By Everett Potter

Is the Baur au Lac the best hotel in Switzerland? I’ve stayed in most of the country’s finest properties and a strong case can be made that this 175-year-old hotel with its own manicured park overlooking Lake Zurich in the heart of that city is just that hotel.

Start with the discreet entrance, off a courtyard where a lunchtime guest’s Ferrari or Lamborghini might be tucked away. The entrance is within earshot of lakeside strollers at the end of the Bahnhofstrasse but seems like a world away. Even so, it’s walking distance to the best of the city’s sights.

White-suited bellman with peaked caps welcome you into the lobby, which is small and intimate, not one of those dramatic 21st century entry halls that are designed to wow you. What “wows” you instead at the Bauer au Lac is the level of friendliness and the warm greeting of the staff. This is old, genteel Europe … continue reading