After spending two terrific weeks on a family Ski-vacation on the world-famous slopes of Swiss Alps, from Luzerne to Mt. Titlis-Engelberg, to Zermatt-Matterhorn, and the top paradise for sports enthusiasts and adventure-seekers - The Engadin at St. Moritz; we extended our vacation to Northern Italy for a few more days before heading back to Zurich to catch our return flight back home. A long research online led me to swap practicality for luxury, enticing me to book 2-night stay at Park Hyatt Zurich as our last destination hotel, partly due its idyllic location between the shores of Lake Zurich and the famous Bahnhofstrasse shopping area, and partly since my husband and son were keen on seeing the FIFA world museum which was also close to this hotel. This family ski-vacation was carefully planned for an extra special occasion to celebrate a milestone anniversary. We thought, wouldn’t it be nice to wake up in the morning of our silver anniversary in Venice, Italy and fall asleep at night in Switzerland! Zurich offers many luxury hotels with scenic views to choose from, but we were incredibly excited to book our stay at Park Hyatt Zurich after a great 3-day 2-night stay in Venice. Making headway, I duly informed this hotel at booking as my top hand-picked choice in Zurich because we wanted to end our Swiss vacation on a high note. Unfortunately, this Park Hyatt turned out not even close to luxurious...After spending two terrific weeks on a family Ski-vacation on the world-famous slopes of Swiss Alps, from Luzerne to Mt. Titlis-Engelberg, to Zermatt-Matterhorn, and the top paradise for sports enthusiasts and adventure-seekers - The Engadin at St. Moritz; we extended our vacation to Northern Italy for a few more days before heading back to Zurich to catch our return flight back home. A long research online led me to swap practicality for luxury, enticing me to book 2-night stay at Park Hyatt Zurich as our last destination hotel, partly due its idyllic location between the shores of Lake Zurich and the famous Bahnhofstrasse shopping area, and partly since my husband and son were keen on seeing the FIFA world museum which was also close to this hotel. This family ski-vacation was carefully planned for an extra special occasion to celebrate a milestone anniversary. We thought, wouldn’t it be nice to wake up in the morning of our silver anniversary in Venice, Italy and fall asleep at night in Switzerland!
Zurich offers many luxury hotels with scenic views to choose from, but we were incredibly excited to book our stay at Park Hyatt Zurich after a great 3-day 2-night stay in Venice. Making headway, I duly informed this hotel at booking as my top hand-picked choice in Zurich because we wanted to end our Swiss vacation on a high note. Unfortunately, this Park Hyatt turned out not even close to luxurious compared to our other stays at Park Hyatt’s (usually a category 7, it is the highest-tier among all Hyatt-brand). Oh Boy, no way I could’ve foreseen rating a Park Hyatt as a huge disappointment! For a price that screamed of swallowing my whole wallet, let’s check why?
__ It started off bad, stayed bad, and ended in a worst possible way in the history of all our hotel-stays.
__ It began with a regular email reminder of our upcoming stay with the usual rendering of any help during the dates of our stay. We responded with request for a pick-up in their hotel’s car from Zurich airport, since I read a few past reviewers were elated to have received a prompt guest pick-up luxury service in hotel’s Bentley car. We thought why not! we’ll arrive in style! But our request went unanswered. So, we sent another email incase the first request was missed. Again, nothing. Third attempt we called from Milan, Italy. It was mid-morning and the front-desk asked us to call back in an hour since at the time they were too busy. As per “their request” one hour and a few minutes later we called again. Still too busy to at least take our request down with our phone no. and confirm later via email or text. Third-time, a woman’s response was short and rude. She said in stern voice that no one’s called us back because the person who takes hotel’s transportation request has not come in today. Not willing to help in any way, they wouldn’t suggest getting an airport taxi. Apparently, we were not one of their VIP guests. While in midst of our vacation, we made several attempts including 2-text messages with details of our arrival to concierge Nadia Bosshard. No one ever apologized, but this time the ‘text-reply’ was polite, yet we were asked to wait for confirmation. At this point, any other guest in our place would’ve given up and not dealt with their incompetence anymore. Later we realized, it was a HUGE mistake asking this hotel’s staff for other services too. We could’ve easily taken a taxi from airport & SAVED CHF 120 each way. Better yet, we also had a Swiss first-class flexible train-pass with unused days left until we fly back. But arriving at night from this hotel’s nearest train station would’ve further delayed our late arrival. Also, apparently the arrogant hotel’s staff and its policies wouldn’t offer a guest pick up service from a nearest train station, even with additional cost.
