Park Hyatt Zürich: A Luxurious Swiss Getaway [In-depth Review]

I just got back from Switzerland, where I spent 3 nights at the Park Hyatt Zürich. The original plan for this European trip was to only go to Germany. However, when I saw that the Park Hyatt Zürich had 3 nights of off-peak award availability, I quickly changed plans to include Switzerland.

Before booking this hotel, I hadn’t researched Switzerland or other Zürich hotel options at all (chocolate, cheese, and off-peak Park Hyatt award availability was all of the information I needed). I prefer hotels that are centrally located so that I don’t have to rely on public transportation to get to attractions and restaurants; luckily, the Park Hyatt Zürich turned out to be in a fantastic location within walking distance of everywhere I wanted to go.

The location, along with spacious rooms, nice in-room amenities, and friendly staff, made my stay at Park Hyatt Zürich one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Location and Transportation

We arrived early in Zürich after taking an American Airlines flight in economy from the U.S. (you can read more about the tricks I used to get extra space on this flight in my article about AA premium economy vs. economy).

Taking a cab from Zürich International Airport (ZRH) to the Park Hyatt Zürich can cost as much as $80, so we opted for the train instead. We hopped on the SBB train at the airport (Zürich Flughafen) and took it directly to the Zürich Enge station (take the S2 or S24 to avoid having to transfer). The ride took about 20 minutes and cost ~$15 for 2 one-way tickets. The train stop is just a 7-minute walk from the hotel so it’s super-convenient (as long as you’re traveling with carry-on luggage only).

If you need snacks before the short walk to the hotel, there’s a Coop grocery store and an excellent pretzel booth near the exit of the train station. After we checked in, we headed back there to grab some snacks, and I had one of the best pretzels I have ever eaten.

The Park Hyatt Zürich is centrally located about a block and a half from Lake Zürich and within walking distance of the Old Town area. It’s just under a 20-minute walk from the main train station, Zürich HB, which made it very easy to hop on a train for the day to explore more of Switzerland.

Hot Tip:

I took an SBB train from Zürich to Interlaken and Grindelwald for the day, while another Upgraded Points writer opted for an ÖBB train from Zürich to Innsbruck during his trip.

The outside of the hotel was modern, yet unassuming — not what you’d expect from a hotel with the name “Park Hyatt” on it.

However, as you get closer to the front door, the Park Hyatt-branded Rolls Royce sitting near the entrance hinted at the type of establishment you were walking into.

Hot Tip:

If you’re planning a trip that includes Switzerland, check out our guide about the best ways to fly to Europe using points and miles for some “pointers” (pun intended).

Booking

This trip was originally supposed to be split between Frankfurt and Munich in Germany. However, I happened to find 3 nights of off-peak availability at the Park Hyatt Zürich during the time we wanted to travel, so I booked it and asked questions later. Thankfully, the rest of my family agreed to swap Frankfurt for Zürich on our itinerary.

Even better, I booked this stay before this hotel moved up to a Category 8, so I got a great deal. I paid only 25,000 World of Hyatt points per night, while the non-refundable advance purchase cash rates were about $570 per night during my stay.

The total cost would have been ~$1,727 for my 3-night stay — giving me a 2.3 cents per point value. The cents-per-point value is even better if you do the math with the refundable member rate (~$643 per night), which is what I would have booked if I was going to pay cash.

No matter how you look at it, this was a great deal considering we value World of Hyatt points at ~1.5 cents each.

Booking a Cash Rate

If you decide to book the Park Hyatt Zürich with cash, be sure to use a travel credit card that will earn lots of points. The World of Hyatt Credit Card or World of Hyatt Business Credit Card are great options since they earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays: 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent on qualifying purchases at Hyatt hotels and up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The World of Hyatt card offers a fast track to Hyatt elite status, an annual free night, and up to 9x points per $1 on Hyatt stays.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt card offers a fast track to Hyatt elite status, an annual free night, and up to 9x points per $1 on Hyatt stays.

Welcome Offer

Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months. Plus, up to 30,000 more points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, up to $15,000 spent.

Up to 60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$900

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.74% - 27.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card makes your Hyatt stays more rewarding and helps you get coveted World of Hyatt elite status faster. This card is a must-have for any traveler who regularly stays at Hyatt hotels, or even for anyone who’s able to take advantage of the card’s annual free night certificate.

