Zurich-Kloten Airport (ZRH): Approximate driving time is 25 minutes and distance is 11 kilometers (7 miles).

Trains (S2 and S16) are available for transfer from the airport to the Oerlikon station and on to the central SBB train station further south. Taxis also run from the airport to any location in Zurich. The hotel puts on a shuttle service (22CHF per person).

Trams connect the hotel with the rest of central Zurich within 15 minutes. The closest tram stop to the hotel is Albisriederplatz. The hotel can order taxis on request.

This hotel has 364 guestrooms. They are equipped with a spacious dark timber work desks, chairs and dark curtains. Some also have the added comfort of a leather sofa. The varying strong carpet tones combine with a creamy white paint scheme and a selection of cheery still-life prints to produce a light, airy feel. The cream tile bathrooms have makeup mirrors and a generous array of toiletries.

Relais des Arts - International cuisine with a French leaning is the key in the hotel's main restaurant. Dishes can range from vegetarian ravioli to Norwegian salmon filets. Special menus also abound, such as the autumnal venison options. Local people and hotel guests mingle in a dining area of pleasing simplicity, with bistro-style wooden chairs and upholstered booth-style benches. A singular touch is the art hanging on the walls, part of a permanent collection of modern (mostly Swiss) painting owned by the hotel. In summer, tables are laid out in the internal hotel terrace, creating the temporary Garden Restaurant.

The Letzi Leu - Guests piling in for their buffet breakfast here are watched over by photos and paintings of athletes in various acts of sporting prowess. The theme continues on the floor, where brass plaques commemorate the names and victories of numerous champions. For lunch and dinner, diners have a choice of self-service hot buffet or the daily changing menu - the chef is on hand to take your requests.

The Lobby Bar - Six oils by Z?h artist Hans Falk depicting scenes of lascivious night life are also a permanent element of the hotel's art collection. Clientele perch on stools around the horseshoe shaped bar sipping cocktails to piano music. A new pianist makes an appearance every month or so to add variety. The bar opens for lights snacks during the course of the day and then late into the night.

What to expect: Once inside the low-slung building guests find themselves in the lobby, renovated in 2003 with a light swirling brown Italian marble floor, leather lounges and, in the center, Joseph Staub's twirling chrome sculpture Celestino. The place attracts top shelf business clientele but when international athletics meets are on at the nearby stadium, the hotel fills with athletes and their entourages.

Amenity highlights: The 24-hour basement fitness center caters to all possible wellness requirements. In addition to the heated indoor pool, sauna, steam baths and vast array of exercise machines, hotel guests can also join classes ranging from aerobics to yoga to the latest trend of spinning. A team of health and fitness specialists is on hand to help out and guests can even book a health check-up.

Insider tip: The modern art displayed across the hotel, and particularly in the Relais des Arts restaurant, is part of the hotel's Nova collection and made up mostly of modern Swiss paintings and a handful of sculptures and constitutes a permanent exhibition. The works are not for sale.

The outstanding feature of the hotel is the 24-hour 2,000 square meter health club in the basement. With more than 2,000 external members and around 50 full- and part-time staff, the center could easily occupy all of the hotel guest's time. Along with the pool (a sun terrace is opened above the pool in summer), sauna, solarium, steam baths and large exercise machine areas (one outdoor), guests can also join aerobics, yoga, step, spinning and a host of other exercise classes. Most of these services are free to hotel guests. One-to-one trainers, nutrition advice and medical check-ups cost extra.

The hotel offers a series of meeting and conference rooms. The Workshop Center, behind the reception on the ground floor, includes a business corner with PC and other equipment. The meeting rooms have magnetic walls on which to attach anything from the coat hangers provided to wall charts. Hotel staff can also download and print out personalized editions of nearly 150 newspapers from around the world.