Hotel Merian am Rhein

Review date: 25 June 2006

All rooms at the Hotel Merian have a river view which makes the Hotel immeadiately attractive for a visitor to Basel.

Reception staff were professional and efficient, if unremarkable. We were quickly checked in and the room was ours. On the ground floor is a fish restaurant, which is supposed to be one of the better ones in Basel Stadt - although Mark has yet to try it. Perhaps next time?

Rooms upto the fourth floor also have a balcony - rooms on the fifth and up don't. The other things rooms on the fifth floor don't seem to have is airconditioning (at least room 507 doesn't) so fans are (according the hotel info) placed in each room during the summer months. Frankly, aircon in summer is required from a four-star hotel in Switzerland. Especially when it's hot outside. And all your rooms are south-facing.

The other thing I found frustrating was the the size of the bathroom. It was just too small. The bath was titchy. And there was no shower curtain. We also clocked a shower curtain being delivered to another room. Does this mean all rooms are supplied with a shower curtain on request? Not what one expects from a four-star hotel.

I can't help getting the feeling that the hotel could do with an upgrade to four-star standard in spite of the official rating.

One of the more pleasing aspects of the orientation of this hotel and it's location in Kleinbasel is that it commands fabulous views of Grossbasel. The profile of the town against the flowing Rhein really shows off the undulations of the city, it's old buildings along the bank and the churches which towering spires and buttressing. This is worth forgoing balcony for - but I suspect views are better from the fourth floor. Perhaps next time?

In all honesty, theres not a lot to gripe about in this hotel except the lack of aircon and the very small bathroom. It's central, handy for all the major tourist sights, good for public transport (tram stop right out the from), restaurant right there and great views of town. It just seems that the attention to detail is lacking.

Hotel Merian am Rhein

Hotel Merian am Rhein
Greifengasse/Rheingasse 2, CH-4005 Basel
http://www.hotel-merian.ch/anfahrta.htm

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