Hotel Helvetia — Hotel in Zermatt

The Helvetia Budget Hotel is, without a doubt, the worst hotel I've ever been to.

Don't get me wrong; there's nothing inherently wrong with a budget hotel, so the following things aren't that important to me:

Poorly functioning temperature control for the showers A missing shower door in room 2 An electrical socket located right above the pillow, making it impossible to use at night in room 10 An absent receptionist on the first night I checked in Watermarks on the ceiling of room 10 A bathtub instead of a shower in room 10, with a showerhead you can't stand under paper thin walls and floors

The reason I rate this as the worst hotel ever is that, after charging you prices comparable to a 3-star hotel elsewhere, they treat you like garbage:

My first night at this hotel was upon my arrival in Switzerland. I stayed in room 6, which was small but acceptable. The boss wasn't there, but a friendly man was (the next morning). My only remark: when I arrived for breakfast, there was almost nothing left. Two people arrived 15 minutes after me. I asked what they wanted, but they took one of the last croissants and said it was enough. As I was packing my things, the cleaning staff entered my room. I explained that I was almost ready to leave and asked for another minute (this was definitely before 10:00).

One and a half weeks later, after many great experiences elsewhere, I returned to Helvetia.

I was returning to Zermatt and emailed them to book an extra night, but I never received a reply.

When I arrived without a reservation, the hotel boss informed me that they were fully booked. Naturally, I checked Booking.com to find another hotel, only to discover that Helvetia still had a room available. I booked it and went back to the boss, who then went to check. What happened next was that I was handed a key and told, "Fine, take room 2, but tomorrow you'll move to a single room." Small side note: I did pay the price for a two-bedroom room that night (127 Swiss francs).

The next morning, I arrived downstairs for breakfast at exactly 09:04, thinking it was served until 09:30. I said "Good morning" to the boss, only to receive the response, "What are you doing?" I replied, "Checking in for breakfast." Apparently, breakfast was until 9, so she said, "Breakfast is closed," and that I should have known from the note on the door. I said it was just after 9, but she pointed to a clock on the wall (Swiss punctuality, I guess). Baffled by what had just happened, I asked two other people sitting in the dining area if they'd had the same experience—they had.

When I returned my room key a little later, I got a similar reaction: "What do you want?" I explained that I was returning my key. The two friendly people were still in the dining area, watching in disbelief at what was happening.

After a two-hour coffee break and some rationalization, I moved to my already booked and paid-for room: room 10, on the 3rd floor.

Sleeping late in this hotel is impossible because you hear everything from the same floor and the floor above, and the cleaning staff starts cleaning at 7 AM.

This time, I was on time for breakfast (around 08:20), and while it was good, like everything else you experience in this hotel, it seemed designed to rush you out. The boss was making so much noise preparing the tables for the midday restaurant service that it was far from a relaxing breakfast. I truly wonder if she just dislikes people trying to enjoy a well-earned vacation.

When I returned to my room to pack my things, the cleaning staff had already entered and removed the bed linen and my bathroom towel. It felt strange, and I've never had that happen before. I wanted to change clothes but wasn't sure they wouldn't barge in.

In conclusion, it's pretty clear: I'm never coming back here and would advise you to book any other hotel or stay in a youth hostel. Buy some good earplugs—you'll be better off and pay a fraction of the price for the nonsense you'll experience here.

P.S.: The internet doesn't work on...

Zermatt is an expensive town so we were happy we could save a bit with the hotel. We were worried at first based on the reviews saying it was a bit noisy but we had no issues up on the higher floor we stayed on. We would recommend this hotel if you're staying for just a night or two and are looking to control your budget while in Zermatt because eating out and the activities here are expensive.||The room was just a place to sleep. We had two twin beds with slats underneath that were a bit loose and they fell out when I sat down but after we fixed it we found the beds to be comfy enough. The rooms are dated with older furniture and a mix of furniture and lighting. There was a small TV and a DVD player but we saw no need to use them with all the things to do and see in Zermatt. We did hear a little bit of noise from the bars at the street level but it wasn't too bad. If you get a lower floor you may want to consider bringing your own earplugs.||The bathroom was interesting. There was a pretty big jacuzzi style bath tub with a shower head attachment - I am tall and I had to sit down to shower but my shorter wife had no issues. The bathroom had a towel warming rack with an interesting extension to hang light clothing but it did not warm. The lighting was a little dim but the lights above the sink did not work and those would have helped.||The breakfast at the hotel was nice and they had a nice variety of fruit, breads, Swiss cheese and some hardboiled egg. They had juice, milk and could make coffee to order as well. The hotel had laundry machines and some popular restaurants on site.||The location is the best part about this hotel. It is a 5 minute walk to the train station and very centrally located. It is close to the Gornergrat Bahn, Matterhorn Museum and the church Eglise St. Mauritius. The viewing platform of the Matterhorn at the church is great to watch the sunrise hit the tip of the Matterhorn and it is not too busy so if you have a clear day it is worth the short walk and getting up early. We went in early November so not all the hotels, shops and restaurants were open yet but there was more than enough open to keep us happy.||The hotel does not have an elevator and the stairs are a little narrow so do not bring too much to visit Zermatt. We loved Zermatt and appreciated this hotel for its affordability and location. If you are not looking for anything too fancy the Hotel Helvetia will work for sleeping and some down time. ||It is important to note that Zermatt does not allow cars but we found parking affordable and accessible at Täsch railway station and very frequent train service to and...

Zermatt is an expensive town so we were happy we could save a bit with the hotel. We were worried at first based on the reviews saying it was a bit noisy but we had no issues up on the higher floor we stayed on. We would recommend this hotel if you're staying for just a night or two and are looking to control your budget while in Zermatt because eating out and the activities here are expensive.The room was just a place to sleep. We had two twin beds with slats underneath that were a bit loose and they fell out when I sat down but after we fixed it we found the beds to be comfy enough. The rooms are dated with older furniture and a mix of furniture and lighting. There was a small TV and a DVD player but we saw no need to use them with all the things to do and see in Zermatt. We did hear a little bit of noise from the bars at the street level but it wasn't too bad. If you get a lower floor you may want to consider bringing your own earplugs.The bathroom was interesting. There was a pretty big jacuzzi style bath tub with a shower head attachment - I am tall and I had to sit down to shower but my shorter wife had no issues. The bathroom had a towel warming rack with an interesting extension to hang light clothing but it did not warm. The lighting was a little dim but the lights above the sink did not work and those would have helped.The breakfast at the hotel was nice and they had a nice variety of fruit, breads, Swiss cheese and some hardboiled egg. They had juice, milk and could make coffee to order as well. The hotel had laundry machines and some popular restaurants on site.The location is the best part about this hotel. It is a 5 minute walk to the train station and very centrally located. It is close to the Gornergrat Bahn, Matterhorn Museum and the church Eglise St. Mauritius. The viewing platform of the Matterhorn at the church is great to watch the sunrise hit the tip of the Matterhorn and it is not too busy so if you have a clear day it is worth the short walk and getting up early. We went in early November so not all the hotels, shops and restaurants were open yet but there was more than enough open to keep us happy.The hotel does not have an elevator and the stairs are a little narrow so do not bring too much to visit Zermatt. We loved Zermatt and appreciated this hotel for its affordability and location. If you are not looking for anything too fancy the Hotel Helvetia will work for sleeping and some down time. It is important to note that Zermatt does not allow cars but we found parking affordable and accessible at Täsch railway station and very frequent train service to and...