Night 1: Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich Zurich, Switzerland Beautifully located right on the famous pedestrian Bahnofstrasse in the center of Zurich, the Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich is convenient to the city’s many pleasures. Cheerful guest rooms feature Italian designer furniture, large, electrically adjustable beds, flat-screen TV, trouser press, triple-glazed windows, air conditioning, kettle with an assortment of teas and coffees, hairdryer, in-room safe and granite-clad bathrooms. The Café Gourmet, right at the hotel’s entrance, is the place to stop for quick sustenance or one can enjoy a bite to eat or a nightcap in the cozy Schweizerhof Bar.
Night 2 & 3: Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa Interlaken, Switzerland Built in 1864, this imposing and distinctive property, a marvelous example of beaux-arts architecture, fulfills everyone’s mental image of what a deluxe Swiss hotel should be. Centrally located in the heart of lovely Interlaken and offering the best views of the Jungfrau of any hotel in the area, this five-star hotel offers a wide range of world-class amenities and facilities to ensure a memorable stay. Luxurious guest rooms, with their fine fabric wall coverings, create an atmosphere of comfort and coziness complemented by top-notch amenities. Tennis players will love the Tennis Center, swimmers will be delighted by the elegant, pillared swimming pool and those in search of a workout will find everything they need in the spacious, well-equipped Fitness Room. Dining options include the formal ambiance and innovative French cuisine of La Terrasse, La Pastatecha beckoning pasta lovers, and the Jungfrau Brasserie with its exclusive focus on Swiss specialties. You’ll find a superb selection of sandwiches as well as your favorite libations at the Victoria Bar or indulge in a fine cigar accompanied by a selection of rare blended whiskies and single malts at the Intermezzo Bar.
Night 4 & 5: Hotel Obermuehle Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany Conveniently located a short drive from Oberammergau in the Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the charming Hotel Obermuehle has been family owned and operated since 1634 – exactly as long as its neighbor’s famous Passion Play has been in existence. Situated near the foot of the Zugspitze, the hotel features a rustic ambiance along with contemporary amenities. Comfortable guest rooms offer free high-speed Internet access, cable TV featuring at least one English-language channel with international news, coffee/tea-maker, iron/ironing board and hairdryer. Guests can also relax in the Hotel Obermuehle’s luxurious heated indoor pool, sauna, solarium and spacious garden. Enjoy Bavarian, international, Mediterranean or Asian cuisine at the hotel’s three restaurants – SPAGO Café-Bar, Restaurant Muehlenstube, and Bar zum Mühlradl – or kick back with a brew at the Bavarian beer garden.
Night 6 & 7: Grand Hotel Lienz Lienz, Austria Majestically framed by the Grossglockner and the Dolomites, a new gem of a hotel gleams in southern Austria near the Italian border – the Grand Hotel Lienz, a luxurious five-star retreat that opened in 2009. Overlooking the city of Lienz below and the surrounding alpine landscapes, this stunning riverside property combines a stately façade evoking the grand architecture of centuries past with modern elegance, creating a sophisticated ambiance throughout its carefully designed, spacious guest rooms and inviting public spaces. Offering a wide range of culinary delights featuring a marriage of traditional alpine and Adriatic cuisines as well as international fare, the Grand Hotel Lienz’s five individually designed restaurants include the romantic Terrace & Garden with views of the River Isel; the sleek, Belle Epoque-inspired Fireside Salon; and an elegant bar and lounge.
Night 8 & 9: Hotel Goldener Hirsch Salzburg, Austria Situated on the renowned Getreidegasse across from Festival Hall in the Baroque heart of Salzburg, and rich in tradition, Hotel Goldener Hirsch dates back to 1407. Guest rooms, which artfully combine historical décor and antique furnishings with totally modern amenities, feature flat-screen TV with cable channels and in-room movies, air conditioning, mini bar, dual-line telephone, hairdryer, bathrobes and slippers and a sitting area. Dining options include the internationally acclaimed Restaurant Goldener Hirsch featuring fine Austrian cuisine and the more casual Restaurant S’Herzi offering authentic Salzburg cuisine, such as its signature dish, Nürnberger Bratwürst. Bar Goldener Hirsch, which occupies an inner courtyard where visitors’ horses would wait centuries ago, is a favorite spot of many distinguished international travelers. Do try the house-specialty “Rendezvous with Susanne” cocktail for ingredients were added as its namesake grew up. The Hotel Goldener Hirsch has earned a place on the Conde Nast Traveler Gold List every year since 2005 and the readers of Travel + Leisure consider it one of the world’s best 500 hotels.
Night 10 & 11: Hotel Imperial Vienna, Austria Built in 1863 as the residence of the Prince of Württemberg, the Hotel Imperial is just what its name implies – elegant, sumptuous and stately. Its prime location on the Ringstrasse also makes it one of the most desirable and convenient addresses in Vienna. Luxurious guest rooms feature marble bathrooms, silk-covered walls, bathrobes, air conditioning, in-room safe, mini bar, satellite or cable TV and other amenities appreciated by today’s sophisticated travelers. Many famous authors penned their works in the inviting atmosphere of the Café Imperial, where the smell of fine coffee is almost irresistible. You might enjoy claiming one of the cozy niches in the Bar Maria Theresia and enjoying your favorite libation. In the most recent poll, the readers of Travel + Leisure voted the grand and gracious Hotel Imperial the very best hotel in the city.