• Storchen Zurich (Zurich; www.storchen.ch; tel. 044/227-26-16): Superb luxury hotels are hardly a rarity in Zurich, but what sets this former guild hall apart is its position as the sole hotel directly on the Limmat River, with its own pier—a stop for the Limmat boats—and one of the most romantic vantage points in town. The rooms are also romantic, with soft colors and carpets, as well as touches of contemporary design and modern technological comforts.

  • 25Hours Langstrasse (Zurich; www.25hours-hotels.com; tel. 044/576-50-00): Anyone who still thinks Zurich is all rigidity and seriousness should spend a night in this quirky boutique hotel, part of a miniature European chain but uniquely customized to suit the city around it. Colorful design, amenities like Polaroid cameras and record players, and a very happening Middle Eastern fusion restaurant mark this as the city’s top overnight destination for the hipster jet set.

  • Grand Hotel les Trois Rois (Basel; www.lestroisrois.ch; tel. 061/260-50-50): Claiming to be the oldest hotel in Europe, this inn has operated continuously since 1026. It was the site of a meeting between two Holy Roman emperors and a Burgundian king that eventually established the southwestern borders of present-day Switzerland. Voltaire, Queen Victoria, and Kaiser Wilhelm II were only a few of this hotel’s famous guests. Today, there’s jazz in the bar and a cosmopolitanism that permeates every part of this very comfortable hotel.

  • Bellevue Palace (Bern; www.bellevue-palace.ch; tel. 031/320-45-45): If your budget allows, this Belle Epoque beauty is the most lavish and opulent choice in town—especially if your room has views of the river and the Bernese Alps. Having dinner or a cocktail on the renowned Bellevue Terrace is one of the reasons to come to Bern.

  • Bürgenstock Resort (Bürgenstock; www.buergenstock.ch; tel. 041/612-60-60): This is actually a cluster of hotels, ranging from the ultra-luxurious to the merely extremely comfortable. No matter where you choose to stay, the stunning location above Lake Lucerne, the fine dining options, and the infinity pool lend every bed in this rejuvenated resort a dose of magic.

  • Gstaad Palace (Gstaad; www.palace.ch; tel. 800/223-6800 or 033/748-50-00): Gstaad owes a good chunk of its glitzy reputation to this spectacular luxury haven, which attracts a parade of chic and fabulous guests each winter to create what’s been called the priciest annual house party in Europe. Opened in 1913 on a promontory above the village, it’s welcomed Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson and served as the set of the film The Return of the Pink Panther.

  • Beau-Rivage (Geneva; www.beau-rivage.ch; tel. 022/716-66-66): This prestigious and undeniably beautiful Geneva hotel is a Victorian masterpiece richly associated with the city’s cultural and social elite, with commensurately impeccable service. Although it has long catered to wealthy and conservative French-speaking Swiss, it has made great efforts in recent years to attract a younger, more international clientele.

  • EastWest Hotel (Geneva; www.eastwesthotel.ch; tel. 022/708-17-17): A tranquil, intimate oasis between Geneva’s lake and its main train station, this small town house blends Western and Eastern decor, with copious greenery, thoughtful artwork and delicious French and fusion cuisine.

  • Royal Savoy Hotel and Spa (Lausanne; www.royalsavoy.ch; tel. 021/614-88-88): Built in 1909 during Lausanne’s original tourism boom, renowned for its views over the lake and the Alps, this elegant Art Nouveau palace recently underwent a gorgeous renovation that modernized the rooms while keeping many of the unique furnishings, and the majestically landscaped grounds, intact.

  • Kulm Hotel (St. Moritz; www.kulmhotel-stmoritz.ch; tel. 081/836-80-00): In a resort choked with luxury hotels, this one is the original: site of the infamous bet that first put St. Moritz on the winter tourism map; starting point of the Cresta and Olympia Bob sledding runs; home to an ice rink, a golf course, a bespoke telescope, and the best view you’ve ever had from an outdoor hot tub. The freshly renovated bedrooms are a dream, too.

  • Hotel Appenzell (Appenzell; www.hotel-appenzell.ch; tel. 071/788-15-15): Set on the main square of the quaintest town in Switzerland, this hotel is outfitted in a country-Swiss theme with touches of marble and walnut in the bedrooms. Check out the elaborate antique paneling in one of the dining rooms, rescued from a much older building just before it was demolished.

  • Seiler Hotel Monte Rosa (Zermatt; www.monterosazermatt.ch; tel. 027/966-03-33): It might not be the poshest hotel in town, nor the most expensive, but it was from this historic alpine address that Englishman Edward Whymper set out to scale the Matterhorn for the first time in 1865. To this day, it remains one of the most elegant and traditional hotels in the resort.

  • Hotel Alpenruh (Mürren; www.alpenruh-muerren.ch; tel. 033/856-88-00) It’s as if the big three—Mts. Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau—are sitting on the balconies of the best rooms of this affordable chalet, redone in Alpine chic style in 2018/2019.

  • Chesa Grischuna (Klosters; www.chesagrischuna.ch; tel. 081/422-22-22): In the middle of the Alps’ stuffiest ski resort, this classic hotel manages to radiate genuine warmth and openness. It’s got lovely carved wooden furnishings, murals by renowned illustrator Alois Carigiet, and a guestbook that reads like a who’s who of Old Hollywood.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.