Opera Hotel Zurich

After a long international train ride, we arrived to find our reservation had been cancelled without any warning. We’d booked directly months earlier for our vacation, but the card we used was stolen and cancelled a week before we arrived. The hotel doesn’t charge until midnight on arrival day, and when the card was declined, nobody called to let us know or give us a chance to provide another one. We were devastated. They accepted the booking, but didn't keep it. We tried to find somewhere else, but everything was booked or cost three times as much. A manager did help us get a room at their sister hotel around the corner, and we’re thankful for that. But it was a “higher star” hotel, so even with a discounted rate it cost more. The room there was tiny, the bed was small, and the stay was uncomfortable. It felt like they gave our reservation to the next highest bidder, then sold us a lesser room for 50% more than we’d originally booked. They also kept saying it wasn’t their fault, it was ours. Any other hotel would have called to sort out the payment problem. Please be careful when booking here so you don’t end up in a similar disaster.

The hotel is lovely, the staff are great, and the location is easy. It is pricey, but, well, everything in Zurich is. Make sure you book the right room size: ours was fine, but our friends ended up with a much smaller room and bed.

We were there over New Years, and the location seemed ideal for watching the fireworks. It’s an easy walk to both the shopping area and the old town. The rooms were modern and clean, and we liked the pleasant lobby sitting area and the good breakfast. A wonderful hotel, and we’d definitely return.

The breakfast was a tragedy. In a tiny room, there was a rotten banana, two hard croissants, and two small pieces of spoiled meat. When we said there was nothing to eat, staff offered to sell us extra items, even though we’d already paid EUR 70 for two people for the “excellent breakfast.” The price of this hotel doesn’t match the quality at all. Nothing but bad reviews from me.