The northern city of Basel is a popular destination for culture lovers. Basel has many museums and other art institutions and is dubbed The Culture Capital of Switzerland. Besides this, Basel has many other must-sees for tourists, such as the Rhine river, the Basel Minster and the Basel Rathaus (town hall). While Basel is a very walkable city, the newly opened hotel Märthof is a perfect basecamp for sighseeing as it is located smack in the middle at the Marktplatz.
Hotel Märthof is one of the latest editions to the Basel hotel lineup, as it only opened in the the end of July 2021. Previously a department store, the boutique hotel now offers spacious rooms, an all-day restaurant, a basement spa and splendid views from the roof terrace.
The rooms of Märthof hotel
Hotel Märthof offers different rooms such as superior rooms, deluxe rooms and different suites. The Deluxe room we stayed in, just a few days after the hotel first opened its doors, was spacious and nicely decorated. Due to the architecture of the building and its surroundings, the rooms can be a bit dark, but nothing too bad. Additionally light sleepers might keep in mind that Basel has a lot of light rail transit that starts rather early at the morning. With the windows closed though, the noise is really acceptable.
The hotel has rooms that are furnished with a modern touch, without them feeling cold and sterile. The wooden floor and accents helps a lot here. The beds are comfortable with plenty of pillows and nice reading lights.
The bathroom is our room was separate and was nice and bright with large mirrors. I also really appreciated the fact that our room had a Nespresso machine to get us going in the morning.
Hotel common areas
In the basement of the hotel, there is a relax area available to all hotel guests. Here you can find a fully equipped gym (cardio machines and a range of dumbbells), as well as a spa. The spa has showers, a regular sauna, a steam sauna and lounge chairs. During our visit in early August, the saunas were only accessible in the evening, so it is good to check with the reception prior to making your way down here.
The hotel lobby is modern and bright and while there are comfy seating arrangements, we did not see hotel guests spending much time in the lobby.
The roof terrace of hotel Märthof is however a whole other story! This compact yet beautiful terrace on the top floor offers great views of Marktplatz, the Basel town hall and the rest of the city. This sure is a hotspot to enjoy on sunny summer days! There is a bar that serves drinks when the weather is nice.
Breakfast at restaurant Bohemia
The hotel also has a restaurant on the ground floor facing Marktplatz called Bohemia. This is also where the hotel serves breakfast to its guests. There is a buffet with bread, croissants, yoghurts and fruits. Additionally, you can order breakfast dishes that then will be prepared by the chefs for you. However, there is no menu offered, so it’s a bit unclear which breakfast dishes are available on demand. We went for an omelet with ham which had truly good taste!
At the Bohemia restaurant, you can also have brunch in the weekend and the venue is open for dinner reservations every day of the week.
Location of Hotel Märthof
As mentioned before, the location of this newly opened hotel is hard to beat. Located at the central Marktplatz, you have virtually everything Basel has to offer within a stone’s throw distance. The characteristic red Basel Rathaus is right in front of the hotel, while the Rhine river is around the corner. Both Basel SBB train station and the Basel Bad train station are a fifteen minutes walk away. If that is too long of a walk, light rail lines to both destinations stop directly by hotel Märthof.
Good to know is that if you stay in a hotel in Basel, you get the Basel Citycard for free. The BaselCard not only enables you to use local busses and light rail services free of charge, it also offers up to 50% discount on popular Basel museums and other attractions such as the Basel Zoo and river sightseeing cruises. You will receive your BaselCard upon checking in at Hotel Märthof.
All in all, Hotel Märthof seems like a great addition to the range of available hotels in Basel. This boutique hotel is tastefully designed, has great amenities and a location one can only dream off! Thank you Märthof, we will be back!
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Room rates range from CHF 140 and upwards, depending on availability. The hotel offers a best price guarantee if booked directly through their website, so best to bypass other hotel booking platforms.
To find more information about the hotel and to book your stay directly, visit the Hotel Märthof website.
Märthof Basel
Marktgasse 19
4051 Basel, Switzerland
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