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This article is part of a guide to Zurich from FT Globetrotter
The latest addition to Living Circle's small but impressive portfolio of properties, Alex Lake Zürich, a modern waterfront hotel, has a more resort feel than the city center properties, Storchen and Widder. Located outside the city in the pleasant suburb of Thalwil, the hotel is only a 10-minute train ride from the Zürich Hauptbahnhof, or a quick ride across the lake on the Living Circle speedboat. There aren't many places you can escape so quickly or so elegantly.
Many residents of the group's other Zurich hotels will spend a few days at the more relaxed Alex, especially during the summer months when you can literally go down to the lake to cool off after sunbathing on the hotel's wooden deck. The water is clearer – if slightly cooler – than in the city, and by midsummer it can quickly rise to 24°C (except for the jellyfish that usually accompany such temperatures in the Mediterranean).
The focus here is all on the lake. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows at the front of the hotel look across the water to the village of Erlenbach with chalet-style homes dotting the green hillside, and right down to Rapperswil-Jona and beyond to the snowy peaks. From the Glarus Mountains.
Thalwell itself is a pleasant, quiet residential area, with small gardens extending to the water's edge, where, during our visit in May, young families were spread out, dipping into the shallows of the lake and grilling sausages at communal barbecues. There's not a huge amount to see – but once we hopped on the hotel's sturdy electric bikes, we found we could speed off to the massive spaceship-like Lindt Museum in a few minutes, or up the steep hill past the enclosed villas to get a glimpse of the countryside beyond.
Rooms
Our room on the first floor was like a modern Swiss apartment, with a small kitchen, wooden floor, modern lamps and furniture in gray and lake blue. The spacious balcony was the perfect place to sit in the shade in the late afternoon and watch swimmers jump from the jetty and, beyond that, speedboats zip down the lake to Rapperswil.
Restaurant and terrace
The interior of the hotel is made entirely of wood and light neutral colors – light and calm prevail. The lounge leads to the impressive lake-view restaurant 'The Alex', which – perhaps surprisingly for an out-of-town restaurant – offers a business lunch for CHF49 for two courses, or three courses for CHF59 and a more sophisticated evening menu. . The Living Circle has a farm across the lake in Herrleberg, as well as a winery in southern Switzerland – and the group prides itself on its local cuisine: all the fishermen are name-checked and all suppliers are listed, and bread from its Imholz bakery produces breads made from the grains. Old for more than 90 years.
On our visit, we made the most of a fantastic brunch on the terrace which seemed to show no sign of slowing down when we had to leave for the airport in the mid-afternoon. The crowd was a mix of hotel guests and charming tables of Zürchers who met friends for the generous buffet rich with grilled meats and Bloody Marys in the sun.
Spa and gym
A cozy little wood-clad underground spa with a hammam, steam room and sauna has direct access to the lagoon, so you can dip into the water if you feel overheated, or retreat if you start to feel cold. The small gym has all the usual equipment and is open 24 hours.
In a glance:
Good for: Escape from the city and get to the lake
Not so good for: Culture – you'll need to go into town for this
FYI: The hotel, and indeed the entire Living Circle Group, is plastic neutral
Rooms: 41 rooms/junior suites, plus two floors
Prices: Double, starting at CHF420 ($475/£377)
Don't miss: A trip on the hotel boat across the water to Herrliberg for dinner at Buech, the Living Circle's gorgeous hillside restaurant. In warm weather, reserve a sunset spot on the terrace, and watch the light fade over the vineyard sloping toward the lake, with snowy mountains in the distance. In the winter, you will feel pampered in the restaurant's interior design, which resembles Heidi's.
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Rebecca Rose was a guest on The Living Circle
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