It List: 45 Best New Hotels of 2009

Dolder Grand, Zurich

It’s rare that a hotel feels both stolidly conservative and explosively futuristic, but that’s the effect architect Norman Foster has achieved with his redesign of the Dolder Grand, in Zurich. The hilltop property overlooks the city and lake, and the original 1899 façade and turrets, now restored, are flanked by dramatic new stone-and-glass buildings, the Golf Wing and the Spa Wing. Inside, gently curving hallways evoke a 2001: A Space Odyssey sort of mood, and wooden doors open to reveal quietly modern guest rooms—off-white leather upholstery, smoked-oak flooring, and private terraces. Doubles from $769.

It List: 45 Best New Hotels of 2009