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"PENSION ST. JOSEF/MARTAHAUS" Page 1, 2

Gästehaus Martahaus Zurich Switzerland

ABOVE: Gästehaus Martahaus, Zürich, Switzerland.

Hotel Martahaus
Zähringerstrasse 36
CH-8001 Zürich
Phone +41 1 251 45 50
Fax +41 1 251 45 40
http://www.martahaus.ch

The Hotel Martahaus is even closer to the train station than the Pension St. Josef. It's on the left bank of the Limmat, on the fringes of the nightclub district and next to an art movie theatre.

The Martahaus is a hybrid of a pension and a hostel. You can book a room or an apartment at rates that range from CHF 85 (single without bath) to CHF 185 (three-person apartment with bath and refrigerator). If you're social and on a rockbottom budget, you can sleep in a curtained dormitory cubicle for just 38 Swiss francs a night, including breakfast. You can also rent a room or apartment by the month, subject to availability.

As of 2006, the Martahaus offers free use of an Internet terminal, Wi-Fi access, and a fitness room.

During my visit in 2001, I stayed in a bathless single with sink. It was clean, and the bed had a firm mattress, but the room wasn't as cheerful or spacious as its counterpart at the Pension St. Josef. The unisex bathroom down the hall also took getting used to: It consisted of separate toilet cubicles for men and women, a sink for handwashing, an individual shower room, and about half a dozen curtained sink niches for dormitory residents. One can imagine female dorm guests being uncomfortable stripping down and sponging off at the washbasins with nothing but a curtain for privacy (never mind safety).

The combination lounge-breakfast room was the most attractive feature of the Martahaus, with overstuffed sofas, a table with attractive wicker furniture for cards or gameplaying, and a breakfast area on the other side of a wooden room partition with hanging plants. Breakfast itself was adequate, though not as generous as the Pension St. Josef's.

Verdict: A good bet if you want dormitory accommodations in central Zürich, but try the Pension St. Josef first if you're looking for a private room or studio apartment.

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