The famous quote “The details are not the details. They make the design.” by Charles Eames rings as true today as it did back in 1950. When it comes to the details, the 25hours hotel zurich west surely got its fair share.
During my first visit to the hotel, when I went for dinner at the NENI restaurant, I defined it as urban, quirky and retro. After having spent a night there, I would like to add convenient, functional, conceptual and amusing to the list. In fact, if you have an open mind and take a moment to look at the many details throughout the hotel, you are guaranteed 25 hours of amusement.
Details/ Photography: courtesy of the 25h hotel Zürich West
Convenient, because you are in a very trendy part of Zurich, right off the highway, yet only a 10-minute tram ride from the main station and you got parking right underneath the hotel.
Functional, because your room and your bathroom will offer everything you need to feel comfortable. There are hooks, sockets and light switches where you need them, plenty of counter surface in the bathroom (We love it, don’t we ladies?), enough storage to store your stuff for a couple of nights, free WIFI and even a Friday bag for your convenience. All this without sacrificing the overall design (hats off to the interior designer). Whether you believe that ‘form follows function’ or vice versa, doesn’t really matter, because at the 25hours hotel in Zürich West you will get both.
Bedroom/ Photography: courtesy of the 25h hotel Zürich West
Conceptual, because there is the literal ‘red thread’ running through the entire hotel, symbolized by the red neon lighting above the stairs and in the bar area. Alfredo Häberli, the designer, was given complete freedom to develop a concept for the hotel, which is of course a dream come true for every designer (including myself). The Zurich based designer devoted his scheme to the city of Zurich and Switzerland itself, which, if you look closely, will find spread throughout the property. Many references are rather hidden, such as the ‘gold coins’ integrated into the flooring, saying ‘Money grows on the street in Zurich’ or the proverbial staircase of representation (Zurich people are said to be ‘show-offs’…), some are very subtle, such as the miniature churches made from coloured building blocks, whereas others are rather blunt, such as the fake chocolate and sausage display in the lobby. The bold colour scheme on the other hand, I am not sure how it relates to Zurich… Could it be referring to the colourful and cosmopolitan feel of the city or maybe serve as a contrast to the so called ‘grey town of Zwingli’ or was it simply because that’s what the designer and development team felt like…? All furniture was designed by Häberli and either custom made for the hotel or from his quite vast collection of pieces already in the market. I particularly love the colourful carpets with their geometric pattern, individually designed to match the colour scheme of each room and area.
Photography: courtesy of 25h hotel Zürich West
Amusing, because of the many quotes and drawings that will at least make you crack a smile, if they don’t make you laugh out loud. For instance there are the elevators, where you will either get a ‘Just the two of us, darling’ in pink or ‚No surveillance cameras baby’ in blue. Even those attending a conference (they have fantastic conference facilities with plenty of daylight), will not be deprived of humour with notes on the place mats such as ‘Pretend to listen while planning your wardrobe for the next week.’ However, my personal favourite was the door hanger, featuring 25 reasons to communicate your current state or that of your room: ‘It’s the 25h hotel. I need the extra hour.’ must have been made for me, but I also had a good chuckle at ‘The love birds have finally left.’, ‘Your turn to clean , bro.’, ‘Please place aspirin in front of the door and leave.’, ‘Still naked’ and my top favourite ‘Still need to ‘move’ some furniture.’ I can only imagine the fun they must have had, coming up with these!
The sauna/ Photography: courtesy of the 25h hotel Zürich West
The 25hours hotel zurich west with its 126 rooms is small enough to be personable, yet big enough to offer you privacy. Whether you are heading to Zurich for a meeting or a leisurely weekend, it’s the perfect place to stay if you are looking for a stylish place with a humorous twist.
Oh, and make sure, you don’t miss the sauna on the top floor, which, to my knowledge (and I have been to quite a number of hotel saunas and spas) is the only sauna where you can enjoy a spectacular view over the city, whilst detoxifying your body!
Even though there may be 25 reasons to return to the 25hours hotel zurich west, I personally only need one: I had a great time!
Happy stylish discoveries!
Simone xx
Note: This blog post was created in collaboration with the hotel (press trip).
