About this hotel
General information
Widder Hotel spreads across nine medieval townhouses in Zurich’s Old Town, homes over seven centuries to gentry, merchants, craftsmen and guild masters. The architect Tilla Theus spent a decade turning them into one hotel, completed in 1995: she linked the houses with passageways, gave each its own wood and stone, and set chrome, steel and glass against the old walls and beams. The name recalls the Zum Widder butchers’ guild, based in neighbouring Widdergasse since 1401.
There are 49 rooms and suites, no two alike, plus five residences. Frescoes, tiled stoves and Biedermeier pieces sit beside designs by Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Eileen Gray and the Eameses, and the art collection takes in Hans Arp, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Max Bill, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Alberto Giacometti. The hotel is part of The Living Circle.
Location
The hotel sits on Rennweg in the heart of Zurich’s Old Town, with the lakeside running path a few steps from the door. Airport pick-ups can be arranged, and guests with a table booked at other The Living Circle addresses are taken there free by private boat or limousine: Alex Lake Zürich in Thalwil, Storchen Zürich and Restaurant Buech in Herrliberg.
Spa
There is no spa on site: massages are given in the room, and the concierge can book a visit to the spa at sister hotel Alex Lake Zürich, on the lakeshore in Thalwil.
Sports & leisure
A small gym with treadmills and exercise bikes is open around the clock. On the ground floor of the Steinhaus, the Turicensia library holds hundreds of books on Zurich, its history and its art, along with fiction and magazines. With The Living Circle the hotel also offers food and bar tours and a behind-the-scenes masterclass with Stefan Heilemann.
For children
Families can stay in the 53 m² Widder Family Suite, with a main bedroom and an adjoining room with two single beds, for up to four guests.
Restaurants & bars
Three restaurants, a celebrated bar and a courtyard garden:
- Widder Restaurant — Stefan Heilemann’s French-rooted haute cuisine with Asian accents, two Michelin stars and 18 GaultMillau points, set in the Kleiner Widder and Haus zum Bauknecht with a preserved medieval ceiling; chef’s table facing the open kitchen
- Boucherie AuGust — Swiss and Zurich cooking built around meat and sausage specialities, pâtés and tartares, with a terrace on Rennweg in summer
- Soï 28 — Heilemann’s take on Asian street and soul food, from gyoza and ramen to Thai beef salad
- Widder Bar — ancient beams, red leather and a lapis lazuli wall, more than 650 whiskies and 1,200 other spirits, and live piano; no reservations
- Widder Garden — the courtyard garden in the warmer months, becoming the Widder Wonder Garden in winter with aperitifs and fondue served in gondolas
Rooms
Tilla Theus designed all 32 rooms and 17 suites, each with its own layout and history, from medieval frescoes and baroque panelling to beamed attic spaces and a penthouse with a roof terrace.
Air conditioning, HD TV, free high-speed Wi-Fi, Nespresso machine and a minibar with complimentary soft drinks; in the Family, Historic and Design suites and the penthouse the whole minibar is included.
Design Queen Room
A double room with a queen-size bed (160 × 200 cm) and a walk-in shower or bath; some keep medieval frescoes, and windows look over the Old Town.
Design Queen Superior
Queen-size bed (160 × 200 cm), a desk and a walk-in shower or bath, overlooking either the quiet courtyard or lively Rennweg.
Design King Deluxe
A spacious room with a king-size or twin beds (180 × 200 cm), clay or hardwood floors, Le Corbusier or Eames furniture and Old Town views.
Historic Junior Suite
Seventeenth-century frescoes, tiled stoves and wood panelling, a king-size or twin beds (180 × 200 cm) and a generous bathroom with a tub.
Duplex Junior Suite
A two-level suite under the eaves of a historic house, with exposed beams, a king-size or twin beds and a sofa bed on the mezzanine; up to three guests.
Widder Family Suite
A main bedroom with a double bed, an adjoining room with two single beds and a large walk-in shower; up to four guests.
Widder Historic Suite
Separate bedroom and living room, with late baroque panelling set against contemporary design; walk-in shower, spa shower or bath.
Widder Design Suite
Either a light, contemporary interior or a historic one, with iconic furniture, local art and a private open-air corner above the Old Town roofs; bathroom with bath and shower.
Penthouse Suite with Rooftop Terrasse
At the top of the Augustinerhaus: a living room with fireplace, dining table and bar, a separate bedroom, a whirlpool bath and a fully private terrace looking across the city to the lake.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.