Zurich: Hotel Atlantis has reopened
On December 1, the Atlantis by Giardino at the foot of Zurich's Uetliberg reopened after three years of renovation. The hotel has 95 rooms with a minimum area of 34 square meters, and luxury suites have been added to the top floor. There are also two restaurants open to the public in the hotel, as well as an indoor and outdoor pool (25 m) and a 1,500-square-meter spa area, which is also open to day guests.
The Atlantis was built between 1968 and 1970 according to plans by architects Hans and Annemarie Hubacher in collaboration with Peter Issler, and today parts of it are listed as historic monuments. In the 1970s, the hotel was considered a style icon, attracting international stars such as Muhammed Ali, Steve McQueen and Freddie Mercury. In 2004, however, the operator went bankrupt, and from 2009 the Atlantis served as accommodation for asylum seekers. Since 2010, students have lived in the rooms, and in 2012 an investor from Qatar bought the property.
"As a stage for international guests and a meeting place for Zurich residents, we want to hark back to the hotel's glamorous days in the '70s and '80s," says Martin Vossen, general manager of the hotel. Accordingly, the interior was designed in a modernized 70s style.
The Giardino Group includes Giardino Mountain (Champfèr near St. Moritz), the parent company Giardino Ascona, Giardino Lago (Minusio near Locarno), Atlantis by Giardino (Zurich) and the Ecco restaurants in Zurich, St. Moritz and Ascona. The new Giardino Grindelwald resort is scheduled to open in 2017. (ah)