What a fiasco! Trying hard to make this long story short, but it keeps getting longer. Even though the hotel’s van eventually arrived but very late. Our flight landed from Venice in time, but their pick-up was 40 min. late. By the time we got our luggage and came outside to look for hotel’s driver, he wasn’t there. We were told on phone he’s on his way. We waited out for him in frigid cold winter-night. Whoop-de-Doo! Finally, Daniel the driver arrived in a mini-van! With our flight’s arrival time ignored, there was no apology for picking us up late although he was very polite and pleasant talker. The drive to the hotel was no more than 15-minutes.
The long disappointing saga of this hotel’s guest’s pick-up & drop off service to the airport didn’t end here. We are not sure why the hotel sent a van for transporting our family of three with 2- suitcases & 3 small personal-handbags, which btw was prior informed of how much luggage we have. A 4-door sedan car would have been enough. But it turned out, without our approval the hotel charged a whopping!! CHF180 for one-way pick-up from airport in a van, calling it a “Limousine service” (as printed on our invoice). Prior to our arrival, we were told on phone the price of pick-up service in hotel’s car would be CHF 150 one-way, which we accepted. Unauthorized they jacked up the price by CHF30 each way. Without raising the price for no reason, they could’ve called it an upgrade for us. Read on…. Park Hyatt Zurich is more scandalous in ripping people off than you can ever imagine.
__Our return drop-off to Zurich airport was even bigger disaster than our arrival. On the morning of check-out, we informed the front-desk early enough of the exact-time when we want to board the hotel’s drop-off car service to airport. They asked our departing flight details, which they noted it down. 10 minutes before we were ready to come down, we called for a bell-boy to take our luggage from our room. After 25-minutes when no one showed up, we called again from our room, to which we got asked our flight-details AGAIN. They said you won’t be late, we’ll send someone up. 10-minute later, we reiterated we’re getting late and we’re coming down ourselves. To which they repeat-asked, how much luggage count we have? UNBELIEVABLE! Unless their V-class Van was available and ready to go, they wouldn’t even call a taxi. But they’ve already charged our cc for drop-off service. Frustrated, we hung up the phone. My husband ran wheeling the 2-suitcases down. At the lobby, when the elevator door opened, hotel’s vice-manager Martin, very tall guy, saw my husband running with an upset face. (Earlier at the buffet, having coffee with another guest on a table right next to us, we heard Martin, the hotel’s vice-manager bragging loud about when India’s cricket-stars and Bollywood celebrities stay here, Paparazzi’s follow them everywhere. Transparency revealed and understandably so, we are not as important guests as serving celebrities!). Fast forward… when my husband looked upset, he approached and said are you the guys waiting for a van-shuttle. We couldn’t believe that he knew we’re getting late! And still they wouldn’t take us in any of their other cars. Without making an eye-contact, my always-so-polite husband blurted out, you better have a damn good reason why a pre-paid hotel’s car is not waiting for us. He took his phone out to check on the driver, who just arrived in the same old ratty van. And again, it was the same driver Daniel, who hurriedly put our 2-suitcases in, while we jumped inside with our hung shoulder bags. He drove fast, made all the traffic lights reaching airport in under 15-minutes. The airline almost closed the baggage check-in. Throughout at the airport we were rushing through the busy security-check, the 2-passport controls, a tram-ride to the int’l terminal... So stressed, we didn’t have the time to stop at Swiss Air Business Lounge for a convenient no-line bathroom break, to pick up some swiss chocolates or have a drink. All because Park Hyatt Zurich’s front-desk staff kept screwing us up throughout our stay.
__ There was another unprincipled, shameless and blatantly audacious façade they tried to pull:
Even though our room-stay was reserved with breakfast package (Full Breakfast, Breakfast Buffet) as written on our reservation confirmation, they added each day’s breakfast to our check-out invoice. Unless you remembered your stay was with breakfast included (we paid a whole lot extra for breakfasts and a roll-away cost added to our Room price), they’ll charge breakfasts again to your check-out invoice. Only Diamond-members are entitled to complimentary breakfast, served in The Lounge just across from reception-counter. Guests who are not wearing suits inside The Lounge would likely feel out of place. Even on my business trips, I’ve never been to a restaurant that had an overwhelmingly business-y feel as this place.
