Helmhaus Swiss Q Hotel, Zurich

Helmhaus Swiss Q Hotel is one of the hotels in Zurich offered by Expedia in their flight plus hotel deals, and this is how we discovered it. Whilst not the cheapest option, its central location meant we could save both time and money travelling to and from the city. What's more, breakfast is included in the price. Reviews on Tripadvisor were very favourable, and a look at the hotel's website further encouraged us to make it our choice. We did not ...
...twin towers cannot be missed. Helmhaus hotel is a few yards south of the Grossmunster in a quiet street that runs parallel to the river.

The hotel reception is a small area where there are two armchairs and a coffee table with a bowl of sweets. The desk is manned twenty-four hours a day. I followed my son and his partner into the hotel, as they had already been there two nights and just needed to ask for their key. None of us speaks ... more

Helmhaus Swiss Q Hotel is one of the hotels in Zurich offered by Expedia in their flight plus hotel deals, and this is how we discovered it. Whilst not the cheapest option, its central location meant we could save both time and money travelling to and from the city. What's more, breakfast is included in the price. Reviews on Tripadvisor were very favourable, and a look at the hotel's website further encouraged us to make it our choice. We did not regret this.

My son and his partner booked a double room for three nights, and I booked a single for one night only. I cannot comment on how easy it is to book the hotel directly, as our reservations were made through Expedia. We booked in June for a stay in late August.

All three of us travelled with hand luggage only, and in about fifteen minutes we were easily able to walk from Zurich's main railway station to the hotel. The best route is to head south along the Bahnhofstrasse, cross the River Limmat, and head towards the Grossmunster (cathedral) whose twin towers cannot be missed. Helmhaus hotel is a few yards south of the Grossmunster in a quiet street that runs parallel to the river.

The hotel reception is a small area where there are two armchairs and a coffee table with a bowl of sweets. The desk is manned twenty-four hours a day. I followed my son and his partner into the hotel, as they had already been there two nights and just needed to ask for their key. None of us speaks more than a few words of German, but almost everyone in Zurich speaks English. I greeted the lady at reception, stating my name and the fact that I had a reservation for that evening. Perhaps she didn't understand me, but her reply was that the hotel was fully booked. Somewhat taken aback, I repeated that I had a reservation. She asked for my name again and ascertained that I was correct. I then had to show my passport and complete a form with my home address, email address (optional) and my signature. I was handed a traditional key and told that my room was on the third floor. A lift is available, but I used the stairs the first time. They are carpeted in plain black, and there are tall vases and floral displays on the windowsills of each floor.

My first impression of my room was definitely a favourable one. There was just the right amount of space, even though the queen-sized bed would easily have been big enough for two. All the rooms at Helmhaus have dark wooden floors, but an extra bathmat is provided under the bedside drawer so that you can use it to put your feet on as you get out of bed. The walls were white with a woven texture, the wooden doors were painted white, and all bed linen was white. To break the monotony, the curtains and upholstery of the armchair and the seat of the upright chair were soft green. A Phillips flat screen television was positioned above the minibar in one corner. Satellite channels are listed in a brochure, and they include BBC1, BBC World News and Cbeebies. The mini bar was well stocked with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as well as a bar of Toblerone and a small packet of nuts. Helmhaus trusts its guests to tell them what they have consumed when checking out. I didn't use the minibar at all as Zurich tap water is perfectly safe to drink. On top of the mini bar was a tray with one small and one standard bottle of wine, two glasses and a small packet of breadsticks. Prices for the wine were indicated. I was rather dismayed at the lack of a kettle, but I knew Lavazza coffee was available at reception. On studying the brochure on the desk, I found that a kettle and tea set would be brought up on request.

A tall standard lamp was the main source of lighting for the bedroom, and there were halogen spots on either side of the bed as well as in the ceiling of the entrance hall. A drawer beside the bed contained a sealed pair of white velour slippers. On top of the drawer was a telephone, a list of international dialling codes, a small notepad and a well-sharpened pencil. In one corner of the room was a small folding trestle for a suitcase. A small round coffee table was placed beside the armchair. The desk was actually an extension of the windowsill, but it would easily accommodate a laptop. A WLAN connection is provided. The window looks out onto a narrow road for pedestrians and bicycles; the tall building opposite consists of small shops and offices. In the window box was a row of four leafy plants, miniature versions of those standing outside the hotel. Decoration inside the room is provided by original contemporary drawings that are beautifully framed. The main one in my room surprised me a little with its quasi-erotic nature that included a baby contemplating a nipple. My son and his partner merely had a plant drawing by the same artist in their room.

The wardrobe has half a dozen wooden hangers on a rail to the right and a set of shelves on the left. A safe is provided at the bottom of the wardrobe with instructions for its use. Between the wardrobe and the door to the room there were three double brass hooks for coats.

