Townhouse Boutique Hotel Zurich

Certain images may spring to mind when you think of Zürich — bankers in suits, expensive chocolate, ice-blue lakes, sharp church steeples. It’s the kind of city where you’d expect to stay in a state-of-the-art business hotel, or at least a prim and proper guesthouse. Townhouse Boutique Hotel Zürich, located on the Bahnhofstrasse in the heart of town, is neither of these.

It’s a cozy boutique hotel that’s fashioned, as the name suggests, after an English townhouse. It’s refined but not formal, the kind of place where you can browse books. Forget about the city’s buttoned-up reputation: these 23 guest rooms, and three suites, are charming and slightly quirky, lined with vibrant vintage-inspired wallpaper by Designers Guild. The pattern, it should be noted, matches the upholstery on the desk chair. There’s a sense of humor and whimsy to the decor, a suggestion, in the mix of antique pieces and the occasional bouquet of fresh flowers, that character is more important than perfection.The dimensions are larger than what you’d expect in this downtown location — read, there’s enough room to actually unpack your suitcase — and in-room amenities include large LCD TVs, iPod docks, and a DVD player, complete with a library of movies to borrow.

The hotel’s onsite eatery, Palette Bar Café, serves Breakfast and even Lunch or Dinner with an oriental touch For variety’s sake, there’s no end of other options in the city. But Townhouse Boutique Hotel Zürich is one of those rare hotels where you actually might feel at home for a few days. Did we mention it’s a block from the main train station? Don’t worry about that early departure time: you can make your own cappuccino before you go.