Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois

Les Trois Rois stands on the bank of the Rhine, in Basel’s Old Town.

A week here, month by month

I come to Les Trois Rois for the River rooms with a balcony over the Rhine. Window tables in the Brasserie are few and not guaranteed, though: to watch the river over breakfast, have it brought to the room and take it on the balcony.

The hotel website

Is it for you?

For 2, the choice is the Napoleon Suite, with its painted sky on the ceiling and a corner salon with gilded decoration.

I’d ask for
A Napoleon Suite.
Worth knowing
At Cheval Blanc a booking can be cancelled free of charge up to 48 hours ahead; after that, or for a no-show, it costs CHF 250 per person.
The Napoleon Suite salon, with green walls and gilding

Like a regular

The crystal chandelier in the galleried inner atrium

10 min readHow we write the guide

  1. Sunday brunch

    On Sundays from 11.30am to 3pm, the Brasserie brunch comes to the table in several courses: CHF 175 per person with Champagne, juices and hot drinks, but no vegan option.

  2. The sat nav and the sign

    By car, set the sat nav to “Universitätsspital Basel”; near the hotel, carry on past the no-entry sign, which does not apply to guests, and at the door valet parking costs CHF 40 a night.

  3. Art Basel and Carnival

    On 23 October 2026 Google Hotels showed no single-night price from 14 to 17 February 2027, the Carnival nights, or from 11 to 20 June 2027, around Art Basel, which runs from 12 to 20 June.

What Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois is

The “Drei Könige” inn is first mentioned in 1681, and in 1797 it received Napoléon Bonaparte with a state reception. Today’s hotel, designed by the Basel architect Amadeus Merian, opened on 16 February 1844 and reopened on 20 March 2006 after a restoration to heritage-protection standards. Since June 2025 the Blumenrain 2 building, redesigned by Herzog & de Meuron, has held 7 rooms and suites and the Seijaku wellbeing area; since September 2025, the restaurant Banks as well. Across the 2 buildings, Blumenrain 8 and Blumenrain 2, there are 16 room and suite categories.12345

In the Lumina Guide

Lumina Guide 2027

In the guide because in Basel it lets you dine at Cheval Blanc and go up to your room without leaving the hotel.

Distinctions

How we choose the hotels

The 5 things that matter, as guests tell them

What do Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois’s guests say? They write it in their reviews, even those who only came for a drink or dinner: we read every one and tell the 5 things that matter, from the location to the bill.

  1. Location

    Nearly every guest who mentions it is happy with it. One guest counts a 15-minute walk to the Kunstmuseum. Another finds almost every important sight of the Old Town within walking distance.

  2. Room

    8 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. One guest finds the rooms spacious, period in style but with every modern comfort. Another finds them small and a little dated, and recommends the hotel for its location.

  3. Staff and service

    7 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. One guest has a taxi called in seconds. At the bar, though, another waits more than 45 minutes for a club sandwich that arrives cold.

  4. Breakfast

    One guest finds everything they could wish for at breakfast, in the Brasserie with its Rhine view. Another, at brunch, is served a tier of canapés already drying out.

  5. Price

    One guest pays CHF 600 a night for a room they find poorly planned. Another, who came from Berlin for a dinner in the Brasserie, finds the value fair for the level.

How we count
Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois in numbers
WhatGuests’ scoreGuests who mention itHappy
Location8.94498%
Room7.52677%
Staff and service7.212574%
Breakfast7.61090%
Price–1118%

167 guests said so on Google, from 1 November 2024 to 17 October 2026. The reviews include visits to restaurants and bars without an overnight stay. The other hotels are assessed on the same 5 themes. The score is the average of what they say, from 0 if they speak of it very badly to 10 if they speak of it very well. Where only a few mention something, the score stays close to the guide’s average: a handful of voices does not make a reputation.

The hotels we weigh it against among Swiss five-star hotels:

Price: for 2, the night of 23 November 2026, from 509 CHF on Google Hotels on 23 October 2026.

What a night costs, period by period

November and December 2026 cost less; prices rise from January 2027.

PeriodCHF a night
25 October to 12 November 2026508–732
13–30 November 2026509–744
1–9 December 2026514–886
10–30 December 2026514–701
1 January–18 September 2027694–1,043

One night searched alone for 2 adults, at the lowest seller on Google Hotels; room category, meals and taxes unspecified, read on 23 October 2026. The calendar ends on 18 September 2027. Booked together as 7 nights from 16 to 23 November 2026 for 2 adults, the lowest seller asked CHF 625 a night; the hotel’s own Google Hotels listing showed no rate.

Inside a Trois Rois suite

Dining room, sitting area and Rhine views filmed by Carsten K. Rath in 2025.

