Reviews of Hotel UTO KULM car-free hideaway in Zurich 4 stars

Incredible views and super comfortable room and bed

Awkward power sockets wouldn’t fit UK 3 pin plug or my 2 pin European adapter. Receptionist refused to transport me with my luggage to Uetliberg Terminus - said they would transport the luggage but passengers were limited to those who were old or disabled. Though there was still space for a passenger. This was quite frustrating.

We stayed at Uto Kulm hotel for 2 nights, and it was a terrible experience. They gave us a room under the roof. That day was very hot, and the room was even hotter. We looked for the air conditioner… but guess what? There was no air conditioner. We paid 315 euros for this room for 2 nights. When we asked why there is no AC, they said: “Air conditioners are bad for nature.” And they told us we can use the fan in the room. When we reacted to this strange answer, they told us the real reason: Because we booked a “cheap room.” We asked to change the room, and they took almost 220 euros more from us. In the new room, there was air conditioning. So maybe this one is not bad for nature? In total, we paid around 550 euros for 2 nights. It was the worst hotel experience we ever had. At night, there was a party in the hotel. Loud music until 1:00 a.m. We could not sleep. This is a hotel — people come to sleep, not to suffer. And about the location: the hotel is on top of a mountain, far from Zürich. The trains do not go there. You must park your car and take 2 buses. You must pay for the buses, and after 23:00 there are no more buses! We have visited many countries. Of course, every hotel can have small problems. But this place was a disaster. Please, do not choose this hotel.

Staying at Uto Kulm was truly a unique experience. Since it’s located in a car-free zone at the top of a mountain, it offers a peaceful and refreshing atmosphere. There are plenty of scenic trekking options around, and the free shuttle buses make it very convenient. The hotel is less than a 10-minute walk from the bus stop, and the panoramic view of Zurich both from the mountaintop and the room is simply breathtaking.

Nothing at all.

Loved the friendliness of the staff and the scenic views and location.

Preparations were underway for an event the following day where there were lights and music playing intermittently throughout the night making it difficult to combat the jet lag.

We couldn’t access the hotel by our car

Comfortable bed and pillow, huge clean room

We arrived quite late in the evening (around 22:00–23:00) after a stressful trip with two bus changes and a 10-minute walk through the forest to reach the hotel. Unfortunately, the welcome at reception made our arrival experience even more disappointing. When we entered, the receptionist was not at the desk and only came out from the back room after our second attempt to get his attention. His first words were, “You are for check-in??” — in a tone that felt annoyed and impatient, rather than welcoming. The combination of his body language, facial expression, and the way he spoke gave us the impression that we were an inconvenience rather than valued guests. After a long and tiring journey, this felt very unprofessional and unpleasant. The situation continued when he asked for my credit card. While I understand that hotels require this for security, the way it was explained — “If you break something, we will charge you” — was blunt and unfriendly. A professional receptionist should be able to explain such policies politely and reassuringly, ideally with a smile. The lack of courtesy and basic hospitality skills here was very disappointing, especially considering the price and reputation of the hotel. On a positive note, the room itself was spacious, with a comfortable bed and pillows, and a nice view over Zurich from the top. The lady at check-out the next morning was polite and professional, which helped improve the overall impression somewhat. In summary, while the room met our expectations, the check-in experience with the night receptionist was extremely unwelcoming and unprofessional. I truly hope the hotel management addresses this issue and provides proper training, as first impressions are crucial — and unfortunately, ours was very negative.

Staff friendly, helpful nothing was too much trouble. Had the spa to ourselves.

Not aware of how steep the walk from the station was.

Amazing view, clean room and nice to have the sauna. Even if the trains were not working, it was easy to go there by bus, once figuring out which bus to take! We had the dinner in the hotel restaurant, with the 5 courses menu => Amazing

No air conditioning, only a fan on the ceiling.

The view of Zurich was ok.

The hotel did not mention in advance that the transport service was unavailable. We only received a standard email with directions, which would have been helpful had the shuttle been running. As a result, we had to walk uphill with our luggage and arrived just 15 minutes before check-in, feeling quite uncomfortable. We were then asked to wait outside until the exact check-in time. While we understand this is the policy, a bit of flexibility or consideration would have made a difference. For a 4-star hotel, the details felt somewhat lacking. The room offered only small coffee capsules, which were charged at 2 Swiss francs each, and no welcome touches were provided. The property itself was very quiet, with only a few guests during our stay. The one highlight was the view of Zurich from the mountain, which was truly beautiful. There is also a tower that enhances the view even more, although it requires an additional fee. Overall, while the scenery was memorable, the hotel experience itself did not live up to expectations.

Position amazing The lunch was excellent and service staff at the restaurant friendly and helpful

The front desk staff unfriendly and unhelpful Our room was not cleaned on second day. Worst experience I have had and at a Swiss hotel.

Completely ANYTHING!!! It was not possible to get the hotel by car and taxi, and that is not written in the description so we discovered that only after booking, and hotel didn’t want to cancel prenotation and do refund. The administration doesn’t want to help to explain how to get to hotel (in instruction what they sent it was written ti take 1 bus, but by phone they told we need to change two buses, and anyone couldn’t explain us even the number of the bus and where it stops, administration speaks English very bad. We only lost out money and few hours of our time trying to get the hotel and in the end we were obliged to book another hotel because it was not possible to get to that one. Our weekend and staying in Zurich was destroyed 😭😭😭

Completely ANYTHING!!! It was not possible to get the hotel by car and taxi, and that is not written in the description so we discovered that only after booking, and hotel didn’t want to cancel prenotation and do refund. The administration doesn’t want to help to explain how to get to hotel (in instruction what they sent it was written ti take 1 bus, but by phone they told we need to change two buses, and anyone couldn’t explain us even the number of the bus and where it stops, administration speaks English very bad. We only lost out money and few hours of our time trying to get the hotel and in the end we were obliged to book another hotel because it was not possible to get to that one. Our weekend and staying in Zurich was destroyed 😭😭😭

Absolutely stunning hotel

The view and toiletries products

Free car the Hotel is vary far frome the public parking when you're carrying your luggage

Nothing

They way to get there is too hard for luggage and they are not helping to carry you and your luggage, there is a lot of flying bugs you will not open the window it was the worse choice

The location is amazing. I wish there were more opportunities for getting back to the hotel via transportation or cable car, but nothing runs back up, so it is hard for some people (taxi also does not take you)

The price is steep, especially $75 dinners per person, you have to be ready for not having other restaurant options around, other than 2 hours down the hill

Great location, friendly hardworking staff to make.you stay enjoyable , fantastic location

Spa could be better organised, appeared crowded when we booked as supposed to have a maximum of 6 persons, but people just walk in and try their luck. No kettle and teabags in the room, the coffee machine is not clean therefore not used.