Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois: an accommodation option with four centuries of history (and three Michelin stars) in the luxurious heart of Basel
Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois: an accommodation option with four centuries of history (and three Michelin stars) in the luxurious heart of Basel
Napoleon Bonaparte, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, the Dalai Lama, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Richard Wagner, Voltaire, Charles Dickens, Goethe, Jean Paul Sartre, Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones… the list of royalty, composers, literary figures, politicians, and artists who have stayed at the Les Trois Rois Hotel of Basel is endless. And the fact is that this is one of the oldest accommodation options in Europe: The first records of an inn known as Drei Könige (Three Kings) date from 1681.
“Rich in history, young at heart” is the claim of Les Trois Rois, a motto that captures well the spirit of this five-star establishment located on the banks of the Rhine River. Since its inauguration in the seventeenth century, this business has been expanding in size by attaching adjacent buildings to the original one and being renovated. The hotel currently has 101 rooms and suites, two restaurants, a bar, several meeting and banquet rooms, a cigar lounge, a library, and its own flower shop called Fleurs des Rois and located in an adjoining building. That youthful spirit that the establishment boasts is evident in many details that guests will discover throughout their stay: the Bentley that picks up customers at the airport is decorated with graffiti made by students at the FG Basel school, the hotel’s elegant rooms feature audiovisual technology by Bang & Olufsen, the suites have automatic watch winders, the classic interiors of the common areas showcase modern and contemporary paintings by renowned artists, etc.
In addition to art, which plays a very important role at Les Trois Rois due to Basel’s importance on the world cultural scene (it is the original venue for Art Basel and has excellent museums like Fondation Beyeler, the Kunstmuseum, the Tinguely Museum, and the Vitra Design Museum), the hotel is considered one of the “must-visit” culinary destinations in Switzerland: its restaurant Cheval Blanc, run by chef Peter Knogl, is the only restaurant with three Michelin Stars in the city (in Switzerland there are only four establishments with three stars), it has been awarded 19 Gault Millau Points, and it is considered one of the 100 best restaurants in the world. Its five- and six-course menus feature French haute cuisine recipes enriched with Mediterranean and Asian influences. Equally recommended is the Brasserie, specializing in Swiss and French cuisine. This establishment especially highlights the richness of the local agriculture.
The delights of the kitchens at Les Trois Rois can also be enjoyed outside the restaurants, as the hotel has an elegant Pedrazzini boat (made in Switzerland) where you can enjoy from May to October a private picnic on board while zipping down the Rhine through Switzerland, France, and Germany – an experience to top off an unparalleled stay at one of the most legendary luxury hotels in Europe.
Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois
Blumenrain 8, Basel.