YouTube
0:18
The suite dining roomfrom 0:18 · Carsten K. Rath · 19 September 2025Watch on YouTube
YouTube
0:42
The sitting area beside the windowsfrom 0:42 · Carsten K. Rath · 19 September 2025Watch on YouTube
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0:55
The Rhine from the windowfrom 0:55 · Carsten K. Rath · 19 September 2025Watch on YouTube
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1:10
The suite bedroomfrom 1:10 · Carsten K. Rath · 19 September 2025Watch on YouTube
YouTube
1:40
The suite bathroomfrom 1:40 · Carsten K. Rath · 19 September 2025Watch on YouTube

Where to linger

The Seijaku lounge under the roof, with the fireplace at its centre

Seijaku, above the rooftops

On the top floor of Blumenrain 2, Seijaku has 2 saunas, a steam bath, a cold plunge pool and a roof terrace, and phones are not used.1234

The red sofas and fireplace of The Council

The Council

The Council, the cigar lounge designed by Herzog & de Meuron, holds more than 200 cigars over 2 floors and 40 m²; seating is limited.1

Good to know before you book

  • The Seijaku saunas are textile-free, and a towel always goes on the benches. Source: lestroisrois.com

  • Rooms and suites are non-smoking: smoking in one can bring a CHF 300 cleaning charge.

Choose your room

The City Business Room bed between gold-papered wallsCity Business Room19 m²French bed, Old Town view.View the room The green-headboard bed of the City Queen RoomCity Queen Room22–25 m²Queen bed, Old Town view.View the room The bedside table and window of the River Queen RoomRiver Queen Room22–25 m²Queen bed, Rhine view.View the room The bed and window of the River Queen Room BalconyRiver Queen Room Balcony22–25 m²Queen bed, balcony over the Rhine.View the room The twin beds of the City King Room between red wallsCity King Room32 m²King or twin beds, Old Town view.View the room The River King Room with twin beds by the windowRiver King Room32 m²King or twin beds, Rhine view.View the room The open French window to the River King Room Balcony balconyRiver King Room Balcony32 m²King or twin beds, balcony over the Rhine.View the room The River Junior Suite bed between blue wallsRiver Junior Suite45 m²Rhine view; up to 2 extra beds on request.View the room The armchairs and bed of the River Junior Suite BalconyRiver Junior Suite Balcony45 m²Balcony over the Rhine; up to 2 extra beds on request.View the room The River Suite bedroom with its window on the riverRiver Suite70 m²Separate living room and Rhine view; king or twin beds.View the room The River Suite Balcony French window open to the RhineRiver Suite Balcony70 m²Separate living room and balcony over the Rhine; king or twin beds, up to 2 extra beds on request.View the room The Napoleon Suite bedroom, with its lighthouse paintingNapoleon Suite70 m²Separate living room and balcony over the Rhine; king or twin beds, up to 2 extra beds on request.View the room The red alcove and bed of the City King Room Blumenrain 2City King Room Blumenrain 232 m²King bed, Old Town view; 2 rooms in all.View the room The white sofa of the City Junior Suite Blumenrain 2City Junior Suite Blumenrain 252–55 m²King bed, Old Town view; 2 suites in all.View the room The red alcove of the River Junior Suite Blumenrain 2 beside the windowRiver Junior Suite Blumenrain 252–55 m²King bed, direct Rhine view; 2 suites in all.View the room The round dining room of the Suite des RoisSuite des Rois Blumenrain 2240 m²2 bedrooms, a private gym and a dining room for 8.View the room

Getting here

AddressBlumenrain 8, 4001 Basel

Your day

In the morning

Breakfast from 6am

In the Brasserie, breakfast is served from 6am to 10.30am Monday to Friday, and from 7am on Saturdays.

Late morning

An hour at Seijaku

A 60-minute massage at Seijaku costs CHF 220: arrive in your bathrobe 15 minutes early, and cancel free of charge up to 24 hours ahead.

In the afternoon

The Marie Antoinette chocolate

At the bar, open daily from 9am to midnight, order the Marie Antoinette hot chocolate, CHF 15 on the autumn 2026 menu: the menu’s 2 grand cru chocolates blended with cinnamon and salted caramel.

At dinner

Sole in the Brasserie

On the Brasserie’s autumn 2026 menu there is sole meunière with brown butter, lemon and parsley, CHF 79; the kitchen takes last orders at 9.30pm.

In December

Christmas market and menu

Basel’s Christmas market runs from 26 November to 23 December 2026; on 24 and 25 December the Brasserie serves a 4-course menu at CHF 165 per person, drinks excluded.

Reviews of Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois

Google

Guest voices

Google

Tea on Christmas Eve

A family asks to bring Christmas forward for their 88-year-old mother: on 24 December, when afternoon tea is not usually served, the hotel lays it on just for them.

Google · 2025-12-26Read the review
Google

The missing channel

A guest back for Carnival misses the balcony room they booked and is moved up to the Rhine side. The room lacks Telebasel, though, and with it the Carnival coverage before bed.

Google · 2026-02-27Read the review
Google

The tram under the window

A guest praises the Brasserie and its old-school maître d’; in room 109, on the city side, though, the tram can be heard and sleep suffers.

Google · 2025-03-17Read the review

Before you travel

How much is a night?

One night for 2 adults: 16 November 2026, CHF 514; 18 January 2027, CHF 792; 16 March 2027, CHF 694. Room category, meals and taxes unspecified. Prices from Google Hotels, checked on 23 October 2026.

Do you need a car to get here?

No: from Basel SBB station, trams 8 and 11 run to the Schifflände stop, and tram 6 from the Badischer Bahnhof. From EuroAirport, bus 50 goes to Basel SBB.1

When can I check in, and when do I leave?

Rooms are ready from 3pm and are vacated by noon. Staying until 6pm, when bookings allow, costs half the room price; after that, the full price.1

What do breakfast and the guest tax cost?

Breakfast in the Brasserie costs CHF 55 per person; the guest tax is CHF 4 per person per night.1

Can non-residents use Seijaku?

No: Seijaku is reserved for hotel guests, who use it free of charge daily from 10.30am to 7.30pm. The gym is open 24 hours a day.1

Is there a New Year’s Eve dinner?

Yes: on 31 December 2026 the gala in the Salle des Rois costs CHF 410 per person, with a Champagne reception, a 5-course dinner with wine pairings, a live band and entry to the party at Banks. In the Brasserie, the 6-course menu costs CHF 275 per person, drinks excluded.1

Still choosing

The Waldhotel among the meadows and woods of the Bürgenberg

Waldhotel by Bürgenstock

The Waldhotel steps down in terraces over the Bürgenberg meadows, below the woods, within Bürgenstock Resort, 500 metres above Lake Lucerne.

The Helenabad pool beneath its arches

Grand Resort Bad Ragaz

Beneath the 19th-century arches of the Helenabad you swim in the resort’s thermal water: the pool is for guests aged 16 and over.

The rooftop infinity pool at HUUS QUELL, above the houses and meadows of Gonten

HUUS QUELL

HUUS QUELL has a rooftop infinity pool, with views from Gonten to the Alpstein.

A Palafitte pavilion on its stilts above Lake Neuchâtel

Hôtel Palafitte

Palafitte’s pavilions stand on stilts on Lake Neuchâtel.

The Beau-Rivage lit at dusk, with Lake Neuchâtel behind it

Beau-Rivage Neuchâtel

The Beau-Rivage stands on the shore of Lake Neuchâtel, in the centre of town.

Chenot Palace and its turreted villa seen from the lake

Chenot Palace Weggis

Chenot Palace stands on the shore of Lake Lucerne at Weggis, facing the Rigi and Pilatus: from its private beach you can swim in every season.

The Dolder Grand from the air at sunset: the turreted 1899 building between its two curved modern wings, on the wooded hillside above Zurich

The Dolder Grand

Curhaus towers above Zurich, art in the corridors and warm water facing the city.

The Belle Époque façade on Rue du Grand-Chêne: red awnings, wrought-iron balconies and the carved gable above the columned entrance porch lettered “Lausanne-Palace”, with flags; the brasserie’s green awning on the left

Lausanne Palace

Lausanne climbs behind the palace; from the right rooms, the lake appears beyond the rooftops.

Steam rising in the morning from the outdoor sports pool, with frost on the shrubs and the garden, the chalet wings with their wooden balconies on the right and rocky peaks against a clear sky on the left

ERMITAGE Wellness- & Spa-Hotel

At Ermitage, the afternoon means cake at Bärgblick.

The palace lit up at blue hour in winter, its towers above the snow-covered chalet roofs of Gstaad, with ski slopes on the mountain behind

Gstaad Palace

The palace Gstaad looks up to, from fondue in an old vault to music at GreenGo.

The Alpine Spa’s outdoor infinity pool at dusk: two bathers at the edge, a lit fountain bowl, and the lake and its shores under a pink and violet sky

Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa

From boat to ridge, Lake Lucerne returns in the view from the warm pool.

The view over the hotel’s roofs in summer: flags over the park, the Schanzengraben canal lined with boats, and Lake Zurich with the Alps on the horizon

Baur au Lac

Johannes Baur opened the hotel in 1844.

Is this your hotel? See what people ask ChatGPT about your hotel.

24 photographs

Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois among the Old Town façades on the bank of the Rhine
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The crystal chandelier in the galleried inner atrium
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The Seijaku lounge under the roof, with the fireplace at its centre
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The red sofas and fireplace of The Council
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The City Business Room bed between gold-papered walls
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The green-headboard bed of the City Queen Room
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The bedside table and window of the River Queen Room
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The bed and window of the River Queen Room Balcony
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The twin beds of the City King Room between red walls
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The River King Room with twin beds by the window
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The open French window to the River King Room Balcony balcony
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The River Junior Suite bed between blue walls
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The armchairs and bed of the River Junior Suite Balcony
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The River Suite bedroom with its window on the river
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The River Suite Balcony French window open to the Rhine
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The Napoleon Suite bedroom, with its lighthouse painting
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The red alcove and bed of the City King Room Blumenrain 2
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The white sofa of the City Junior Suite Blumenrain 2
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The red alcove of the River Junior Suite Blumenrain 2 beside the window
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The round dining room of the Suite des Rois
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The Napoleon Suite salon, with green walls and gilding
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The River Suite living room, with sofa and armchairs
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Afternoon tea on the terrace, with the Rhine beyond the railing
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The City Business Room desk beside the window
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