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SWITZERLAND ZURICH PARK HYATT ZURICH
Upstairs, my billet was on the 5th (what we English would call the 4th) floor. Room 522 was a Deluxe Double, and therefore 1,130-1,700CHF a night for two, according to season, breakfast extra. This was spacious and well-appointed accommodation. Indeed, such was the thought which had so evidently gone into its design that I had to look hard and long before I could find even the slightest omission in its array of offerings. Yes, it did lack a shaving mirror – but, apart from that, everything was there for me, including an umbrella, a clothes brush, a shoe horn, a private safe, an alarm clock, a grand coffee-making facility and a magnificently comfortable bed (which had been made extra soft for me). The television and dvd players were by Bang & Olufsen, and changed position electrically if I pressed the right button on the remote control unit. Many of the (17) lights were dimmable, and – when I wanted air of the fresh instead of the air-conditioned sort – there were vents behind wooden doors.
From the friendly folk at the reception desk – who, like the rest of the staff I encountered, were quick to learn and use my name – I secured a cd of music by Mozart, so that I was able to relax in one of the cream leather armchairs and allow the sublime melodies of Wolfgang Amadeus to swirl around me. I was doing precisely this on my first afternoon, when I heard a gentle sound and noticed a slight movement outside my floor-to-ceiling window. Surely, the window cleaner had not called? No, the exterior blinds had moved automatically, to ensure that the rays of the sun did not disturb my repose. I could have over-ridden them, of course, but I rather liked the idea of technology looking after me with such unobtrusive courtesy. Modernity can certainly be cosseting.
You will have gathered that I liked my billet. Yet I was happy to leave it each morning to go to the Lounge, another handsome and well-designed space on the ground floor. (An important tip: if you wish to avoid breaking your fast in a low easy chair, reserve a table the day before, for the higher tables and chairs are few in number.) Here, for 39CHF, I tucked into a handsome breakfast. From the buffet – almost a work of art itself, so beautifully was it arranged – I took dishes of fruit, plates of ham, roast beef and cheese and various pastries. To me were brought my chosen hot dish (including some really good crispy bacon), pots of coffee (with my customary dishes of ice cubes) and my concluding cappuccini. The kindly waitress, after my first morning, ensured that my chair had an extra cushion for my back.
After such trauma, I was deeply thankful that I could return to the Park Hyatt. My gratitude had a lot to do with the high quality of the accommodation. But it also had to do with the service I had received from the moment of my arrival at the hotel. And here it is right for me to mention Mr Kurt Straub (pictured), the General Manager of the hotel. It is he who sets the tone for his staff. He therefore deserves high praise. Tall and commanding, he ensures that the atmosphere of his establishment is relaxed, efficient, courteous and welcoming. That is why I was always happy to walk back through its doors. And I must also say a word about another of the hotel’s chief assets, Caroline Cerny (pictured). She is not only charming and elegant: she is also, I am delighted to be able to report, the most efficient Communications Manager in Europe.
I did not fall in love with this menu layout. But I did fall in love with the food of Chef de Cuisine Steffan Heerdt (pictured). He is a talented gentleman. The dishes brought to my table by the friendly waitress, Constanzia, displayed the finest ingredients, combined with flair and intelligence and cooked with admirable skill and subtlety. I began with pan-fried scallops (East Coast, U.S.A.), with cauliflower, almonds, grapes, raisins and truffle, in which each element contributed its part to the delicious harmony of the whole. Next, the goose foie gras (France) was also pan-fried. It was served with strawberries, apple, celery, grapes and brioche (soaked, wonderfully, in the fat from the liver). This was rich and satisfying – although, to my surprise, the strawberries added little beyond their colour. My main course was tenderloin of bison (Canada), which had been marinated in mustard honey and grilled. My chosen sauce was the béarnaise. This was superbly tasty meat, and with it I ordered roasted carrots, which were so astonishingly good that it would be a serious misdemeanour to visit the Parkhuus without trying them. I ended with a traditional raspberry crumble, with vanilla ice cream. (Allow around 170CHF for four courses.) This was an excellent dinner. In fact, my whole stay was excellent. The Park Hyatt Zurich shows that modernity can be stylish, luxurious and wonderfully comfortable. I like Zurich. And I like its Park Hyatt.
