The Dolder Grand Spa

Welcome to the second iteration of Vogue’s global spa guide, an index of the 100 best spas in the world, built from the expertise of our global editors and trusted contributors. There is a lot to choose from in the world of wellness, and no matter how far you’re planning to travel—from a subway ride to a trans-Atlantic flight—we want to make sure it’s worth the journey. Whatever your path, let us be your guide.

Why go here?

That the Dolder Grand towers over Zurich sets up an easy metaphor: For well over a century, the palatial grande dame has truly been the city’s top retreat. I could practically hear the regal fanfare once the hotel—all stately cupolas and wooden spires—came into view. Yet while pomp may be in abundance here, the Dolder Grand is, first and foremost, a place for wellness. (Even in 1899, the property was billed as a sanatorium and wildlife park.) In the early 2000s, the hotel underwent a massive renovation by Norman Foster that refreshed its belle epoque spaces and unveiled a mega spa with a truly bonkers list of amenities: an 82-foot-long swimming pool, 19 treatment rooms, a top-of-the-line fitness center, indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis, a mosaic-tiled meditation room, a snow room, four steam and sauna rooms, and a row of oversized bathtubs filled with warmed volcanic pebbles.

What’s the vibe?

A visit to the Dolder Grand blew the lid off of what I would have previously described as my ideal day. This is now how it goes: I stretch awake in my ludicrously sleek suite—think Bang & Olufsen flat-screens, touch screens on every surface, panoramic Alpine views—and ring for breakfast (poached eggs, a bowl of muesli, a carafe of coffee). I then descend to the Swiss-meets-Japanese spa and make a beeline for the bubbling infinity-style hot tub that overlooks the snowy rooftops of Zurich. Afterward, just before my fingers begin to prune, I make a daring dash back inside to warm up in a succession of saunas and steam rooms, rinsing and repeating until my muscles have turned to pure putty.

The history?

The history of the Dolder Grand is very much part of its appeal. Since opening in 1899, the property has played host to countless luminaries and dignitaries (Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Sophia Loren, and the Rolling Stones among them). It underwent a large-scale renovation in 2008, which added spiffy new spa and golf wings to the castle-like main dwelling—two juxtaposing structures that create a link between the hotel’s old-world grandeur and tech-tinged modernity. This past-meets-present theme is also reflected in the Dolder Grand’s century-spanning art collection, which shows classic pieces by Salvador Dalí and Max Ernst alongside more contemporary works from Takashi Murakami and Keith Haring.

What should you try?

The treatment menu at the Dolder Grand is as expansive as a good restaurant’s wine list. Simply put, there are a lot of options to choose from across four wellness categories: Relax, Vitality, Beauty, and Detox. Beyond the spa standards are more ambitious offerings, like the Bamboo Shiatsu massage (in which a masseuse taps on your pressure points with a stick of bamboo) or the Caviar Indulgence facial by La Prairie that promises skin as bouncy and pearlescent as a bowl of beluga.

I selected the Custom Massage, which may have been my most intentional, and effective, spa treatment in recent memory. After rattling off my problem areas (neck, back, shoulders), my masseuse went to work—zeroing in on areas of tension as though she had a metal detector for aches and pains.

Who can go?

The Dolder Grand’s facilities—pool, Jacuzzis, saunas, meditation room, and fitness center included—are open to hotel guests. For a pretty penny, the spa is also available to outside visitors (the day pass ranges in price from CHF 290.00 to 460.00). The hotel also offers an exclusive membership program for locals or frequent guests.

Booking details for The Dolder Grand Spa