On our way to a Viking cruise out of Basel, we decided to go in a couple days early to adjust to…read morethe time change, and to wander around the city. We chose Hotel Spalentor primarily for its location. I did not include the breakfast buffet, because we planned to just walk around and find something. Well, the first morning we were a little more tired than expected, so we did in fact do the breakfast. It's basically in the attic of the hotel, but they've done it up very nice and quaint. The buffet was pretty basic, although it did include some very good cheese selections. Service was great, as was the coffee, made fresh cup by cup. Only complaint there is that the cups are very small....so I think we each ended up having 3 cups. The hotel itself was great. The location is perfect for walking around Basel, and we actually walked across the Rhine river one night for dinner, and it only took us about 20 minutes....and what a beautiful walk! Everything was clean, comfortable and the staff were great. Everyone spoke enough English, that we had no problem communicating. The only negative I could see, might be parking if you have a rental car. We didn't, so I wasn't an issue for us. But there didn't seem to be a lot of parking there....but then that also looked to be the case for the whole city. Great city to visit, and if we ever go back for a longer stay, we would definitely consider Hotel Spalentor again.

Our family stayed two days prior to a river cruise. The rates were good, and we got a 10%…read morediscount by booking directly with them. The staff was wonderful! The rooms are large, and they have a breakfast daily. We would stay there again without hesitation.

I really waffled between 3 and 4 starts. However, for the price, I expected better. The hotel is…read morevery nice looking and it's in a great location (walking distance to the convention center, with a light rail stop right outside). The lobby is nice, and the lobby bar/restaurant is good. The rooms are on the smaller side, which I understand is a European thing and isn't really what bothered me. What did bother me a bit was the lack of storage. There was a small 'closet' with about 5 hangers-not enough for me traveling for a week-long conference. There were no other drawers or shelves, so I had to live out of my suitcase for over a week. Additionally, I could never get the room cool enough. This might just be a European thing, either that they just don't have A/C like we do in the US or I am using their HVAC units incorrectly. However, given that we were there in August when it was 95 degrees every day, and the only bedcover they had was a heavy duvet, was a bad combination. This is actually not unique to the Hyperion, as I've noticed a lot of hotels have moved to just having a duvet-great when it's cold but really annoying when it's hot and you have no light top sheet. They did have a fancy system where you could hit a button to indicate "Do Not Disturb" or to have the room cleaned. However, it didn't always seem to work, and my colleague mentioned that despite asking to have her room cleaned on a couple of occasions, it was not cleaned. They have a really nice breakfast buffet, so I will give them that. They had standard American fare, but also more European offerings so you could choose (along with two fancy espresso machines). The staff was also super friendly throughout my stay. It wasn't a bad stay; however, for the price paid I would have maybe expected a little more (guess I was paying for the location).

We capped off our weeklong river cruise with a two day extension in Basel, Switzerland, staying at…read morethe Basel Hyperion hotel. A beautiful, very modern hotel, we were quite pleased with our brief stay. The room had a king bed,1.5 baths, desk, coffee maker, etc. Floor to ceiling windows looked out on a lively weekend faire, crowded with locals. Be aware there is no bathroom door and the shower has clear glass walls. Housekeeping was where the "modernity" broke down - you indicate inside the room for privacy or room cleaning. We indicated a room clean, but the outside Indicator never changed, so we often found no change to the room upon return. We were alerted by the Viking representative that better food is found - not in the lobby bar area - but in one of the other floors (get details in the hotel). The morning breakfast buffet upstairs was large and varied and everything was good. Dinner at the hotel's Gaumenfreund restaurant was outstanding every night - friendly service and wonderful food. In fact the questions for the lobby staff - who are English fluent and very helpful - were always answered with a smile and often going into great detail. We got maps and suggestions for what to see, complementary umbrellas for the rain, and free tram passes, which let us go everywhere. The trams are super modern and you simply hop on and hop off; just keep your ticket handy in case a spot check occurs. A very enjoyable stay.

I've never been to a hotel where I was left feeling so abused before. I'm not sure if this is just…read moreSwiss hospitality or if the attendants at the hotel are particularly rude but it wasn't a terribly nice hotel stay. The ladies at the bar were lovely.

We loved Basel and had a great stay! Central location and walkable to many sites and cafes…read more Sprüngli (chocolate shop) was a 2 min walk from the front door. Celine was incredibly helpful with getting us acquainted with the area, providing local recommendations, arranging transportation and even offered the hotel wicklefisch to float down the Rhine (highly recommend, especially if it's warm out - it was perfect weather when we went). We also really appreciated Daniel and Ivan for giving us good recommendations, being very attentive, and kind. Did not know what to expect, as we had never been before, but Basel was one of our favorite visits. Would definitely come back again for the great service, cleanliness and convenient location.