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ADDRESSES
PARK HYATT ZURICH
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© Francis Bown 2003
You will see from my picture that the exterior of the hotel is angular and laden with glass. Meili and Peter, the architects, added this building to the city’s financial district in 2004. The façade is clean and clinical, but the interior (designed by Jan Clausen) is completely different. I walked through the low entrance and found myself suddenly in a huge hall of light. All around were colours both subtle and welcoming. The effect is of having stumbled into a hidden palace of warmth and welcome. And part of the scheme’s success must be attributed to the presence of contemporary art. Good paintings – like Heinz Mack’s Lumière et Couleur (pictured) – are hung strategically throughout the hotel, and give the whole place a delightful air of aesthetic sophistication.
The bed-sitting room measured about 12 feet by 18 feet and led into a dressing area, with fitted wardrobes and a dressing table. From here – and also from the entrance hall – sliding doors of polished wood opened onto the bathroom of black and beige marble. This was another chamber of generous size, with the separate loo and the separate shower concealed behind panels of opaque glass. The tub was properly large. From within its capacious whiteness, surrounded by many gallons of steaming water, I could stretch a languid hand, press a button on the remote control and change channels on the little television receiver which was perched by the wash basin. Why I regard watching the television in the bath as decadent, I do not know. Always it gives me that delicious frisson we associate with forbidden pleasure.
These were enjoyable starts to my days, and set me up for some gentle sightseeing - including a visit the nearby spa town of Baden. Here – although, as you realize, dear reader, I am blessed with the most gentle of temperaments, I nearly blew my top. I could scarcely believe what I found at the Museum Langmatt. Its gorgeous collection of paintings – including really fine works by Cézanne, Pissarro and Renoir – had been made subservient to a third-rate contemporary “art installation” of darkness and flashing lights. Despite the little torch each visitor was given (such absurdity...), it was quite impossible to see the pictures properly. I made a promise to myself to return, but only when this nonsense had been removed. 
The hotel’s main restaurant is the Parkhuus (pictured). The term ‘gastronomic temple’ is particularly relevant here, for not only is the food excellent, but also the room is impressively long and high, with colours which are dark and warm. Still, the weather was clement, so I decided to opt for one of the outside tables, on Beethoven-Strasse. Here Zwiesel and Schott glasses stood on my white tablecloth and waiters and waitresses with white shirts, white aprons and striped ties were careful to replace the napkins of those who left their places for a moment. This atmosphere seemed to be pleasing the other diners, and it certainly pleased me. 
Restaurant Manager Susana Sampaio (pictured, with some of the cellar’s bottles) is both charming and knowledgeable. She it was who guided me to two wonderful wines from the list’s riches. (And riches they are. Here are a few I spotted: 1990 Latour [2,250CHF], 1998 Pétrus [7,300CHF], 2005 DRC Montrachet [4,900CHF], 1997 Opus One [910CHF] and 2000 Sassicaia [890CHF, magnum]. My Chablis was an exquisite balance of minerals, gravel and acidity (Grand Cru, Le Clos,William Fèvre, 2008 – 220CHF), and my St-Julien claret was laden with brambles, blackcurrants, damsons and purposeful tannins (Léoville Barton, 1998 – 250CHF). This was seriously good drinking, for which I express my thanks to Susana Sampaio. Two particularly helpful features of the list are the high number of half-bottles and the numerous wines available by the glass. Prices for bottles start at 38CHF for a 2006 Sicilian Inzolia and end at 8,000CHF for the 2006 vintage of the grandest of red burgundies, Romanée-Conti. 
The menu takes a Minimalist approach. You will find no flowery descriptions. Each dish is simply given its ingredients, the manner of cooking, the country of origin of the ingredients and the name of their producer. You are invited to choose your own sauce, warm or cold, from those listed.