I am so glad to be back here. This is one of my favourite hotels in Europe! I had a nice time here back in 2019. Hilton doesn’t have an extensive footprint in Switzerland and there are only a handful of properties around. In Zurich, there is no option in the city centre as well and with only an airport hotel. I stayed here back in 2019 during my first time in Zurich. The rates here are a lot better for your wallet and it works well if you don’t mind the extra 20 minutes or so of travel to the city centre. The shuttle and public transport complimentary ticket combination can work very well. Staying here is a no-brainer for me! I love the easy access to the airport and city centre. The public transport day pass is already worth 27.20 CHF a day for 2 pax! With the complimentary breakfast, executive lounge access and free public transport, the value is unbeatable! You can check out my old post here. 

Booking Process & Pre Arrival

I booked directly with Hilton for the stay and got the base-level Guest rooms. It was quite a low peak period since we just got into 2024. It is still the holiday period. The hotel offered me all the information and they upgraded me ahead of the stay. I will be staying here for 4 nights. It is nice to hear that they still had the complimentary public transport ticket available for guests. They provide a daily pass for guests which covers Zone 110 and 121. This is worth 13.60 CHF each. It is very handy and useful for travelling and exploring the city. Even if you are heading elsewhere, you can also get an extension ticket which is cheaper than just booking direct. I use it to take the ferry and travel to Zug and Uetliberg.

The hotel also offers an airport shuttle to and from Zurich Airport from 5am to 11pm. The pickup and drop-off position is from the curbside lane at Arrival 2. It is complimentary from the airport and from the hotel it costs 7 CHF. You can find the schedule below. 

Hilton Zurich Airport comes with 323 guest rooms and suites spread across 6 categories. You can check out the breakdown below.

RoomsExecutive Lounge AccessBathtub Room Size
GuestNoYes25 Sqm
DeluxeNoYes28 Sqm
ExecutiveYesYes28 Sqm
Family SuiteNoYes40 Sqm
RelaxationYesYes41 Sqm
Relaxation SuiteYesYes76 Sqm

Checking In

I arrived at the hotel at around 7.30pm after my train ride from Basel and taking the airport shuttle. The best thing to do here for this hotel is to take the train to Zurich Airport and then use the shuttle. To get from the hotel to the city, use the complimentary travel ticket to take the bus. It was rather quiet at this hour when we got to the hotel. I was helped by a friendly associate who thanked me for being a Diamond member and reconfirmed my booking. I was also told that my room had been upgraded to a King Relaxation Room, the best room type in the hotel. 

King Relaxation Room

I was assigned a king relaxation room on the second floor. There are two wings where the rooms are located. My room is on the side nearer to the lounge. You head down since the lobby is on the 4th floor. This is the best room category. It is a short walk from the elevators. Right after entering the room, you can find the bathroom to the left and it is a spacious one. It comes with a single sink and plenty of counter space. All sorts of amenities are provided and as per usual, they are from Crabtree and Evelyn in a large pump-size room. The standing shower is spacious with amazing water pressure. Sadly, it only comes with a wall-mounted showerhead. 

The bathroom comes with a separate bathtub and standing shower. The bathtub is one of the highlights and a signature of this room. The room comes with a whirlpool massage tub. Water pressure and temperature control are excellent and I had a great time in the tub after a long day of travel. This is great in this cold season. 

Along the entranceway, you can find a spacious wardrobe equipped with hangers, a safe, bath robes and bath slippers. 

Right next to it is the mini-bar set-up. It comes with a proper Nespresso coffee machine and packaged tea. In the cabinet below, there is an empty fridge left for your use. 

The room measures a spacious 41 Sqm. This is the largest room in the hotel. In the middle of the room, you can find a working desk area. It kind of curves around the room. It is a huge space and comes with plenty of storage area. Power outlets are readily available and the wifi connection is very strong here. The armchair offers decent back support for working. It is a great set-up for an office. 

The bedroom area is in the latter half of the room. The plush kind size bed is in the middle which is so comfortable. The bedding is top-notch. The pillows were a little much but you can get some extras. Flanking both sides of the bed are nightstands with power outlets within reach.  

Opposite the bed is a television on top of the platform. It comes with a good number of both local and international cable TV channels in both local languages and English. 

The room comes given the surrounding area. it is nothing too fancy and I left the blinds and curtains drawn most of the time. By the side of the window, you can also find a coffee table as well as an armchair. It is nice to see some additional sitting in the room. 

Executive Lounge

The executive lounge is open from 6am to 10pm. They offer breakfast, cakes and pastries and evening cocktails. Outside of the 3 services you can also find coffee, tea, soft drinks and snacks all day long. The executive lounge is located on the ground floor just towards the side of the lobby. It is a very nice space that comes with a good view of the surrounding area. It is a cosy space. You have the capacity for about 20 or so guests. 

They do have some refreshments during the daytime and you can find non-alcoholic drinks such as soft drinks, juices, coffee and tea. 

I did not make it back in time for the afternoon service since I am out in the city most of the time. From my memories, there are some cakes and tarts. I did try to be back most of the days for the evening service since this is kind of my dinner replacement. It isn’t much but everything counts in Zurich. The evening cocktails service starts from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. There are usually 1 or 2 hot dishes. In addition to it, there are some chips and a salad station.

Drinks consist of some local Swiss wine which I adored, spirits, local beer, soft drinks and other mixers. They have some slight changes to the selection from day to day. They usually have some carbs so that is quite good for a simple dinner replacement.

Breakfast at Horizon 10

Breakfast is served at Horizon 10 restaurant. It is offered between 6am to 10am during the weekdays and till 10.30am on the weekend. It is served buffet style and quite a spread. The restaurant comes with a good view of the surroundings and the mountains. Here are some pictures of the selections. They are quite extensive. The food and drink options are the same throughout my stay. I love the sausages, juices and egg station. With how expensive this city is, having breakfast on account of your status is handy. 

Conclusion

I can’t wait to see more Hiltons properties in Switzerland and hopefully, one that opens in Zurich city centre. For such a premium market, there should be some Conrad and WA in the city. Barring any future options, this is still my go-to option in Zurich. The value that I can extract is unbeatable. This is especially important given how expensive Zurich is. It works well for elite members. I love the balance between ease and price. The complimentary public transport ticket is very handy and valuable. I also got a nice upgrade over here. The lounge is easily my usual dinner replacement. It will be nice to see them remodel the room soon. This is the only place where I will do an Airport hotel to check out the city centre.