Five-star Three MICHELIN Keys Talstrasse, by the lake, Zurich
Baur au Lac
A palace hotel of 1844 in its own park by the lake, still owned by the family that built it and one of Switzerland's three-Key hotels.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- Three Keys, 2026
- Rooms
- 119, including 45 suites and junior suites
- Opened
- 1844, by Johannes Baur
- From the airport
- About 20 minutes by car, our estimate
The hotel
Seven generations by the lake.
Johannes Baur had already opened Baur en Ville on the Paradeplatz in 1838. Six years later he built a second one on the shore of the lake and gave it a park of its own, which it keeps today. The Petit Palais, its ballroom, has been the setting for events for some two centuries, says the hotel, and the guest list has filled with royalty, heads of state and artists. Empress Elisabeth, Richard Wagner and Alfred Nobel all stayed here.
The hotel has never left the family; the seventh generation runs it today. A major renovation brought larger suites and modern technology to the rooms, which range in style from Louis XVI to Art Deco and English Regency. In 2020 the readers of Condé Nast Traveler voted it the best hotel in the world, and in 2026 the MICHELIN Guide gave it three Keys, its highest mark. The gourmet Pavillon is closed for now, while it is transformed.
- The park Private gardens between the hotel and the water, used for aperitifs in summer, with the Bahnhofstrasse a short walk away.
- Marguita The Mediterranean restaurant at the edge of the water, with a terrace looking over the lake to the Alps.
- Fitness on the roof A fitness club at the top of the building, with views over the park and the lake.
Rooms & suites
From Louis XVI to Art Deco.
The 119 rooms include 27 junior suites and 18 suites, from 25 to 100 square metres. No two are dressed alike.
- Rooms Single and Double rooms From 25 square metres, in styles that run from Art Deco to English Regency, with some contemporary touches.
- Junior suites Junior Suite Twenty-seven of them, in the same range of period styles as the rooms.
- Suites Lakeside and River suites Up to 100 square metres, among them the Lakeside Corner Suite over the park and the lake.
Dining
By the water and in the hall.
Restaurants as listed by the hotel. The Pavillon, its gourmet restaurant, is closed for a transformation. Shown for information.
- Marguita Mediterranean At the water's edge, with a terrace for drinks
- Baur's Brasserie Brasserie and bar with a long wine list
- Le Hall Afternoon tea The lobby bar
Recognition
Keys and readers' votes.
- Three MICHELIN Keys 2026
- Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards No. 1 hotel in the world, 2020
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 3 pm, check-out by noon.
- Children Welcome at any age. Children up to three stay free in a cot or an existing bed; extra beds on request.
- Pets Accepted, with a possible charge.
- The Pavillon The hotel's gourmet restaurant is closed for a transformation; the hotel plans to reopen it in a future summer season.
Getting there
Flying to Zurich.
Zurich Airport lies nine kilometres north of the centre, and the drive to Talstrasse takes about 20 minutes, our estimate. Private jets use the General Aviation Center at the same airport, where Jet Aviation runs the executive terminal.
- Nice 55 min
- Paris 1 h 00
- London 1 h 25
- Dubai 6 h 35 long-range jet
- New York 8 h 40 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does Baur au Lac have?
- Three, the guide's highest distinction, in the 2026 Swiss selection.
- Is Baur au Lac still family-owned?
- Yes. Johannes Baur opened it in 1844, and the seventh generation of his family runs it today.
- Is the Pavillon restaurant open?
- Not for now. The Pavillon is closed for a transformation. Marguita by the water and Baur's brasserie are open.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Zurich?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Zurich, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Zurich
Other hotels worth the trip.
- The Dolder Grand An 1899 château on the hill above the city, enlarged by Norman Foster, with a spa of 4,000 square metres.
- La Réserve Eden au Lac Forty rooms in a century-old building on the lake, reworked by Philippe Starck, with a bar on the roof.
- Widder Hotel Nine medieval townhouses joined by the architect Tilla Theus, with a jazz bar and a two-star restaurant.
- Mandarin Oriental Savoy The oldest grand hotel in Zurich, opened in 1838, reopened by Mandarin Oriental in December 2023.
Staying at Baur au Lac?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Zurich, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.