Intercontinental, Zurich

InterContinental Hotels have a fine reputation for quality guest accommodation and service, and though their Zürich presence is a comparatively plain 4-star affair (being a clean, no-nonsense property some distance from the city of town), attractive room rates make it a fair choice for a stopover or weekend stay.

Standard rooms and certainly small(ish), décor lacks inspiration, and high charges are also levied for telephone calls. That said, frequent special offers, good quality facilities (including a Turkish bath, swimming pool, Internet access and well-equipped gym) and good quality cuisine do much to offset such criticism.

This hotel has 364 guestrooms. They are equipped with a spacious dark timber work desks, chairs and dark curtains. Some also have the added comfort of a leather sofa. The varying strong carpet tones combine with a creamy white paint scheme and a selection of cheery still-life prints to produce a light, airy feel. The cream tile bathrooms have makeup mirrors and a generous array of toiletries.

The hotel offers a series of meeting and conference rooms. The Workshop Center, behind the reception on the ground floor, includes a business corner with PC and other equipment. The meeting rooms have magnetic walls on which to attach anything from the coat hangers provided to wall charts. Hotel staff can also download and print out personalized editions of nearly 150 newspapers from around the world.

International cuisine with a French leaning is the key in the hotel's main restaurant. Dishes can range from vegetarian ravioli to Norwegian salmon filets. Special menus also abound, such as the autumnal venison options. Local people and hotel guests mingle in a dining area of pleasing simplicity, with bistro-style wooden chairs and upholstered booth-style benches. A singular touch is the art hanging on the walls, part of a permanent collection of modern (mostly Swiss) painting owned by the hotel. In summer, tables are laid out in the internal hotel terrace, creating the temporary Garden Restaurant.