Arlette Am Hauptbahnhof Hotel - Zurich, Switzerland 

Although Hotels.com somehow took it upon themselves to cancel my reservation (I hate that sudden paralysed feeling 10,000 miles from home), the staff was kind to fit me in without gouging me. They gave me a lovely room on the street (an ideal street really, for this quaint little city - anything by the old town will be noisy for sure). If you do come in by train and walk, keep going straight from the cross walk through the opening between two buildings, and you are literally at the hotel in less than 5 minutes from the HB. The room is spacious for its rating, clean and kept cool with an automated air system. The breakfast bar is adorable, though the fare is buns, cheese, coffee and juice (eggs are an extra 2.50 each). The main tramway is a block away, so is Starbucks, where you can get a 30 minute free wireless card (a great find in this city of limited open networks). Five blocks away, you can get a FREE bike for the day, which I highly recommend. Food is pricey in Zurich, but if you want a great bowl of pasta, the Zic Rac take away is 10.00; just down from the Starbucks. Our hotel was a super retreat. I looked forward to coming back for an afternoon hiatus and for rest at days end. A very positive experience! Would not think twice about going back to this very same hotel.

Just 5 mins walk from the train station, the location of the hotel is excellent and easy to find. There're restaurants downstairs, and a supermarket nearby in 3 mins walk. The old lady at the frontdesk is very friendly. Her smile has given us such a warm feeling, especially after being kinda interrogated at the Zurich customs for no reason at all. The room is a bit old, but everything is functional. Our room was facing the street, so it was a bit noisy in the early morning when vehicles are passing by. The breakfast only included breads and drinks. It is true that you need to pay extra if you want eggs or hams. But I don't mind pay less for the hotel and eat outside.