Location location location! Easy to walk to restaurants, nightlife and sightseeing locations. In…read moreaddition, public transportation is right out the front lobby. The hotel common areas and rooms, nicely decorated and updated. The hotel staff were all very nice in general. Amenities all good, gym, water stations and restaurants. My friend and I stayed 3 nights and 4 days in mid September. First night we arrived in the evening, check-in was flawless, staff was very friendly and informative. Our room was fairly big, nicely decorated, hardwood floors and it felt clean. The bed comfortable and the air conditioning worked well. There was a coffee machine, mini refrigerator and safe. Bathroom were nice but tiny. The Gym was good, plenty of towels, a water bottle filling station, disinfectant spray and paper towels. I saw a lot of early morning swimmers walk through the hallway from the glass window I was biking from. We had the breakfast buffet every morning before setting off to sightseeing. The breakfast selection was perfect, cold meats, cheeses, hot dishes along with a large selection of breads, pastries, plenty of coffee machines and juices, couldn't ask for better. I would definitely stay here again.

This is perhaps the worst hotel I have stayed at in modern history. They checked us in late without…read morean apology or a comp. They were unable to help with reservations or advice on someplace to eat nearby. they gave us incorrect so we can make reservations for ourselves. The Wi-Fi barely works. We kept having to go down and have them help us. well, the room was clean, so I'll give them that.

Wonderful hotel. So clean and nice. Kamila at the front desk was amazing for so many reasons. She…read morehelped us figure out parking location and where to go eat, plus setting up our family room. Would definitely stay again without question. Kamila you are amazing.

From the owner: The Passage, a four-star hotel in downtown Basel, opens its doors in the first quarter of 2014…read more Come discover this modern, elegant, welcoming world. It is the hotel's location that gives it its name, for it stands upon Basel's ancient fortifications, the boundary between the old town and the new city. The Passage creates a bridge between epochs, combining a unique interpretation of refined living in a designer environment.

This hotel is stunning! The staff is really professional. It is a wonderful place to have a coffee…read moreor tea break. The menu is pricy but it is a highly rated international hotel, so that makes sense. I went early in the morning and enjoyed tea and coffee with my family. The setting is incredible and it was quiet and peaceful.

What a fantastic experience this grand hotel was - from check-in to check-out. We were here for a…read morespecial wedding anniversary and they treated us more like loving family than guests. To say the service was 5-stars would not be giving the whole picture. It was relaxed, charming elegance with many small kindnesses adding up to a very warm happy experience. And the food was other level. We were fortunate to dine at Cheval Blanc and it lived up to its lofty reputation. A definite "wow" experience. But the hotel cuisine at lunch and even breakfast was also top-level. There are windows into the kitchen in the hotel and you can watch the chefs (including renowned chef Knofl) hard at work performing their craft. All of this does not come inexpensively. This is a 5-star hotel and Cheval Blanc is a 3 star Michelin restaurant. So you will have to spend some money for the experience. But there are many expensive experiences that do not live up to expectations. This one does and, in fact, exceeds them. Note: this hotel is part of the Amex Grand Hotels program which provides a room upgrade if available and a 100 Swiss franc spending credit in the hotel.

The breakfast buffet was fabulous. I honestly do not remember ever experiencing kinder staff at a…read morehotel. I love everything about this hotel, it is clean and amazing.

Who would design a bathroom with the toilet smack dab behind the door???…read more Location is convenient for business people who might have to attend something at the Exhibition Square, but it requires a tram ride to get to the main part of the city and to walk along the Rhine River. However, a transportation pass is provided by the hotel and the tram stop is either on the corner (#14) or across the street (#6). Both get you to the town center. There is no evening turn down service so we had to request extra towels and a roll of toilet paper. Staff is very friendly and the breakfast that was included was okay. Unfortunately, dining al fresco is a problem everywhere because smoking is just soooooooooooooooooo chic in Europe. They must have some special deal with Tauck because the ending cruise people were there at the same time that the beginning cruise people were there.

