Bookworms Will Love This Cosy Hotel With a 'Wine Library'

Without a doubt, the jewel in the crown of this former brewery-turned-hotel is the Wine Library. On entering the room you’ll be greeted by towers of tomes – the dark wooden shelves are stacked with more than 33,000 books – and huge chandeliers made from original Hürlimann beer bottles that hang from the dramatically high ceilings.

It’s the perfect spot to sit and relax, and let’s not forget the wine… there is an extensive selection of fine tipples to choose from, with many from renowned regional wineries in Zurich as well as those from further afield, plus there is Hürlimann beer on offer, of course. The food is pretty spot-on too, with food served from breakfast right up until the small hours if you get your nose stuck into a particularly good book.

The building as a whole is equally impressive with a unique character and intriguing history. The brewery was originally built on the plot of an old farm in Zurich’s Enge district back in 1867 and it became the largest brewery in Switzerland not long afterwards thanks to an innovative refrigeration system. It wasn’t until almost 130 years later that the last Hürlimann beer was brewed, and then architecture firm Althammer Hochuli won a design competition in 1997 to create a new vision for the former industrial building.

This industrial past still remains part of the hotel, with the luxurious spa set in the original vaulted brewery cellars and the incredible machine hall that’s now used as a show-stopping events space. To top it off, there’s an infinity pool with impressive panoramic views over the city.Rooms cost from around £258 per night.