Finding a good hotel to stay in Zurich is not always easy, especially if we take into account the size of the city and the economic aspect, and we cannot forget that Switzerland is not exactly a cheap country and even less so for its accommodation.
That's why we wanted to make your search easier, by giving you a selection of some of the best hotels in Zurich, all of them with an excellent quality-price ratio.
Before choosing one or the other, it is important to keep in mind that finding cheap accommodation in Zurich is not like in any other European city and in most cases, it is difficult to find a double room for less than 100 euros/night, something that is justified if we take into account that the quality of accommodation in the country is above average.
Based on the several times we have visited the city, the last of them during this route in scenic trains through Switzerland, after which we wrote the guide to Switzerland, we leave you a selection of places to stay in Zurich and the best neighbourhoods and hotels. Let's get started!
Neighbourhoods where to stay in Zurich
The first and most important thing before looking for accommodation in Zurich is to know how the city is structured and divided.
Zurich has 12 districts, also known as kreise, listed in a concentric way, which are divided in turn into neighbourhoods, each of them having between one and four.
District 1: this is the most central and famous district, as it is the historic centre of the city. It is also known as Altstadt.
District 2: this district is located next to Lake Zurich and is divided into 3 neighbourhoods: Enge, Wollishofen and Leimbach.
District 3: known as Wiedikon, it is also divided into three districts: Alt-Wiedikon, Sihlfeld and Friesenberg.
District 4: known as Aussersihl, this district is close to the Zurich train station and is very popular for its nightlife.
District 5: known as Industriequartier, as it is an industrial area, this district is right next to the previous one and also very close to the Zurich train station.
District 6: divided into two districts: Oberstrass and Unterstrass.
District 7: located in the eastern part of Zurich, it is divided into the districts of Hottingen and Hirslanden.
District 8: this district is located on the eastern side of Lake Zurich and is known as Riesbach.
District 9: consists of the districts of Altstetten and Albisrieden.
District 10: consists of the districts Höngg and Wipkingen.
District 11: located near Lake Katzen, it consists of the districts Affoltern, Oerlikon and Seebach.
District 12: this is the district furthest from the centre and is known as Schwamendingen.
As you can see, there is a wide variety of places to stay in Zurich, although travellers tend to choose the most central areas to sleep, something we will also do in this post, so that you can make the most of the city, without forgetting, of course, that all the recommendations are good value for money.
1. Altstadt: the historic centre and the best place to sleep in Zurich
Known as the historic centre of the city, this is the best area to stay in Zurich as you will be close to most of the tourist attractions as well as having a wide range of hotels and restaurants.
Within this district, which we could say is the one bounded by the old city walls, there are four distinct areas: Rathaus and Lindenhof, which are the area of the medieval city and are located in each of the parts of the river Limago (Limmat in German) and Hochschulen and City that we could say, are the most modern areas.
The price of accommodation in the historic centre is usually 150 euros although some offers can be found for 120 euros.
Recommended hotels in Altstadt or Historic Centre
Here are the most recommended options we have found for accommodation in the Old Town, taking into account the quality/price ratio:
Altstadt, the best area to stay in Zurich.
2. Seefeld, another of the best areas to look for a hotel in Zurich
In the 8th district, known as Riesbach, we find Seefeld, which is another of the best areas to stay in Zurich as well as being within walking distance of the historic centre, you will be close to the lake and you will have a wide range of restaurants.
Although you can walk to most of the city's major sights from Seefeld, there are several tram stations that will also take you to all of the city's major attractions.
The price of accommodation in Seefeld is usually around 150 euros.
Recommended hotels in Seefeld
Here is a selection of some of the best hotels we have found in Seefeld:
Seefeld, another of the best areas to find a hotel in Zurich.
3. Aussersihl, a good area to stay in Zurich, close to the Central Station and with a lot of atmosphere.
This is the 4th district of Zurich and besides being very close to the Central Station, it has a wide range of leisure activities. These two characteristics make it a good area to stay in Zurich, especially if you want to make a route around the country and need to be close to the train but don't want to sacrifice being close to one of the most lively areas of the city.
The price of accommodation in Seefeld is usually around 100 euros.
Recommended hotels in Seefeld
Here is a list of the most recommended hotels in the Aussersihl area, all of which offer great value for money:
4. Zurich Airport
Although it may initially seem like a bad area to stay in Zurich, if you don't mind taking public transport to the city centre, this is a great place to stay.
It's only 10 kilometres away and connected to the Central Station, so you can stay here and still comfortably enjoy the city's tourist attractions.
The price of accommodation at Zurich Airport is usually around 80 euros.
Recommended hotels in the Zurich Airport area
Here is our selection of some of the best hotels in the Zurich Airport area:
Our recommended accommodation where to stay in Zurich
During our last visits to the city we stayed at the 25hours Hotel Langstrasse, located very close to the Central Station and surrounded by restaurants and entertainment. In addition to spacious rooms, they serve an amazing breakfast.
Another hotel we stayed at is the Boutique Hotel Josef, also located very close to the train station, which is excellent value for money.
After our experience, when we return to Zurich, we would definitely stay again in a hotel in the historic centre or near the Central Station as we believe these are the best areas to stay in Zurich.
The historic centre, the best place to sleep in Zurich
Best Hotels in Zurich
In addition to all the places to stay in Zurich that we have recommended in this post, if you want to enjoy an unforgettable stay in the city and treat yourself, these options we believe are the best to live a few unique days in the city.
Tips for finding cheap accommodation in Zurich
We hope that with this selection of recommended hotels and the explanation of the best areas of the city, you will have a better idea of the best options to stay in Zurich. In addition to these, we can't finish this post without giving you some tips and recommendations for sleeping in Zurich.
Taking into account that most travellers spend 1 or 2 days in the city, it is highly recommended to look for a hotel in Zurich that is centrally located, in order to be as close as possible to most of the tourist attractions. If you can't afford to pay the prices that these accommodations usually have, we advise you to opt for a more distant area, but always taking into account that it has a good connection with public transport.
When you do a brief search, you will see that hotels in Zurich are not cheap, so especially in high season, it is important to book in advance to have more options and more deals.
Remember that to avoid paying commissions and to always have the current exchange rate, we recommend you use the Revolut card and the N26 card, which we use, they are free and will save you a lot of money.
Once you have found the ideal place to stay in Zurich you can organise your routes around the city with the following guides and posts:
10 must-see places to see in Zurich.
Where to eat in Zurich: recommended restaurants
Switzerland Guide
The 10 most beautiful cities in Switzerland
Switzerland by train with the Swiss Travel Pass
Scenic train route through Switzerland
10 must-visit Switzerland travel tips
