Hotel Rochat

Our room was large, with a seating area and a lovely, spacious shower room. The TV was huge but we didn't investigate it much as we were too busy having fun in Basel. The location was excellent and close to the old town. The public transport is free with your Basel card and very frequent. A 5 minute walk takes you to the University no. 30 stop with buses going from and to both railway stations and obviously places between (other buses and trams are available). The buses have screens telling you which stop is next so is totally idiot proof for those, like myself, who don't get out much. You don't even need to try and speak to anyone - just get on! The breakfast was much more comprehensive than I anticipated including cooked, croissants and bread, fruit, yoghurt, cheese, ham etc and I understand the coffee machine made very good coffee - however tea (ie English breakfast variety) is not the same as at home... but that is no surprise...

Everything was pretty good really but FYI no tea/coffee making facilities in the room which those of us who generally only holiday in the UK expect. Also - in an ideal world I would like a restaurant and or bar for those evenings when you are exhausted after all the culture/fun.... but to be fare the hotel never said there was...

The location is close to the university and the old town, but far enough from the tourist centre that it’s quiet. We arrived early not expecting to be able to check in, just to leave the luggage, but the room turned out to be ready. They also upgraded our room to a much larger room which was very nice. The breakfast was very good with plenty of things to choose from. The staff were all friendly and helpful.

For the nice standard of the room, the facilities were somewhat basic. There was no tea/coffee making facilities when we first entered the room, although they provided a kettle and cups when we asked for them. It would have been better if they were already there as standard.

Lovely hotel. Good value for money. Staff excellent - esp the young man who lent us a charger and gave us the Basel tourist card and explained how it worked (as the weather was very bad while we were there we used it a lot to travel across the river, to Germany and even from one square to another in the heavy rain and to get to and from hotel) Breakfast was very comprehensive - hot food and can order whatever types of eggs you want. The area around the hotel has a lot of university and historic buildings with a church almost next door. Small botanic gardens about 5 mins away. Some historic small squares near hotel - we found Cafe Luna which is lovely with a lot of craft shops etc around it. Would definitely stay here again - my comments in the "didnt like" is really just to let anyone with mobility difficulties know can use tram to get from lower level back to level hotel is on

May not be good for people with mobility issues as our room was quite a distance from Reception and involved 2 lifts and some steps which we had to carry cases up / down. Also, the hotel is on the upper level of the town and the first time we went down was by loads of steps - didnt do that again and wouldnt have been able to walk up that way! Used the number 3 tram, free with our tourist card, to come from one of the central squares up the hill and left us 5 mins walk from hotel.

Clarify on Breakfast: if you opt for the "full breakfast" , the choices are much better. My husband and I are pretty much a "continental breakfast" type. What we didn't understand ( my fault) was that you get either yogurt OR croissant and ONLY one cup of coffee , one orange juice and one croissant and NO butter, the waitress kindly allowed us to have jelly or jam. The less expensive breakfast is hardly worth it. However the waitress was very congenial, but strict, which may be a national trait? The location is great. The amenities are just fine and it's a very clean hotel, very much more modest mid-century modern and therefore it met every need without an excess of anything. The staff was very helpful, especially Priska. Now that I understand what I"m in for, I'd probably stay there again. It was in a great location.

We had been spoiled in Amsterdam by staying in a hotel of a similar price-range and it was more comfortable even though it too was mid-century modern. That hotel made you feel welcomed and happy to be there. Also the staff was on duty all the time. In fact there were two staff always available and the hotel went the extra mile to create an ambiance of welcome. I'd say Hotel Rochat does not create any ambiance. It's a no-frills, non-coddling experience. But it met our needs, which was fine and was very clean. I'm just being super honest . I think the difference may be that Switzerland is more expensive for everything.

Kristina at the front desk was exceptional. She replied quicky when i asked on email if we could drop off our luggage early. She new our names when we showed up and went out of her way to help with information about the area and what to do. It really felt like she cared. Breakfast was great and worth the money for quality and convenience. Getting a free bus/Tram pass at check in was fantastic. Used it many times including to the airport to leave. Great location. Were in our 60's and it was an easy to walk to old town, but there are some hills.

Could have the hallways updated Perhaps new counters or dresser for clothes storage in the room.

The location just off the main and near the insanely blue river is wonderful! Albert greeted us with such warmth and enthusiasm, we felt right at home. We were super impressed with the modernization of this historical building. Our room was generous in size, the bed was very comfortable, and we looked out onto a quaint hillside neighborhood. The breakfast was exceptional and we wished we would’ve booked for more than one night. This is also super close to the Bernese bears and a great outlook of the city. Take a stroll along the river just across the street from the hotel.

If you have issues with steep staircases and cobblestone streets, you should look elsewhere.

Hotel has fantastic location. It is near old town. We had a room with very nice view. It was our very first time in Basel, and in Switzerland we are in love with this city. Staff from hotel was very helpful and kind. Room was very clean. I recommend you to take breakfast because it’s really delicious. As tourists you get tourists card so you can explore whole city and get discounts on all attractions. Also public transport is foc, so it makes your stay more interesting. Receptionist are very kind and they are also suggesting what you can visit and where you can go. Our stay in hotel was fantastic so we are coming back again!

Easy to get to from the train station or airport. Located near lots of restaurants and shopping. Staff was very helpful at giving information about what is close. Receptionist brought us the fan from the front desk to help with the temperature on the upper loft of our room. The room was spotless.

If the room is over 2 floors the upper loft is dependent an any cooling from the lower floor which is ineffective if it is hot outside. The two twin beds were pull out chairs--not necessarily great for an adult to sleep on.

I actually stayed in this hotel a couple nights (separated by a brief trip to Lucerne) and the staff was very accommodating to all my needs and requests. The hotel was centrally located and it was easy to tour the central part of the city by foot. They were also very helpful in suggesting restaurants and getting taxis when needed (including a 3:45am departure for the airport!)

The first night we stayed there was very hot and the air conditionner in our room did not work very well. The staff came and tried to adjust but it remained mostly a fan during our overnight. Luckily we were able to open the windows and get some cooler night air into the space. On my return visit, I had a different room and the air conditionner was fine.

The location was fabulous for walking all around old town and Christmas Markets. Staff went above and beyond to help us out.

We had a great room with 4 friends. Two floors. Two beds upstairs and the disappointment was in the "2 beds", if you can call them that, on the main level. They were pullout chairs. Smaller than a twin bed with barely any room to roll over. We asked for more duvets so we could add extra padding. Hum.... That was the only downside to our two night stay.