Review: Ramada Plaza Basel
I stayed at the Ramada Plaza in Basel for one night. If you’re looking for a stunningly designed, efficiently run and good value hotel in Basel, look no further. Here’s my review of this very impressive property.
The Room
Ultra-modern, minimalist, yet comfortable. That’s how I’d sum up the room in simple terms. The room has floor to ceiling windows with electronically controlled blinds, mock wood grain covering one wall with bare cream-coloured walls elsewhere, a low lying, firm and comfortable bed, a surprisingly hard corrugated carpet, a television and a wooden desk with chair. To some, the room may seem designed for practicality only, to serve a purpose. I’m someone who appreciates minimalism though and loved the way the room was designed. It’s bare walls didn’t feel cold at all. The lighting in the room is excellent, certainly helped by those huge windows. If the design of the main room doesn’t meet your approval, the bathroom surely will. The deep green walls, wood panelling and sumptuous underfloor and built-in lighting will make you linger in the bathroom much longer than you intended. The rooms oozes style. In the bathroom is everything you might expect; sink, shower, toilet. I was on the tenth floor and didn’t hear anything other than my own mutterings and the tv, so sound insulation is excellent. Cleanliness was to an excellent standard.
Location
The hotel, Switzerland’s tallest habitable building is just outside the center of the city next to an exhibition center. It is very easily accessible by tram from the main shopping area and Basel SBB, the city’s train station. If you have time to wander Basel’s streets (and you should), the hotel so tall, you should still be able to see it from where you are, so you’ll never get lost. The immediate vicinity is very safe (as is Switzerland as a whole) and very quiet. Basel is a surprisingly quiet city with very little traffic. A short walk or a ride on the tram brings you to shops including Migros, a large supermarket. There’s also a Starbucks and a McDonalds if required.
Amenities
In the main room, you’ll find a safe, a mini-bar, a desk and chair, a television with around 50 channels (including CNN, BBC World, BBC Prime, Cartoon Network and channels from almost every Western European country) and air conditioning. A up-to-date TV Guide magazine is supplied. The bathroom is fitted with a hairdryer.
Service
The staff on reception were very welcoming and efficient. Upon arrival, I was welcomed and personally shown how to use the lifts (your key card is required). They all spoke excellent english.
Conclusion
Ramada Plaza in Basel is a modern and well-run hotel perfect for the business traveller. It’s no nonsense design may not suit everyone’s tastes (although everyone should like the bathroom) but for the price, even someone who hates minimalism and craves local character will be able to put up with it. While missing tea and coffee making facilities, the amenities that are provided are good. If you don’t mind taking the tram to and from the hotel, I would very much encourage you to stop your search for hotels in Basel and book a room at the Ramada Plaza.
You can view additional photos of the room in my Switzerland Flickr set. This review, plus many others can also be found on TripAdvisor.