Opposite the wardrobe was a full length mirror next to the bathroom. The bathroom was completely tiled in grey except for a mirror that ran the length of the wall above the washbasin and toilet. The bath was a very good size, and there was a shower over it with of course a white shower curtain. Next to the bath a bath towel, hand towel, face cloth and bath mat, all white, were folded over a towel rail. A hair dryer was fixed to the wall and there was a portable shaving mirror. Shampoo was in a wall bracket above the bath, as was liquid soap beside the washbasin. Both were roughly half full. I had to use the tiny bar soap when having a bath as the liquid soap was out of reach. Hot water was plentiful; although I didn't use it, my son assured me that the shower was very good. On the shelf above the washbasin was a small box containing a tiny sewing kit, some emery boards, a shower cap and a pack of cotton buds and cotton pads. On the soap dish were two small bottles of body lotion. All the toiletries were of the Naturals brand, manufactured by a German company. They are free of colourants and contain various organic ingredients. A box of tissues was fixed to the wall, above the liquid soap. There were two good quality toilet rolls and a loo brush in a holder. Other than part of the plug chain looking a little rusty and slight discolouration of a few areas of grouting, everything was spotless.

After I'd unpacked we went out for dinner and a stroll, returning to the hotel around 9pm. The same lady was at the reception desk, and she seemed to want to make up for the fact that she had earlier told me the hotel was fully booked. She offered me a welcome drink, so I asked if there was anything non-alcoholic. Opening the mini-bar behind her, she produced a bottle of rose syrup. I'm not usually one for syrupy drinks, but I thought I'd give it a go. She poured a little into a wine glass and added some mineral water. It was surprisingly delicious. My son and his partner both asked for coffee which she soon made and handed to them on a tray. This time I used the lift to go up – it was quite a small one, but I was tired and glad not to have to use the stairs again.

The bed was certainly a comfortable one, with a firm mattress and soft square pillows, one of which was adequate for me. I never sleep well these days, and when I woke after a couple of hours I was surprised how quiet it was considering we were in the heart of a large city. The weather had been unexpectedly very warm, around 30 degrees Celsius, but the room was pleasantly cool. I eventually drifted back to sleep.

Breakfast is served in a room on the first floor, between 7am and 10am Mondays to Saturdays, and from 8am until 11am on Sundays. We went down at around 8am. This is central Europe, so don't expect fried eggs and bacon. There is instead a wonderful buffet to which you may return as often as you like. We all had orange juice, but there was also pink grapefruit juice and precious stone water, something I'd never seen before and really should have enquired about. Three different types of cereals are offered, but we went for the fresh fruit salad and added yoghurt to it. A large bread basket is filled with croissants, sugar-topped buns and granary rolls. In addition there were two or three large loaves which had been sliced, a sliced panettone (definitely recommended), and some packets of crackers and French toast. You can then choose from a selection of cheeses, cold cuts, jams, honey, butter and Flora. We decided the home-made jam – I think it was plum – was the best to try. My son had also enthused over the honey, and when I tasted it I could see why. A young man whom we realised later was the manager asked if we would like tea or coffee. My son chose Darjeeling tea, which was served in a delightful little brown oriental pot. His partner and I prefered coffee, which is served on a small porcelain tray that has room for the jug of milk. I believe you can request a refill, but we were intending to try out one of the local cafes later that morning so we made do with one cup.

Next to the breakfast room is a small lounge area with comfortable chairs as well as a small table with upright chairs. Newspapers and brochures about the city are provided here.

Check-out is by 12 noon, so we decided to go out for a while and return about 11am to pack. City taxes are levied at 2.50 Swiss Francs (about £1.50) per person per day, and this was all we had still to pay. When we explained that we didn't have to be at the airport until 5.30pm, the receptionist told us that we could leave our luggage at the hotel and pick it up later, for which we were very grateful.

I don't know exactly how much I paid for my single room as it was part of a deal. The total for the return flight plus one night at Helmhaus was about £280, and I know that had I stayed an extra night it would have cost just over £400. Current prices are given on the hotel's website in Swiss Francs. It obviously is not a cheap option, but considering location, the breakfast, the high standards of comfort and cleanliness, I feel it was well worth it. Internet access is free of charge. Besides, there are plenty of things to do in Zurich that don't cost a penny, so you can save in other ways. Visit the beautiful churches, relax and admire the view at the Lindenhof, wander down to the lake and contemplate the scenery. I loved it.

Helmhaus may not be a hotel for those who want a swimming pool, spa treatments or entertainment. If, however, you are looking for comfort in a quiet atmosphere and a central location, I would not hesitate to recommend it.

Helmhaus Swiss Q Hotel
Schifflande 30
am Limmatquai
CH-8001 Zurich
Switzerland

www.helmhaus.ch

Also to be posted on other sites. A condensed version with more photos will be posted on igougo.com 

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