Hospitality with a remarkable history. The Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich was opened in 1876 and has been family-owned since 1971. For almost 150 years, the Hotel Schweizerhof Zürich has combined the classic charm of the past with contemporary luxury and has delighted visitors from all over the world with its warm service.
The railway is booming as a means of transport and big stations are being built in Europe's cities.
Zurich railway station is opened and attracts wealthy travellers from all over the world.
The first Grand Hotels are built in Zurich.
The architects Heinrich Honegger-Näf and Julius Bosshard are building the hotel at 93 Bahnhofstrasse and 7 Bahnhofplatz.
Opening of the Hotel National.
Bahnhofplatz becomes a distinguished business location and entrance to the boulevard "Bahnhofstrasse".
The hotel consists of 130 rooms with 200 beds and 5 bathrooms on the floors.
It has a lift and a café-restaurant.
Change of name to Grand Hotel National.
The fountain on Bahnhofplatz was replaced in 1889 by the monument of Alfred Escher, the builder of the Gotthard railway and founder of Zurich Insurance.
The Moorish hall on the corner of Bahnhofplatz and Bahnhofstrasse is built.
The hall is a sight in Zurich and the venue for many banquets, dinners and meetings.
The newspaper “NZZ” wrote in April 1886 that the Pope and Bismarck would arrive at Zurich railway station. An entire floor had been rented in the Hotel National for the honorable visit.
The buildings at Bahnhofstrasse 91 and Lintheschergasse are integrated into the hotel.
The hotel now consists of four originally separate buildings.
The first electric trams run in Zurich.
Conversion of the hotel: The neo-classical arches on Bahnhofstrasse are replaced by an Art Nouveau façade.
Opening of the headquarters of the Kuoni travel agency at the corner of Bahnhofstrasse/Bahnhofplatz and other shops.
Change of name to Hotel Schweizerhof National.
The new sandstone façade in Art Nouveau style has been preserved to this day and has been put under preservation order since 1978.
Bernese artist Alex Walter Diggelmann (1902-1987) designs the tourism poster for the Hotel Schweizerhof.
The motive is still used today as the logo and as such it is inseparably linked to the history of the Schweizerhof.
Meanwhile, this poster is so rare that it is neither in the poster collection of the Federal Government nor in that of the Museum for Design in Zurich.
Renovation of the hotel interior: a few rooms have their own bathrooms.
Opening of the bar as an "oyster bar". Parts of the sandstone façade on the ground floor and first floor are replaced by marble slabs.
The renowned Zurich architect and cultural sponsor Otto Streicher is taking over the property from the Swiss cooperative bank.
1977: The precious sandstone façade is carefully renovated and placed under a preservation order.
1978-1979: The hotel is rebuilt over 14 months. CHF 15 million are invested for this purpose.
The Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich becomes Zurich's leading four-star hotel with central air conditioning and TV’s in all rooms.
1992 -1997: First soft refurbishment of the hotel rooms, installation of a new heating and air conditioning system, reconstruction of the lobby, salons and offices.
CHF 8.6 million investment
2000 -2001: An additional CHF 14 million is invested in the renovation of all rooms and bathrooms.
2007: In addition to the renovation of the façade for CHF 1.6 million, ongoing technical and environmentally relevant renovations are being implemented behind the scenes.
2011: The Schweizerhof Bar is renovated and the foyer and lobby are modernised.
2013 -2015: CHF 3.2 million are invested in connecting rooms and the conversion of the 4th floor in the new design.
Step-by-step conversion of the rooms and gradual conversion of the rooms into an innovative design.
2016: CHF 2.3 million are invested in the extension of the inner courtyard and some rooms as well as the integration of the Boutique Gym.
In April 2019 we opened our new boardrooms.
After 76 years of operations in Zurich Bahnhofstrasse, Kuoni Travel leaves their founding offices in our building. After a five-month refurbishment and an investment of 2.1 million, six state-of-the-art meeting rooms were completed in Zurich`s prime city center location.
With a further investment of 2.5 Million Swiss Francs, the refurbishment of the 5th Floor was completed in August 2020.
In addition, a new and innovative hotel concept has been introduced - The Dufour Suites and Rooms by Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich.
The new “hotel within a hotel” hybrid concept offers guests the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of five-star service with an upgrade. The suites with the name “Dufour” reflect “the summit of luxury” and refer to the highest peak in Switzerland - The Dufour Peak.
A new milestone: 5 stars for the traditional hotel
In August 2024, the Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich was officially classified as a 5-star hotel. Over the past ten years, the traditional hotel has undergone extensive modernization, investments and room consolidations with a total value of around CHF 15 million. The hotel, which opened in 1876, has thus returned to its origins as a Grand Hôtel. Since 2020, the hotel has successfully tested 5-star service with the exclusive experience "The Dufour by Hotel Schweizerhof Zürich". With this new classification, the Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich sets new standards for luxury and comfort and is now the most central 5-star hotel right next to Zurich's main railway station.
