Every year, Condé Nast Traveler asks its readers to rate the hotels they've stayed in, and every year, Switzerland punches well above its size. For 2026, the magazine's Readers' Choice Awards crown The Dolder Grand in Zurich as the best hotel in the country, with a score of 98.55 out of 100.
The ranking says a lot about where Swiss luxury lives today. Zurich alone takes five of the ten spots, Geneva two, and the mountains three, with Zermatt, Gstaad and St. Moritz each represented. Two of the top three hotels belong to the same man, French hotelier Michel Reybier. And two of Zurich's grandes dames were founded by the same hotelier, Johannes Baur, back in the 19th century. Here's the full list.
10. Park Hyatt Zurich, Zurich
The most contemporary hotel on the list opened in 2004, a few minutes' walk from Lake Zurich and close to the city's business district. Clean lines, a modern design and a great location is what makes the Park Hyatt Zurich a favorite with travelers who prefer understated luxury to grand-hotel ceremony.
Credit: Park Hyatt Zurich
9. Badrutt's Palace Hotel, St. Moritz
Opened by Caspar Badrutt in 1896, Badrutt's Palace is St. Moritz's best-known silhouette, thanks to its famous tower overlooking the lake. With eight restaurants, a spa and its own shopping gallery, it's less a hotel than a winter village of its own, and one of the Alps' most glamorous addresses.
Credit: Badrutt's Palace in St. Moritz
8. Baur au Lac, Zurich
Six years after the Savoy, Johannes Baur did it again. Opened in 1844 in its own private park on the lake, Baur au Lac has welcomed some memorable moments: Richard Wagner's Die Walküre had its world premiere there, and Bertha von Suttner first imagined the Nobel Peace Prize in one of its salons. Still in the hands of the founding family's heirs, it remains the definition of discreet Zurich luxury.
Credit: Baur au Lac
7. Gstaad Palace, Gstaad
With its fairy-tale towers overlooking the village, Gstaad Palace has been a symbol of Alpine glamour since 1913. It has been run by the Scherz family since 1947, now in its third generation, and counts 55 rooms, including 35 suites, plus an 1,800-square-meter spa. Few hotels feel this much like a private club.
Credit: Gstaad Palace
6. Mandarin Oriental, Geneva
On the banks of the Rhône, steps from the Old Town and the shopping streets, this hotel opened in 1950 as the Hôtel du Rhône, the first luxury hotel built in Europe after the Second World War. It joined Mandarin Oriental in 2000 and remains one of Geneva's most elegant addresses.
Credit: Mandarin Oriental
5. The Woodward, Auberge Collection, Geneva
Geneva's first all-suite hotel sits in a 1901 Belle Époque building facing the lake. It opened in 2021 with 26 suites, a two-floor Guerlain spa and the city's longest indoor pool, at 21 meters, according to Auberge Collection, which took over its management in 2025. The Woodward is also home to L'Atelier Robuchon, Geneva's only two-Michelin-star restaurant.
Credit: The Woodward
4. Mandarin Oriental Savoy, Zurich
On Paradeplatz, in the heart of Zurich's banking district, the Mandarin Oriental Savoy is where the city's hotel history began. Johannes Baur opened it as Baur en Ville in 1838, Zurich's very first hotel. After a full renovation, it reopened as a Mandarin Oriental at the end of 2023, with 80 rooms and suites and Orsini, its Michelin-starred Italian restaurant.
Credit: Mandarin Oriental Savoy
3. La Réserve Eden au Lac Zurich, Zurich
Reybier again, this time on the shores of Lake Zurich. Philippe Starck turned the Réserve Eden au Lac, a city landmark since 1909, into what he calls an "imaginary yacht club," with 40 rooms and suites designed like cabins and a rooftop restaurant with 360-degree views. Playful, intimate and right on the water.
Credit: Réserve Eden au Lac
2. Schweizerhof Zermatt, Zermatt
On Zermatt's car-free main street, this Alpine landmark was reborn under Michel Reybier after an eight-month renovation, reopening with 95 rooms and suites and five places to eat, from the Peruvian La Muña to a Cheese Factory for fondue and raclette. It's mountain luxury without stiffness, which may be exactly why travelers love the Schweizerhof.
Credit: Schweizerhof Zermatt
1. The Dolder Grand, Zurich
Perched on the hill above the city, The Dolder Grand opened in 1899 and was completely reimagined by architect Norman Foster, who restored the historic main building and added two modern wings. It reopened in 2008 with 175 rooms and suites and a 4,000-square-meter spa. Today it's as much a city resort as a hotel, with views over the lake and the Alps, and an art collection that makes every corridor worth a detour.
Credit: The Dolder Grand
The Swiss Way of Luxury
What this ranking shows is a country that does luxury in two ways: grand historic palaces still run by families, and newer addresses that rethink what a luxury hotel can be. Travelers clearly love both. And while the ranking leans heavily toward Zurich, Switzerland's real strength is variety: in a single trip, you can go from a lakeside palace in the city to a chalet-style hideaway at the foot of the Matterhorn.