Baur au Lac

It doesn’t get much grander than a 19th-century palace hotel in Europe’s banking capital. Baur au Lac, a Zurich institution since 1844, played host to pretty much anyone who was anyone, from royalty and heads of state to artists and Alfred Nobel. It’s kept itself in fine shape, and its antique-strewn opulence is a chastening reminder that today’s design hotels might not age quite so gracefully.

That’s not to say time here has stood still. Today, following a massive renovation, there’s a rooftop fitness center with an extraordinary view of the lake, and the bedrooms come with business-traveling musts like wireless internet and technology butlers. The suites are bigger than ever, and all rooms come equipped with such high-tech necessities as flat-screen televisions and iPod docking stereos. But it hasn’t lost touch with its roots, and many of Baur au Lac’s greatest charms are timeless and low-tech: shoes are collected and shined while you sleep, and the hotel’s private garage will not just store your vehicle but clean it, refuel it, even fix it if need be.

This is the kind of hotel that becomes a hub for its city’s social life. The two-Michelin-starred Pavilion restaurant was designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon, and many a deal has no doubt been made over tea, aperitifs or Baur au Lac’s private-label chocolate in Rive Gauche; meanwhile the Terrasse, serving drinks with a view of Lake Zurich and the Alps, reminds you why you came to Switzerland in the first place.