Do the professionals work in diversified teams?

The 25hours hotel brand was created by four entrepreneurs who started in 2005. Their aim was to open design and boutique hotels in cities that each offer a unique universe. Each hotel tells a story about the location and involves local artisans and designers. To this end, the 25hours hotels work with professionals specialising in architecture, interiors and design. At the end of 2016, the founders sold part of their company to the French Accor group in order to establish the brand outside of German-speaking countries. The 25hours hotels are now part of Ennismore, a hospitality company rooted in culture and creative networks.

Is the place easily accessible?

The 25hours hotel is situated on the corner of the once notorious Langstrasse and the new Europaallee, close to the main railway station. Its location in the pulsating heart of the city and its amenities, including a restaurant, bar and co-working space, make it the place where travellers, people who work in Zurich, and city dwellers come and go.

Are negative impacts on the environment minimised?

Since April 2022, the 25hours hotel chain has been supporting the Hamburg-based non-profit organisation “Aktion Baum” with tree planting projects in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. When guests choose not to have their rooms cleaned during their stay, they are doing something good for the environment. 25hours donates seedlings from the resources saved. The hotel also does not use disposable packaging or sell plastic bottles. The soaps and shampoos in the guest rooms and the rooftop spa area are dispensed from refillable dispensers.

Will the place remain attractive in the long term for living, working, leisure and/or tourism?

It is the mix that makes the difference. Because the hotel caters to both travellers and local residents, the infrastructure is used in a variety of ways for work and leisure. From morning to night, this corner is a hive of activity.

Does the place bring different people together?

Located between the red-light district of Langstrasse, the neighbourhood’s clubs for night owls and the headquarters buildings of Europaallee, the 25hours Hotel views itself as a crossroads for different social classes.

Was the place thoroughly analysed prior to the intervention?

Between the Sihlpost building and Langstrasse, a completely new quarter – Europaallee – has been under construction since 2009 on a derelict site owned by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) along the tracks leading to Zurich’s main railway station. This was preceded by various plans involving the city, the canton, Swiss Post and SBB. With its large, rectilinear buildings, Europaallee still sometimes gives the impression of being out of place in its historic surroundings. The dark freestanding structure of the 25hours Hotel marks the conclusion of the new district.

Is the use compatible with ecological principles?

With 170 guest rooms, the 25hours Hotel meets the Minergie-P-Eco building standard. The façades, sliding shutters and roofs have integrated photovoltaic panels. The hotel operates on a CO2-neutral basis. The sun, rainwater and waste heat in the building are sufficient energy sources for heating and cooling.

Does the place make people feel at ease?

The team led by designer Werner Aisslinger has developed a holistic design concept for the 25hours Hotel Langstrasse under the working title Pocket Universe. Different colours and surfaces create a varied and colourful world. In the lobby, an artificial tree surprisingly has pockets where frequent guests can store their belongings until their next stay. The reception desk also doubles as a “pawnshop” for guests who prefer to pay for their stay with an object of value rather than with cash. The atmosphere on the ground floor is one of an eccentric living room full of surprises.