__ Our 4th floor room was dark inside when a young hotel associate Alessandra escorted us to our room #420 for check-in. She yapped a lot for a late-night hour “in-room” check-in, mostly asking questions of our Swiss-trip. Unlike professionally trained front-desk check-in personnel, she failed to explain features of the hotel, restaurant hours etc. Hotels usually offer breakfast hours and directions to, and the name of the restaurant where they serve breakfast. Here at Park Hyatt Zurich we forgot to ask that question of where to go for morning breakfast fare. And Alessandra knew our booking mentions it but fails to let us know about it. On the First morning, we forgot that we had Breakfast Buffet (included in paid package) that we can eat at their Parkhuus dining room, or we can order a full breakfast for room service. We decided to call room service for breakfast. They added the entire cost to our room along with a delivery charge. As usually do, we paid the delivery-boy extra cash tip. Next day, we decided to go for buffet, they again added room-charge of CHF 49/person buffet for the three of us. At check-out, I pulled-out my reservation confirmation email to double-check the cost of our ‘King room’. Whoa! Almost CHF 1000/night with breakfast and extra charge for third-adult in the room and roll-away included. We had to ask to remove double-charging for breakfast. They complied but refused to remove the first morning’s room-delivery charge. Their staff’s non-apologetic, incapable of showing humility, unproductive and conceited attitude was such a turn off that even though I do not use Hyatt as much as other brands, I’m now much less proud of being a ‘World of Hyatt’ member.
__Is there more… besides the staff being neither friendly nor professional?
__Yes, for an average hotel, we ask why is this hotel outrageously expensive?
__There’s “no view” from any of its 5 floor rooms, no pool (indoor or outdoor). It looks and operates barely for a corporate associate on business trips. When you pull up at the entrance, it looks like an office building. Although the hotel is right in the heart of Zurich, it isn’t a high-rise; hence views are of similar surrounding streets of workplace buildings. Our room-window had a view and noise of loading-unloading zone of the trucks serving offices across the street. However, its the Street-name on the address "Beethovenstrasse" that was captivating when I booked this hotel.
__Housekeeping was a joke. Didn’t vacuum the room or clear full-to-the-rim garbage bins. Didn’t replace toilet-roll on empty holder. Rain-Shower is not in separate enclosure, but right next to the deep-soaking bathtub. Water gets everywhere when using shower. Housekeeping failed to wipe the slippery wet floor. Didn’t refill the tea-bags/coffee-pods.
__Complimentary shoe-shine was denied. Apparently, they only shine dress shoes. It’s peak of winter, when even indoors, people do wear close to ankle dressy shoes.
__Ironing services are only on prior request.
__ No room upgrade to Suite offered even at extra cost, especially when occupancy felt barely at 50%. Upgrade is exclusively reserved for diamond members.
__ No 24/7 Sports channel, no good entertainment on TV. Just the usual boring repetitive news channels.
__ One more to nit-pick… The room’s door-bell ring was piercing loud. It was startling every time room-service arrived. Walls are paper thin, so even the neighboring room’s door-bell was annoyingly loud. They should lower the high sound decibels.

Here’s what I’m happy to attribute my one shining-star rating to:
__A bowl of apples, a few strawberry covered chocolates and a small bottle of champagne for our anniversary was in the room.
__ Nice spread of Breakfast Buffet, that we could’ve enjoyed on the very first morning as well, since we paid for it. Tim K. and Jasmin served us good at the Buffet.
__ We ordered 2-night’s dinner from room-service menu. Freshly prepared meals were tasty.
__Jamie Javier B.R. was the only interesting staff member we met who wanted to know if we were Greeks, since we were wearing shirts with Athens landmarks. We thanked him for his compliments, and that stirred up quite a conversation about his family-roots and at places he used to live.
__Vincent at concierge gave us a map for our visit to Uetliberg.
__ Since there’s no pool, Club Olympus fitness is open 24 hours. We didn’t use the spa or gym.
__Rooms have a convenient direct socket for North American guests for charging their electronics. Rooms have many USB ports.
__Fast internet throughout the hotel. No surprise there, since it’s officially a business hotel.
__ A separate electric tea-kettle was a huge plus for us, since we are tea-lovers. I liked the ‘Sirocco’ tea-bags provided, it’s a good Swiss Tea brand of estate tea collections.
__A clock on a small vanity shelf in the bath was a nice touch. So was the heated towel-stand.
__Fast internet throughout the hotel
__ King-Bed was a little too soft for me, but I liked the warm feeling of Cherrywood floors.
Until we arrived at Park Hyatt Zurich, our ski-vacation in “Beautiful Switzerland” was mesmerizing!! Having enjoyed great service everywhere else in Switzerland, which aligns within the realm of Swiss culture of nice, polite and cordial people of this country, we never wanted to leave. We’ll come back again to make unforgettable memories, to explore more of Swiss Mountain lifestyle. But not likely stepping foot in this hotel ever again.More