Hotel Review: Swiss Hotel In Lviv, Ukraine

Lviv has always been one of the most touristic cities in Ukraine (however, it is still an underrated tourist destination in Europe).  It attracts tourists with its beautiful architecture, delicious food, and affordable prices. Of course, your experience of a new place depends a lot on your accommodation. One of the options you have of where to stay in Lviv is the Hotel ‘Swiss’. 

Short History

Usually I don’t write the history of the hotel in my reviews, however Lviv is the city where I live and know very well. Every building in the historical center of Lviv has its own story to tell and secrets to hide, the Swiss hotel included. 

So, the legend tells us that a Swiss banker wasn’t able to find his true love in his homeland. He went on a journey through Europe and one day ended up in Lviv. There he met a beautiful girl with whom he fell in love. The Swiss banker decided to settle down in Lviv. Together with his wife they opened up the hotel “Swiss” where they promoted Lviv hospitality and the Swiss quality. 

That of course is the legend. What actually happened we don’t really know. However, we know that the hotel was created in the 19th century. The first mention of the Swiss hotel was in the newspaper in 1894. So as we see, the hotel has a long history. Through this history the Swiss hotel was renamed as hotel Saski, and then back to the Swiss hotel. In 2006 the hotel was renovated and it opened its doors again in 2007. The rooftop terrace was added a few years later.

In the Swiss hotel corridors you can see framed old menus with prices, an old room key, photos of the hotel guests, and other things that were found during the renovation of the hotel.

Location

The Swiss hotel is located in the historical center of Lviv. It will take you just 10 minutes to walk to Ratusha and the Rynok square (the heart of the city) from the hotel. 

Besides such a close proximity to Rynok square, the Swiss hotel is surrounded by many great restaurants and bars. 

There is also a beauty salon “Maska” in the same building on the first floor. Which is very convenient if you need to get a haircut or your nails done. Plus the beauty salon is not overpriced. I’ve done my nails there and I must say that they did a great job. And it costs just 550 UAH (15$) for a very nice manicure. 

Public Area

The Swiss hotel has a beautiful entrance hall with comfortable soft chairs and couches. The whole place has a very charming atmosphere. On the walls you can see some great artwork that the hotel collected from antique shops all over the country. There is also an art piece on the column in the center of the hall – butterflies made of glass.

The Swiss hotel also has a restaurant on its premises, called Valentino. The main restaurant area is located on the first floor, the wine cellar in the basement, and a double decker rooftop terrace. 

The main restaurant on the first floor is where the hotel breakfast is served. If you are staying in the hotel at any time except winter, I recommend you visit the rooftop terrace and get dinner there. They have a spectacular view of the city plus on weekends from 7 pm to 9 pm you can enjoy a live performance of the violinist. 

Valentino restaurant serves Italian and Ukrainian cuisine (since lots of foreigners prefer to try something traditional). 

At the basement of the Swiss hotel you can have a wine tasting. The standard deal is 4 different wines for two people – 770 UAH ($20). 

If you are staying at the Swiss hotel you have a bunch of discounts: 20% off at the Valentino restaurant, 10% off at the rooftop, and 20% off at the beauty salon.

Service 

The Swiss hotel has a motto – “Ukrainian hospitality, Swiss quality”. Therefore, you can imagine that the service is pretty good. 

At the entrance you are met by the concierge. The staff at the reception is super friendly and welcoming. The check-in took just a couple of minutes and then you are shown to your room. 

The cleaning services are provided every day. Some of the staff also speak a few different languages so you can get by with English, Ukrainian, Polish, German, and French. 

Room

At the Swiss hotel I booked a standard room. 

The room itself was decently sized with a queen bed and plenty of pillows. The room also had a closet, table to work at, side tables, and a luggage rack. 

I found the bed to be quite comfortable and enjoyed a wonderful night’s sleep. There is also a minibar in the room if you want some snacks or drinks. 

One of the best parts of the room was the view. There is a small standing balcony with beautiful flowers and a view of the city center. Now, only a couple rooms have this view (two rooms on the 5th floor) but you can also see the same view from the restaurant on the 6th floor.  

My one negative of the room was the carpeting. I’m generally not a fan of carpet to begin with, but the carpet here felt quite ‘dated’ in style which was odd for such a newly renovated hotel. 

Bathroom

The bathroom in the room in the Swiss Hotel is modern and elegant. There is a large tub and shower which is surrounded by beautiful marble. Everything in the bathroom was very clean. There is a large window that goes from the bathroom right to the bed, but there are curtains to block the view if you need privacy. 

The bathroom was stocked with toiletries like shampoo and body wash, a comb, haircover, and some other stuff. I’m sure you could also call down to the concierge for anything else you might have forgotten (but I consider myself a pretty good traveler so did not have to use this service myself).

The shower got hot and had good water pressure which is basically how I judge bathrooms in hotels. 

Breakfast

The breakfast at Swiss Hotel in Lviv is served on the 2nd floor restaurant, which also is Restaurant Valentino in the afternoon and evenings.

The breakfast is your standard continental style breakfast with a self-serve counter of hot and cold cuts, fruit, breads and jams, and more. They will also make you eggs to order and hot drinks like coffee and tea. 

Overall I found the breakfast perfectly adequate, although at $10 per person I’d be more likely to go to a beautiful cafe around Rynok square and enjoy the Lviv atmosphere. 

Conclusion

The Swiss Hotel in Lviv is a wonderful hotel for those travelers looking for a bit of upscale service and quality. While there are positives and negatives (like every hotel of course) I found the positives to outweigh the negatives drastically. 

The location is perfect for those looking for something close to the center, but not right in the center of the noise. 

I would say the Hotel Swiss Lviv is great for couples, families, and business travelers. It doesn’t feel like the type of place for a young single person looking to go out every night, but that’s just my observation.

Key Details

Price: 2700 UAH (74$) /night

Air-Conditioned Rooms: Yes 

Breakfast Included: No (additional $ per person)

Pool On-Site: No

Maid Service: Yes

Recommended To Stay Here: Yes.

Booking: https://swiss-hotel.lviv.ua/uk/rooms/

Address: Kniazia Romana St, 20, Lviv, Lviv Oblast, 79005

Disclaimer: Jet Set Together was not paid for a good review of the Swiss hotel in Lviv, Ukraine The words expressed in this article are my honest opinion.

Hotel Review: Swiss Hotel In Lviv, Ukraine