef Heiko Nieder at ‘The Restaurant,’ or rest in one of the suites with spectacular city views, The Dolder Grand is Zürich’s ‘hot spot;’ the hotel-museum where lovers of art rub shoulders with the world’s most powerful leaders.
Zürich