Zurich has a new grand hotel! The lifestyle Kameha Grand with opulent design by Marcel Wanders opened its doors on March 1st. And this is how it went at the pre-opening…
The groundbreaking ceremony less than two years earlier had already heralded a highly promising large-scale project in which star hotelman Carsten K. Rath had commissioned star designer Marcel Wanders to bring Zurich a grand hotel of the opulent kind. At the time, when we interviewed him, Marcel Wanders let us in on what “the next big thing” would be in the hotel sector: stars alone wouldn’t do any more – today’s guest expects an unforgettable experience! You can find the interview with Marcel Wanders here on our travel blog.
Naturally, we were curious to find out how the trio’s high-flying plans were coming to fruition in the harsh reality of the hotel business.
Kameha Grand Zürich
The Kameha Grand opened its doors on March 1st with – what else – an open house. Located in Glattpark, the new urban district near the airport, the hotel is easily reached from all points of the compass, with the Zurich main train station just 15 minutes away.
As in most of his projects, Hollander Marcel Wanders marries his opulent design language with local idiom and the accustomed wink: So, huge cowbells hang from the ceiling in the reception area, in the rooms you will find partitions that look like chocolate bars, and the mini bar is hidden away in what resembles a large bank safe.
With the desk made to look like a bank vault, too, we clearly have a theme here. But it doesn’t stop there; the Appenzell paper cuttings and the Toblerone-shaped pillows also remind the guest: this is Switzerland!
The new hotel strives to distinguish itself from the pack with clever individuality and richly varied design. Beyond that, founder and CEO Carsten K. Rath stresses the warmth and openness of his staff: The top-class team he has assembled is there to encourage all guests to find their personal favorite spot, be it the Smoker’s Lounge, the Shisha Bar, one of the hotel’s restaurants, the hotel room, or even the roof terrace. Whereby I was easily able to attach myself to the Puregold Bar ;-).
Favorite spots for connoisseurs
The exclusive Smoker’s Lounge with its noble armchairs and big selection of Cuban and somewhat milder Dominican cigars make the hearts of cigar aficionados beat up-tempo. Large-format backlit photographs further stimulate them to puff away soulfully at the dried and rolled up tobacco leaves.
Right next door, the Shisha Lounge radiates a touch of authentic 1001 Nights ambiance.
Culinary Moments for Epicures
In Restaurant L’UNICO, chef de cuisine Igino Bruni banks on house made pasta, fresh ingredients and craft-brewed Limoncello, no less! Here, too, Marcel Wanders was inspired to do something special: Hanging from the ceiling, a pasta plate six meters in diameter and an the oversized pepper mill spice up the Italian food with some “hot accents.”
Japanese Restaurant YU NIJYO with chef de cuisine Norman Fischer treats sushi and sake lovers in a soigné dark ambiance.
Offered during the day in the Puregold Bar & Lounge are coffee and fine variations on the cupcake, while in the evening the bar – decorated with gold coins – transforms into the perfect watering hole for sipping cocktails and long drinks in a relaxed atmosphere.
The Rooms and Suites
The 245 rooms and suites blend comfort with stylish design and “Swissness.” The rooms vary by size and location. Besides its 224 Premium and Deluxe rooms, the hotel has Executive, Business and Theme Suites (such as the Poker Face Suite, Fair Play Suite or the Diva Suite). We would have been especially keen on seeing the latter, but during the pre-opening they were still putting finishing touches on the suites.
The Kameha Grand Hotel deliberately dispensed with the usual star rating, because they want the guest to rate the hotel. There is also the fact that many companies have changed their expense account policies to keep staff from booking 5-star lodgings while on the road. A star ranking system hence would automatically shut the hotel out of an attractive market segment. But one thing is clear, stars or no stars: The Kameha Brand Zurich is definitely not your plain vanilla hotel!
Check out rates and availability here.
And here’s Marcel Wanders himself explaining the design concept:
More impressions from the pre-opening event:
