Hotel Pickwick Luzern: Affordable view of Chapel Bridge

For my visit to Lucerne, Switzerland, I stayed at the Hotel Pickwick Luzern. It was my first time staying at a hotel and pub combination – it was an interesting experience!

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Where is the Hotel Pickwick Luzern located?

The Hotel Pickwick Luzern is located within walking distance from the Lucerne train station. I walked with my suitcase on wheels and found it easy to walk the distance (less than 500 metres) to the Hotel.

The reason I had booked Hotel Pickwick was its location! It is located on the banks of the River Reuss and promised a view of the Chapel Bridge – probably the best-known landmark in Lucerne. The view also included Mount Pilatus in the distance and to the other side of the view from the room.

Checking in

I arrived at the Hotel Pickwick just after lunchtime, slightly too early for the normal check-in time, but I was lucky and could immediately check-in and go to my room. Check-in is done in the bar area. The staff was friendly and helpful.

My room in the Hotel Pickwick Luzern

I had booked a single bedroom and found it sufficient for me. It was a narrow room but offered a private bathroom, a single bed and a table and chairs. The room was clean and had a kettle and coffee/tea making facilities.

Each room has cable television and also an electric fan (no airconditioning). There was also a safety deposit box, which was useful.

What I loved most of the room was the balcony and, of course, the view of Chapel Bridge. If you look at this satellite map, you will see that the hotel rooms at the Hotel Pickwick Luzern have a direct view of the Chapel Bridge.

Eating at the Hotel Pickwick Luzern

I did not have supper at the Hotel Pickwick one either of the two nights I stayed there. I just bought a salad and a drink from a supermarket and something meaty from the nearest McDonalds.

I did not have breakfast at the Hotel. The pub also does not offer breakfast. They recommend having breakfast at the restaurant, Des Alpes, next door for CHF 20. I opted instead for yoghurt and muesli from one of the supermarkets around the corner for breakfast. I had this while sitting in one of the parks that look out onto Lake Lucerne.

While in Lucerne, Switzerland, I went up Mount Pilatus - an experience I recommend 
for anyone who loves beautiful, snowy mountains. Plus, it involves taking the world's 
steepest cogway!

For more ideas on places to visit in Switzerland, have a look at my 
5-day Switzerland itinerary.

The experience of staying at the Hotel Pickwick Luzern

Let’s look at the positive and negative aspects of staying at the Hotel Pickwick Luzern.

What I liked

The biggest advantage of the Hotel Pickwick was definitely the location. Apart from being so close to the main train station, it is also in the middle of the historic old town. I found it the perfect base for exploring Lucerne. There were plenty of supermarkets in the area and most sights were within walking distance.

When you stay at the Hotel Pickwick Luzern, you get a key to the back door and don’t have to enter the hotel from the front where the pub is located. This helped so much as I probably would have gone out less if I had to use the pub.

The hotel has free wifi and also offers a computer from where you can access the internet. This area is located right by the back door and there are also pamphlets about activities in the area. I found it useful to stop here and see what is available before deciding where to go.

Another plus is that the hotel has an elevator – so many European hotels don’t! When you have a big, heavy suitcase, an elevator is a HUGE blessing

What I did not like

The pub is part of the hotel and is located on the ground floor. The hotel rooms are upstairs, so the higher you go the less you hear the noise from the pub. Unfortunately, I was on the floor above the pub and it became quite noisy, especially when I opened the balcony door. I did not mind the noise so much, what I found more annoying was that if I opened the balcony door, the pub patrons sitting outside the pub could look into my room. A higher room would not have this problem.

The walls between rooms at the Hotel Pickwick Luzern are thin. I could hear my neighbour eating and showering. This was not pleasant at all.

I was there in the beginning of summer, so the lack of airconditioning did not matter that much, but I can imagine that the rooms must be really hot and uncomfortable in the middle of summer.

If the Hotel Pickwick seems like the hotel for you to explore Lucerne, Switzerland, 
you can book it here:

Booking.com

Agoda

TripAdvisor

Checking-out

Checking out of the Hotel Pickwick was one of the easiest I have ever done. When you want to leave, you just drop your keys into a drop box and off you go!

The verdict: Would I stay at the Hotel Pickwick Luzern again?

In short, yes, I would. The Hotel Pickwick Luzern is so reasonably priced for its wonderful location, that I would not hesitate to stay here again. When I travel, I am out most of the day and only return at night. I can handle the noise from neighbouring rooms and the pub for that short time. If I do return though, I would ask for a room on a higher floor to reduce the noise from the pub. Also, if visiting Lucerne in summer, I may look for a hotel that offers airconditioning.

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Have you been to Lucerne, Switzerland? If so, where did you stay and would you recommend it?