Swiss Star Oerlikon Lodge - contactless self check-in

I’d arrived after long, tiring flights and couldn’t even get groceries because I was stuck dealing with the keys. The mini bar fridge didn’t work either, and they never replied to my email. The code got me a medal with two keys, one for the mail box and one for the studio door, but neither could open the building entrance. Luckily, a neighbor let me in with a key that had a different pattern. It took five hours for them to send the missing key. I made several unfriendly calls, and one person hung up while I was talking. They asked me to email a video of the keys, but the file was too big, so I uploaded it to Google drive. They refused to view it there and insisted I send it by email, so I had to use a program to downsize it twice. Their customer service was the worst.

I paid 500 CHF for a service I never received. I booked through booking.com with a one-time option to change the dates, but when I asked the hotel to do that, they refused and claimed I didn’t have the option. They were very arrogant, and booking.com didn’t help either. They don’t care about guests, only the money. Stay away from this hotel!

For what we paid, I thought it was good value. The room felt clean and fairly new, and check-in was simple. Just be aware they ask for your ID details before giving you the key code.

Getting into the city was easy from here, with Oerlikon station nearby and Zurich ZB main station just one stop away. The place was well equipped for a short visit and the room was clean and nice. It sits on a main road, so there was some noise, and even with the elevator we had several stairs to climb with our bags. Still, good value for money.