Inside the Zurich grande dame hotel where the Lionesses will stay for Euro 2025

Telegraph

a day ago

The UEFA Women's Euros will be held in Switzerland this year and England's champions are in for a treat as they defend their title. The Lionesses' den for the tournament will be the five-star grande dame of Zurich, the Dolder Grand.
This turreted fairytale castle of a hotel, which opened in 1899 and has hosted iconic figures from Sophia Loren to Nelson Mandela, is all about luxury. The squad will find Lamborghinis and Bentleys in the car park rather than Fiats or Vauxhalls, while hallways are lined with valuable artworks. Guests will be wearing Hermès or Chanel and carrying the results of a day's shopping in Zurich's gilded streets.
Two Norman Foster-designed wings made of steel and glass flank the hotel's belle époque old building, tastefully blending contemporary design with the likes of sweeping staircases and opulent chandeliers. All 175 rooms are large for Zurich and made for lounging.
Most have south-facing balconies and offer views of the lake or forest, while even entry-level rooms have bathtubs. The players may well be hoping for a suite, as these come with their own saunas and whirlpool bathtubs, as well as butler service.
This time, in short, England has stepped its hotel game up a gear. The four-star, more corporate Lensbury in Teddington was the Lionesses' base back in 2022, when England hosted the tournament. This certainly wasn't slumming it, but with off-season prices there starting at around £130 it isn't fair to compare it to the Dolder, whose comparative rate is £648. For the 2023 World Cup, business hotel brand the Crowne Plaza was chosen, in Terrigal, Australia.
These clearly served as excellent bases, as the team reached the World Cup final in 2023 and beat Germany 2-1 in the Euros final in 2022. Perhaps it was these successes, and the subsequent surge in support, that has led to the decision to book a hotel befitting of this century's most successful England team.
A group from the FA went to 23 different base-camp options before deciding the Dolder was the one. Manager Sarina Wiegman described finding the right 'home from home' as 'one of the most important elements for tournament football'. It's certainly a much more characterful choice than the utility-focused hotels often chosen as the accommodation for sports teams.
And so, some 55 people, including players and staff, will be heading to the Dolder, deep in the forest on the Adlisberg mountain. Sitting high above Lake Zurich, many rooms have breathtaking views over the water towards the Glarner Alps, but as remote as this may sound, the players will only have a 20-minute drive to their training ground at Sportanlage Au. Plus, the squad can get into the city in around 10 minutes, if they have time for some sightseeing (I would suggest the Fifa Museum might be of interest).
The hotel's gym and spa is the perfect place to recuperate after a tough game. Captain Leah Williamson and her teammates can choose between doing laps in the 25-metre indoor pool, or relaxing those muscles in the sauna or outdoor hot tub while enjoying views over the lake. Fellow guests may see them relaxing on one of the loungers on the terrace, or testing their mettle in the cold plunge pool.
The hotel also offers forest bathing sessions and guided meditation (ideal for getting in the zone), as well as yoga, Pilates and even ballet lessons. If I can insist upon anything, though, it would be that the players treat themselves to a massage, which starts at £190 for 60 minutes. I came out feeling like I had just discovered what a massage should really feel like.
The squad will be travelling with two chefs and a nutritionist, who will work with the hotel's catering team to create the breakfasts, lunches and dinners of champions. A pity not to be able to enjoy two-Michelin starred The Restaurant, while even the more casual Saltz may prove difficult to resist, with its hearty central European dishes such as Wiener schnitzel and potato gratin. Perhaps after the final.
The choice of venue will also help meet UEFA's sustainability recommendations, which encourage squads to use low-emission transport rather than fly to the games. England's opening fixture against France on Saturday July 5 and the next one against the Netherlands on Wednesday July 9 will both be at Zurich's Stadion Letzigrund, while the last group stage match against Wales will be in neighbouring St Gallen, 50 miles away.
The players could even use Switzerland's famously efficient train system if they make it to the final in Basel. The men's team failed on this count in 2024, when its choice of the beautiful but remote GolfResort Weimarer Land in central Germany meant they had to fly to many of their matches.
The Dolder's manager described hosting the Lionesses as an 'honour' for the hotel, so they are sure to receive the warmest of welcomes and, as in the most recent World Cup, will have an area decorated in the colours of England. Let's hope the team does as well in this tournament as it did last time – if only to stay in the lap of luxury a little longer.