Switzerland Guide
Basel
Accommodation
1 
Au Violon Im Lohnhof 4 
061 269 87 11 
www.au-violon.com Once a convent, then a women's prison, now beautifully renovated to offer comfortable, stylish rooms above a quiet Old Town courtyard. Service is faultless, and they offer discounts for entry to the nearby Bird's Eye Jazz Club. Price: Fr.150-200
2 Casa O Sole Mio Gatternweg 41, Riehen 061 641 54 16 www.basel-bed-breakfast.ch Fine B&B on the outskirts (tram #6 to Pfaffenloh), decorated in Laura Ashley style, with three separate two-room apartments, a studio apartment, and five B&B rooms, all demonstrating the kind of personal touch no hotel can manage. Keen prices, large breakfasts and free use of bikes make this an excellent choice. Price: Fr.100-150
3 easyHotel Riehenring 109 (no phone) www.easyhotel.com Central, budget-priced hotel, in the same family of companies as the no-frills airline easyJet. What you get for your money is a tiny room with a double bed, a shower, toilet and washbasin, and one towel per person; everything else, including food, drinks, TV and housekeeping, costs extra. Most rooms have windows; some don't (they have air-conditioning instead). Check-out time 10am. Tram #2 to Messeplatz. Price: Up to Fr.100
4 Hecht am Rhein Rheingasse 8 061 691 22 20 Plain, unfussy "garni" place, with some pricier rooms overlooking the river and both ensuite and shared-bath options.Price: Fr.150-200
5 Rochat Petersgraben 23 061 261 81 40 www.hotelrochat.ch Centrally placed two-star option beside the Peterskirche, with pleasant, if generic, rooms and a modestly cosy atmosphere. Price: Fr.150–250
6 Stadthof Gerbergasse 84 061 261 87 11 www.stadthof.ch Plain and simple little hotel, bang on the main shopping drag. No ensuite rooms. Price: Fr.100-150
7 Krafft Rheingasse 12 061 690 91 30 www.hotelkrafft.ch Atmospheric old pile on the Kleinbasel waterfront which has had a complete makeover: rooms are now swish and elegant, with contemporary, minimalist styling. Riverside rooms are pricier. Price: Fr.200–300
8 Merian Rheingasse 2 061 685 11 11 www.hotel-merian.ch Affordable quality on the waterfront, with spacious rooms furnished in a pleasant, non-traditional style. Dwnstairs is Cafe Spitz, with a fine riverside terrace and the best fish in Basel, if not Switzerland, serving dishes from Fr.30 upwards.Price: Fr.250-300
9 Novotel Schönaustrasse 10 061 695 70 00 www.novotel.com Excellent business hotel in Kleinbasel's Messe district: the surrounding streets are dull, but the comfortable rooms compensate with superb facilities, including multi-channel TV and hi-tech bathrooms. Onsite parking is an added bonus. Heavy discounts for early booking and/or weekend stays. Price: Fr.200–350
10 Teufelhof Leonhardsgraben 47 061 261 10 10 www.teufelhof.com Outstanding and highly acclaimed boutique hotel in the heart of the city centre. The prestigious "Kunsthotel" section has eight rooms, redecorated every two or three years by a different artist; if you're prepared to do without minibars or TVs, you get the opportunity to live inside a work of art. The "Galeriehotel" bit, with 25 rooms, is less lavishly done up, and so less expensive, but still reworked annually by a local artist. A breath of fresh air compared with Basel's standard business hotels. Price: Fr.250–400
11 Trois Rois/Drei Könige Blumenrain 8 061 260 50 50 www.lestroisrois.com The oldest hotel in Europe, which began life as a small inn in 1026; that year it hosted Emperor Conrad II, his son Heinrich (later Heinrich III) and Rudolf III of Burgundy – the three kings of the title – who met to thrash out the details of Switzerland's absorption into the German Empire. These days, having received most of the crowned heads of Europe over the past millennium, it's still the haunt of presidents and royalty – who of course occupy the beautiful Rhineside suites. Price: Fr.500
12 Basel Backpack (SB hostel) Dornacherstrasse 192 061 333 00 37 www.baselbackpack.ch Friendly, independent hostel about ten minutes' walk behind the main SBB train station. Price: Up to Fr.100
13 Jugendherberge Basel City (HI hostel) Pfeffingerstrasse 8 061 365 99 60 www.youthhostel.ch Fresh, modern hostel with single and double rooms only (all without ensuite bathrooms), located two minutes' walk behind the SBB train station. Opening time: March– OctPrice: Up to Fr.100
14 Jugendherberge Basel St Alban (HI hostel) St Alban-Kirchrain 10 061 272 05 72 www.youthhostel.ch Pleasant riverside hostel – quiet, spotless and well run.Price: Up to Fr.100