When you factor in all the benefits the World of Hyatt card offers, it’s easy to see why it is one of the best co-branded hotel credit cards on the market.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays – 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels & up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
• 2x points per $1 at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, local transit, rideshares, and fitness clubs/gym memberships
• 1x point per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $95 annual fee

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
• Enjoy complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open.
• Get 1 free night each year after your Cardmember anniversary at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort
• Receive 5 tier qualifying night credits towards status after account opening, and each year after that for as long as your account is open
• Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year
• Earn 2 qualifying night credits towards tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
• Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays – 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels & up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
• Earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.74% - 27.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

World of Hyatt

Other great choices would be the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® or the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card, both of which earn 3x points on travel expenses, including hotels. Chase Ultimate Rewards points also transfer to World of Hyatt.

You can also book Park Hyatt Zürich through programs like Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Privé, and Chase’s The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection to get extra benefits such as free breakfast, a room upgrade (where available), and a property credit.

Hot Tip:

The Park Hyatt Zürich is now a Category 8 hotel that costs 30,000 points off-peak, 35,000 points for a standard night, and 40,000 points during peak times. Thankfully, there are lots of ways to earn World of Hyatt points fast so you can start planning your vacation in no time.

Check-in and Elite Benefits

We arrived early in the morning to check in to the Park Hyatt Zürich. As expected, our room wasn’t ready (normal check-in time is 3 p.m.) so we left our luggage with the front desk and made plans to go get something to eat.

However, as we stepped away from the front desk, the woman that was checking us in ran over to us to let us know that a room would be available within 30 minutes, so we waited in the lobby and went up to the room as soon as it was ready.

At the time of this stay, I had Explorist status in the World of Hyatt program. There’s really not too much to get excited about at this elite level so I wasn’t expecting much. We were offered a late checkout, which we didn’t need, and were told that bottled water was available in the room free of charge (although this was a benefit of the hotel and had nothing to do with my status).

We were, however, “upgraded” to a room on a high floor. While this was nice, it wasn’t a huge deal since the hotel doesn’t have many floors so there aren’t any better views from the higher floors.

Hot Tip:

If you don’t have Hyatt elite status but happen to have a friend that has Globalist status, you can ask them to make a Guest of Honor booking for you. This benefit, which is only available if you’re booking with points, allows you to enjoy your friend’s on-site elite benefits such as free breakfast and access to suite upgrades, when available.

Amenities

The Park Hyatt Zürich has a gym and a spa in a combined area on the second floor.

Fitness Center

The gym at the Park Hyatt Zürich was open 24 hours a day. It’s a bright space with floor-to-ceiling windows so you can enjoy street views as you work up a sweat. There was cardio equipment as well as weights available.

Spa

The Park Hyatt Zürich spa was open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily and offered treatments including massages and facials. There were a couple of treatment rooms as well as a changing area with lockers.

There was also a sauna and steam room available to guests.

Bottom Line:

There’s a spa and fitness center at the Park Hyatt Zürich. While the spa isn’t an expansive one like you may find at a large resort, it still offers treatments like massages and facials as well as a steam room and a sauna.

The Room

I booked the 1 King Bed room that was available with points. I was upgraded to a room on a high floor but the room itself was exactly the same as the base-level King room.

While getting suite upgrades is fantastic, the base-level room here was excellent, so I didn’t feel I was missing out at all.

As I walked into the spacious entryway, I knew I was going to love the room. One side of the entryway was mirrored wall, which is usually a fairly tacky way of making a room look bigger, but in this case, it seemed elegant instead of ugly.

There was a small closet in the entryway, tucked away between the door and the bathroom.

Looking into the room from the front door, the first thing I noticed was a cabinet that housed the room’s coffee setup and minibar area.

The in-room coffee and minibar area was very well-stocked. Located in the room’s entryway, most of these minibar amenities were hidden behind cabinets and in drawers.

At first glance, the Nespresso coffee maker and box of coffee seemed pretty basic.

However, I was delighted to see a fantastic selection of coffees, teas, and even real creamer instead of the less-than-appetizing coffee whitener I have seen at many other Hyatt locations.

But wait, there’s more. I opened the drawer under the coffee maker to find real cups, saucers, and spoons. I think I audibly squealed with delight.

This area also had a minifridge stocked with beverages available for an extra charge.

Wine drinkers weren’t left out — there was wine available for purchase and real wine glasses as well.

Even the snacks had a special drawer.

While things like real cups and saucers aren’t mind-blowing, it’s these little details that can elevate a hotel stay from just fine to excellent.

1 King Bed Room

Enough about the minibar area, let’s look at the actual room. The Park Hyatt King room is 387 square feet and has floor-to-ceiling windows. There was also a sitting area with a chaise lounge, armchair, and a table.

The comfy king bed had 4 pillows and nightstands on both sides.

There was a lamp and outlets on both sides of the bed. The USB outlets were handy so you could charge devices without needing an adapter. The curtains and room lights could be controlled by these bedside buttons.

