Women in designer dresses and high heels all head in the same direction: they want to aim high – not just in life, but also at the Hotel Five. On the top floor are a restaurant with a club, a cigar lounge and a terrace looking out over the lights of the little metropolis. The five-star house opened last July with much fanfare and offers 87 suites and 62 lifestyle rooms. It was built by the wealthy Kabir Mulchandani, born in India and living in Dubai – who invested 90 million francs in the new building.
Asylum Seekers at the Atlantis
Previously the Hotel Atlantis stood here, with an eventful history: after it closed, the rooms were home now to asylum seekers, now to squatters or students. In its golden years, however, Elton John, ABBA, Freddie Mercury and Rihanna stayed here. As a reminder of those glamorous days, some of the stars are immortalised as graffiti on the new Five facade – the first impression on arrival. The second is the trumpets placed along the driveway, from which music sounds that accompanies you throughout your stay. Inside, a gigantic gramophone and a colourful lobby greet you.
From Afar, Even a Traffic Jam Looks Nice
Because the hotel sees itself as a digital brand, we tried to book via Instagram. That worked only so-so: a reply came after 26 hours. In analogue reality, the welcome goes better: a shift change is under way at reception, which explains the high number of staff; key cards and espressos are briskly pressed into our hands. Our room with a living and sleeping area, around 280 francs a night, is on the first floor. The eclectic, modern furnishings appeal, even if some furniture and walls already show signs of wear.
Every guest has their ritual on entering the room. We feel the urge to jump on the bed – we restrain ourselves and instead step onto one of the two balconies to admire the view over Zwingli’s city. In the evening, a sea of lights shimmers below. From up here, even the red-and-white traffic jam looks beautiful.
Cosmopolitans and Cuisine
We start with a glass of «Zürischum» and meet hotel director Markus Rapatz – one of the few who speaks German. That is exactly what makes the stay cosmopolitan: staff and guests come from all over the globe. You notice this internationality in the spa, where guests sit in the sauna in their swimwear and leave the doors open, so hot are they. We’re glad we booked a relaxing massage – the perfect preparation for the evening. At the Five you can choose from five restaurant concepts. During our visit, the Chinese fine-dining spot Maiden Shanghai is closed so the Asian crew can visit their families.
Disco on the Roof
The penthouse is the Five’s «party heart»: instead of the most expensive room, it houses a restaurant, bar, smoking lounge and club. In the Japanese spot we dine to pleasant house music; the fairy lights on the ceiling later create a disco mood. With creative sushi we drink a «Cuban Manhattan» and a «Very Dirty Martini» and sway to the DJ who, in sunglasses and top hat, spins with overflowing enthusiasm.
At the opening, the club was open three evenings a week; today, for want of visitors, only the bar and smoking lounge are open. Influencers made the address known last summer, but word doesn’t seem to have reached London or Berlin that you can sleep and club here. We too move our club night down into the city.
Farmyard or Fast Cars
In summer you also meet the party crowd at the pool – although in Zurich playing music outdoors is complicated. Not the only conflict on the city’s edge: loud fast cars trouble the neighbourhood too. In the Atlantis days, it was the other way round – the cowbells of the neighbouring farm bothered the guests. The next day we explore the place: the Chinese restaurant’s room now serves breakfast, and at the Soul Street restaurant five national cuisines are on the menu. We fancy Latin America – soon guacamole and tacos are before us, amid red Chinese lanterns, a Thai food truck, Japanese manga and a hippie bus.
Bass in Bed
It’s Saturday; around midnight the waitress stamps our wrists for the club. 90 people are expected, a few of the smart set are already there, ordering magnums of champagne with showers of sparks. We dance briefly beneath the huge chandelier, toast to life – and know: soon we’ll sink into a vast, incredibly comfortable bed. We hear the thumping music until the lift doors close; in bed, a faint bass lulls us to sleep.
* The stay was supported by the Hotel Five.
This article appeared in MEN issue 1/23 (June 2023).
