Switzerland’s Air-raid Shelter Turned “Zero-Star Hotel” with Morning Wake-up Calls Beside Your Bed

Reported by You Ru / Compiled by reporters

The world’s first “Zero Star Hotel” has appeared in Switzerland. Promoting the idea of treating each guest as “the only star,” the hotel offers rooms for less than NT$500 per person, with the raw, dark, and chilly feeling of an original air-raid shelter as the main experience. Combining affordability, uniqueness, and safety, it is regarded by backpackers from many countries as one of the “best hostels for travelers.”


▲ Switzerland’s air-raid shelter turned into an underground Zero Star Hotel. (Photo / Taken fromwww.null-stern-hotel.ch)

The Zero Star Hotel, rebuilt from a Cold War-era air-raid shelter, feels like a return to a time when material desires were nonexistent. The central hallway is dark and narrow, while the rooms are surprisingly spacious. In addition, the hotel features simple furniture that became popular after the Industrial Revolution, presenting a unique and distinctive aesthetic. The concept was dreamed up by brothers Frank and Patrik Riklin, who also offer guests the chance to take commemorative photos in their rooms. Judging by the serious expressions on their faces, it’s as if they’ve truly traveled back to the tense, air-condensed moments of the Cold War inside the shelter.


▲ Guests can get commemorative photos taken in the hotel. (Photo / Taken fromwww.null-stern-hotel.ch)


▲ The hallway is narrow, but the rooms are incredibly spacious. (Photo / Taken fromwww.null-stern-hotel.ch)


▲ Because the cold interior of the hotel can’t be improved, hot water bottles are provided for guests. (Photo / Taken fromwww.null-stern-hotel.ch)

However, this unique Zero Star Hotel offers more than zero-star thoughtful services. Due to the low-frequency noise generated in the air-raid shelter, the hotel provides free earplugs for better sleep. Coupled with the unchangeably chilly environment, slippers and waterproof bags are also included. Moreover, although there’s no morning call service at the Zero Star Hotel, someone will bring fresh coffee to your bedside every morning to wake up guests who are still fast asleep. If guests have special requests, someone will even sing a folk song right beside the bed, the sound echoing throughout the entire air-raid shelter—a true example of making the best of a tough situation.