There was also bottled water readily available which was replaced daily.

To the right of the bed were sliding doors that opened up to the bathroom.

There was a television across from the bed that was embedded into the wall unit.

The view from my room looked out on part of the hotel’s roof as well as other rooms. The floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of natural light into the room. I appreciated the green space that was added on the rooftop — it definitely made for a more pleasant view than a normal industrial hotel rooftop. However, even with that, the views weren’t spectacular.

To the left of the windows was a door that I thought was a utility closet at first. However, when I looked closer I realized it was an open-air door. It was an interesting feature that I’ve never seen in a hotel before, although it didn’t seem all that useful in practice.

In front of the windows were a chaise lounge, an armchair, and a table. I liked having a table like this instead of a desk, which is what is found in many hotel rooms. It was versatile and offered plenty of space.

There was a small welcome gift and a note waiting for us on the table.

The chaise lounge was a nice spot to relax in the Park Hyatt-branded robe and slippers with a cup of coffee before heading out for a day of exploring.

Bathroom

I am admittedly very picky about hotel bathrooms and this marble beauty passed my tests. It had the same open-concept layout as the bathroom I had at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, but it was more elegant.

The single sink wasn’t enormous but had plenty of space for 2 people. There was a nice selection of amenities next to the sink including the cutest bottle of body lotion designed to look like a dropper bottle that you might see used in high-end skin care products.

In keeping with the bougie vibes, take a look at the black rectangle on the bathroom mirror — that’s a TV!

The shower and tub were right next to each other. There was a rain shower and an adjustable handheld showerhead. The surrounding marble made it feel very luxurious. The only downside of the shower was that the water temperature wasn’t consistent.

The shower products were from CODAGE Paris, and apparently, I was so taken with the bottle dropper design I completely forgot to take a photo at the hotel. However, I took the extras home with me so I was able to grab a shot of them post-trip.

There was a nice fluffy robe and towels hanging by the shower. I should also mention that the bath towels were some of the largest ones I have ever come across — they were probably 6 feet long and supersoft.

Finally, the Park Hyatt Zürich had one of my favorite bathroom features — a separate room for the toilet. This just makes the bathroom so much more functional and comfortable.

Bottom Line:

The Park Hyatt Zürich king room was spacious and comfortable. The chaise lounge and chair offered multiple spots to relax while the floor-to-ceiling windows provided plenty of natural light. The marble bathroom included perks like an in-mirror TV, a rain shower, and a separate water closet for the toilet.

Dining at Park Hyatt Zürich

There was 1 main restaurant at the Park Hyatt Zürich as well as a lounge in the lobby and an additional bar. In-room dining was also available 24 hours a day.

Due to time constraints, not to mention the exorbitant restaurant prices, I didn’t eat at the hotel. We were usually out exploring during lunch and dinner hours, and for breakfast, I discovered excellent pastries 1 block away at Coop, which is a grocery store chain that you’ll see often across Zürich.

Lobby Lounge

The bright and spacious lobby lounge was located directly adjacent to the lobby. It was open during the week from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the weekends.

The menu included appetizers, noodle bowls, sandwiches, desserts, and even afternoon tea.

Parkhuus Restaurant

Parkhuus Restaurant was the main dining area at Park Hyatt Zürich. With a focus on Swiss cuisine and locally-sourced ingredients, Parkhuus Restaurant is an elegant spot to dine with a white tablecloth on all tables.

The breakfast buffet was open during the week from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. On the weekends breakfast was served from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Lunch was served Tuesday through Friday from noon to 2 p.m.

Dinner was served Tuesday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.

ONYX Bar

Located adjacent to Parkhuus Restaurant, ONYX Bar served bar bites and desserts along with an extensive list of cocktails. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Bottom Line:

There’s 1 main restaurant at Park Hyatt Zurich along with a lobby lounge and an additional bar. Breakfast, which is included for Hyatt Globalist members, is served daily starting at 6:30 a.m.

Service

Every employee I encountered at Park Hyatt Zürich was nothing but kind and helpful. From the front desk staff who worked to get us checked in as soon as we arrived to our housekeeper who brought us extra water and toiletries, everyone was wonderful.

Final Thoughts

Overall I loved my stay at Park Hyatt Zürich. The fantastic location is walkable to many of Zürich’s most popular attractions and public transport. The rooms were spacious, elegant, and comfortable.

I was so happy to book this hotel at off-peak pricing while it was still a Category 7. While I wasn’t thrilled to see it move up a category, if I was traveling to Zürich in the future, I would still consider booking it again, even at Category 8 prices.