We were only here for 1 night before the Rhine River cruise, and we made the most of it. We…read moreventured off the beaten path to find an authentic Swiss restaurant. We had our eyes on one before we left, but they were full for the night. On our walk back, we looked at every restaurant menus that were posted on the doors, and happened upon what we call a "happy accident", Torstübli. Tiny, charming and quaint with only 6 tables inside, but with the menu of a Michelin Star establishment. We were greeted with an amuse-bouche - shrimp croquettes, that definitely made our mouths' happy. Then, the main courses: Angie had Wild Venison Medallions, and I had Calf Cheeks. Both were sensational; fork-tender and accompanied by roasted autumn veggies. We would come back to Switzerland just to go to this restaurant.

Basel is a wonderful city; clean, safe and great public transportation. We easily moved from the…read moreMesse area to the old town. Our 1st dinner of our trip was at Tor Stubli. We were fortunate that the springtime rains had moved on and we had lovely weather for sitting outdoors. The restaurant has a nice enclosed patio covered with grape vines Our server proposed a Swiss red wine from an area 40km from Basel. It was a surprisingly nice red wine. My colleague has a special meat dish and I had the wiener schnitzel. Both dishes were very well prepared. If you are visiting Basel, I recommend a visiting Tor Stubli.

One might want to mute the sound on the computer before opening the hotel link, or be faced with…read moresome hideous musak. That aside it is truly a non-cheesy experience staying at the Hotel D. HD calls itself a 'design hotel', and that would seem to be accurate. The lounge adjacent to check-in is all clean lines and tasteful yet cheerful colors. I enjoyed an espresso while leafing through a copy of Gala after a long afternoon of hoofing around town. (Did you know that Seal has moved on from Heidi and that Prince Albert of Monaco is being upstaged in the 'class' department by his nephew? It's all there in Gala!) I absolutely loved the standard-sized room we stayed in facing the back of the hotel (read: no street noise). The room was 'klein aber fein'. The bed was firm, the shower was like a water fall pouring from the ceiling, and all was tastefully decorated. The hubs felt like he was wasting water using the shower, and took the shortest showers possible out of guilt. The TV had, as one could imagine, German, Swiss, French, and Italian channels. The BBC was also available, and I think we were able to catch a re-run of Graham Norton. The gym, tidy yet small, has one stationary bike, one stair machine, and one treadmill. I went early enough in the morning to do a little sweating, so I didn't not have any competition for the machine I wanted to use. We skipped breakfast (not included), and braved the streets for our fare. I'll share a pretty rockin' brunch spot we found out toward the German border in a soon-to-be-written post. On both check-in and check-out we dealt with the same young woman who was friendly yet professional. I forgot to mention that Hotel D is located approx. one street over from the Rhein, and, on a sunny day, that's right where one wants to be!

This is one of the nicest small hotel in Basel. Yes, if you want to have a grand hotel with grand…read moreentrance and grand pool etc to impress your in-laws, this hotel is not for you. But, for business traveller or family, this hotel is very nice. Service is great. They always smile. The room is not big but elegant and modern. The shower .... ahhh the best.

Great hotel, looks new, modern and well kept. Staff was helpful and spoke english. Lobby had a…read morelively bar, and a restaurant, which, unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to eat at. Unlike other Novotels I have been to, this one had some drinks and snacks available to purchase at the lobby. Right off the bat, they give you a BaselCard, which allows you to use the city public transportation (busses and trams) and half price on many touristic attractions across the city, during your stay. Public transportation in Basel is top notch, and you can get pretty much any where, including bordering french and german towns, using it. We were a family of four and stayed in a executive room on the 4th floor. Very spacious and comfortable. Had a queen bed and a sofa bed. Big screen TV with an immense amount of channels in german, english, french, italian... Room has a minifridge with complimentary water, and a Nespresso machine with 6 free capsules that are replenished daily. Plenty of outlets, including near the bed. Nice bathroom, fairly large. Loved that there was a shower separated from the tub. Also the toilet was in a separated space. Interestingly, the wall between the tub and room was some kind of "tanned wall", that appears as normal see through glass until you press a button and it becomes opaque. Worth mentioning that the hotel is a 15 min walk from the SBB railway station, but there are at least 3 nearby tram station. There is also a small grocery store 5 min from here. Overall, great hotel, would stay here again if I ever have the opportunity to comeback to this beautiful city.

This Novotel is a nice, modern American-style hotel conveniently located near the train station…read more Comfortable beds, spacious bathroom, and overall roomy space so you don't feel squished to death with your bags. They have a nice breakfast setup downstairs with tons of fruit, meats, breads, coffee, tea, cereals, etc. Staff is friendly although we did have to follow up with them several times to solve an issue in our room.