Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel — Hotel in Zurich

Stayed at the Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel for three nights, and overall, it was a decent experience with some standout features and a few letdowns. I’m a Titanium Elite member, for those who track that sort of thing.

Booking and Service: Booked with a mix of points and cash under separate reservations, which could’ve been a mess, but Roy via chat was a lifesaver. He sorted us into a suitable family room (two doubles) for three adults for the entire stay. Incredibly helpful and accommodating—major props to him.

Room: The family room with two double beds was spacious and well-suited for three adults. Loved the setup with the toilet in a separate room from the shower—practical for multiple people getting ready at once. Clean, comfortable, no complaints here.

Breakfast: Breakfast was a highlight. Great spread with a solid variety, though it was the same each day. No berries, which seems to be a hotel trend, but everything else was high quality. Easily one of the better hotel breakfasts I’ve had.

Executive Lounge: The Sky Lounge was a nice perk. Open 6 AM to 11 PM, with breakfast from 6:30 AM to 10:30 AM (11 AM on weekends), snacks from 5 PM to 7 PM, and wine from 5 PM to 10 PM. Free wine (Spanish Tempranillo and Sauvignon Blanc) was a win for us wine drinkers—didn’t spot any free beer, but we didn’t care. You could access the lounge even when “closed” for coffee, soda, fruit, sparkling water, and light snacks. Evening food was just okay—fine for a quick bite but not substantial enough to replace dinner. Good for a pre-dinner drink and snack, though.

Dining: Ate at Atelier Five one evening, and it was a major letdown. Overpriced and overrated. The tapas looked premade, like they’d been sitting out for hours, and tasted mediocre at best. The cheese fondue was fine but wildly overpriced for the portion and quality. We skipped lunch and dinner at Equinox because the menu felt limited, and after the Atelier Five disappointment, we weren’t willing to risk another overpriced meal. Stick to the breakfast—it’s their strong suit. For other meals, eat elsewhere in Zurich.

Overall: The hotel shines in service, room comfort, and breakfast. The lounge is a nice touch for light bites and drinks. But dining options beyond breakfast are underwhelming and overpriced. If you’re looking for a solid base in Zurich with great staff and a comfortable room, this works. Just plan to eat out for lunch and dinner.

Edit/Follow-up: Just to clarify in response to the management reply: cost wasn’t the issue. We’re more than willing to pay Swiss prices when the quality matches—and we did, multiple times throughout our trip. Atelier Five simply served bad food. The tapas tasted stale and premade, and the fondue was forgettable. The elevated pricing only amplified the disappointment. We understand local market standards, but this wasn’t a case of sticker shock—it was a case of poor execution. If the kitchen can’t deliver fresh, high-quality dishes, it’s not a pricing problem. It’s a...

In a 5 star hotel in Switzerland, the front desk should be able to speak ALL national languages ​​+ English. Some employees can't even speak German. only English. let alone French and/or Italian.

Empty mini-bar in the room. Scandalous!

3/4 star breakfast. In a 5 star hotel, hot drinks MUST be served at the table, as well as hot dishes. And breakfast in the room should be included. here you have to pay for it! literally said by the manager!

Room services of a 3 star maximum. Paper cups for coffee, wooden spoons (sticks). No snacks.

In a 5 star hotel, evening turndown is ESSENTIAL.

In a 5 star hotel, I expect that if I book a 30 m2 room, I don't have to make it known and have them change rooms.

In a 5 star hotel, the staff must be MUCH more prepared to answer simple questions.

In a 5 star hotel that has room service for meals, I expect a place where I can eat. This does not include a desk or bed, or even a coffee table.

In a 5 star hotel where I pay 900 chf for 3 nights, I expect parking included, concierge for luggage.

In a 5 star hotel in Switzerland and I say this as a Swiss woman, I expect MUCH MORE! like clearing an outside table. 5 dirty hours with aperitif glasses, ashtrays etc. still on the table.

TV channels!? Smart TV?! Better not to talk.

Horrible dinner. Poorly made aperitif dish. Not even in a poor bar would they serve it this badly. We ask for French fries and they bring Country potatoes (frozen and purchased). The issue is pointed out and we are told that they are home made. BIG JOKE! Tar Tar can be good from Coop or Migros supermarket.

Approximate room cleaning. With various forgetfulness. Refilling missing coffee, tissues, teaspoons etc. Poorly made beds. Poor sheets, open at the bottom, like in a poor 3-star hotel.

Dirty outdoor tables, dirty sofas, full ashtrays. We order drinks and instead of cleaning the table, they serve the drinks on the dirt!

Poorly dressed staff, not well-groomed.

if I make a request to the front desk about the rooms, and to call and notify the floor maids or the housekeeper, I expect it to be done! This does not happen! So much so that, I had to speak to the room staff personally.

VERY DISAPPOINTED! In conclusion it is ABSOLUTELY NOT A 5-STAR HOTEL. Barely...

My private review link expired, so unfortunately for Marriott, I have to leave this review publicly. When I arrived on October 30, 2024, everything was fine with checking in, they even upgraded me to a junior suite and told me breakfast was included with the upgrade. Once I got to my room though, things started going downhill. I found bugs attached to the curtains while I was eating dinner in my room, so I took pictures and took them to the front desk. The worker saw the pictures and immediately concluded that they were baby cockroaches. Gross. Anyway, it was late at night, but the front desk was able to find a room to move me to and advised me to email them the pictures, so I did. (See the pictures below)

The next morning, I go downstairs to confirm I can eat breakfast in the hotel restaurant. The worker tried to deny me until I pulled the pictures out again & she walked me over to breakfast, letting me know I’d have to have an “escort” to breakfast each morning as the inclusion was not reflected in their system yet. That was fine, however, I opted NOT to eat breakfast at the hotel for the rest of my stay.

At night, I tried to stay warm in the room, but the heat didn’t work, no matter the setting. When I asked the front desk about it, they said “give it some time, it’s an older building”. Well, 4 days was not enough time, but maybe if you stay longer, you’ll experience some heat! :)

Lastly, during check out, everything was fine until 4 of the workers crowded around one of the computers while I sat in the lobby to plan my day. I speak a little German given I live in Germany, so I was able to understand that they were laughing about the bugs I had found in my original room, something I didn’t find so funny. And bold of them to share a laugh over my situation while I was sitting right in front of them!

Also worth noting, the workers were drinking behind the bar during their shift, which was quite surprising but I’m also not familiar with Swiss culture. It wouldn’t have bothered me if the service wasn’t slow as a result.

All in all, it’s actually a great location with many transportation options in short walking distance, but I wouldn’t stay there again.

P.s.- the rest of my trip was amazing!! Highly recommend Switzerland as a trip...