ABOUT THIS HOTEL

• DESCRIPTION
• FACILITIES
• ARCHITECTURE / DESIGN
• MEET THE ORIGINAL

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ARCHITECTURE / DESIGN

Foster + Partners
United Designers

The Dolder Grand’s venerable history dates back to 1899, when architect Jacques Gros (1858-1922) designed the original hotel in traditional Swiss castle style. In 2004 the hotel underwent dramatic renovations, led by world-renowned architect and Pritzker Prize recipient Lord Norman Foster. Foster composed his design around the historic main building, adding two modern wings on either side. With their gently curved contours, Foster’s wings echo the surrounding landscape of rolling wooded hills. The sweeping glass facades of Foster’s design offer magnificent views, as well as an aesthetic contrast to the main building’s geometric wooden framework and sharply angular steeples.

The Dolder’s eclectic interiors are the work of United Designers of London, who selected a diverse array of furnishings that would signify both the hotel’s established past, as well as its contemporary arrival. Foster’s wings have been outfitted in decidedly modern detail, emphasizing their undulating, wave-like spaces, while the main building’s rich history is accentuated by its frescoed ceilings and classic European elegance.

The rooms in the main building have richly patterned fabrics in regal hues of gold and crimson, while the rooms in the two new wings epitomize the spirit of the modern age. Four luxury top suites invoke the signature styles of the hotel’s famous guests, such as Giacometti. Suite 100, for example, channels the spirit of the Rolling Stones with mod furniture in retro tones like pink, orange and magenta. The hotel’s two restaurants both feature spectacular views of Zurich and the surrounding Alps. The Garden Restaurant includes a huge terrace and a lounge that opens during summer, while the hotel’s main restaurant features restored historic ceilings and refined furnishings in shades of caramel and deep reds.

The Dolder’s 4,000 m² spa, designed by SPAd Inc and its founder Sylvia Sepielli, boasts a stone ravine bathed in natural light that descends to a refreshing pool. “Steam pots,” aromatic columns of fragrant scents, line the entrances to the gentlemen’s and ladies’ spas. Besides a solarium, aroma pool and steam bath, the spa also includes a sparkling meditation room lined with mirrored mosaics and a “Sunaburo” with pebble lounge tubs that conform to guests’ bodies, while radiating soothing warmth.

The Dolder Grand, a name synonymous with luxury for more than a century, has reinvented itself as a beacon of contemporary style. Straddling the divide between past and present, this majestic retreat remains a true architectural icon and a testament to the diversity of timeless design.