We'll be flying into Zurich (which we've visited a few times but quite some years ago), plan to stay the night, then take the train to Basel next day in order to pick up a Uniworld river cruise next May. It's still too soon to check www.booking.com for May '13 hotels, but any recommendation for 3-4 star hotel near Zurich train station? Thanks.
The 4* Schweitzerhof is highly regarded and about as close as you can get. It is right across the street.
Ann, Another Hotel you might have a look at is the Walhalla Hotel, which is also right across the street from the train station (classed as a 3-Star). Happy travels!
Nigel has a good point. We haven't been to Basel, but I saw it on a travel show this morning and now I want to go!!! Looks like a beautiful city with lots of great art, including outdoor art and interesting dynamic sculptures.
I think both of the prior posters have assumed that you mean the Swiss scale of stars rather than AAA or Mobil's stars in the US. Is that right? I'm pretty sure Ibis is 3 star (it may be 2) but whatever it is I would suggest going the short train trip to Basel the first night and staying just around the corner from the station in Basel - now one of our favourite cities in Switzerland. And you get a guestcard allowing free transportation on all central Basel buses and trams.
Hotels at all Swiss cities give guests municipal transit passes for the duration of their stay. Basel is a major convention city so if you're in town during a trade show, hotel rates are brutal! http://tinyurl.com/6qttmuw
Thanks for replies. We decided to stay in Zurich one night (Hotel Alexander, about a 10 min. walk from the train station). We'll take the train to Basel for a night's stay at Best Western Merian am Rhein. Incredibly, in Basel, we can trvel from the train station via tram to the stop near the hotel free of charge w/our hotel reservation paper!