Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois: Basel's grand hotel on the Rhine
An inn recorded here since 1681, Amadeus Merian's neoclassical building since 1844: the city's leading hotel, with its Rhine terrace and the three-Michelin-star Cheval Blanc.
Our verdict
The "Three Kings" has been Basel's top address for generations. An inn of that name is recorded on the Rhine bank as early as 1681, and the present building by the architect Amadeus Merian opened on 16 February 1844.
If you want to experience Basel in style just once, stay here, with the Rhine right below your balcony. No other hotel in the city combines so much history with such a good location.
Rooms, restaurants and wellness
The neoclassical building was restored between 2004 and 2006, and new spaces designed by Herzog & de Meuron were added in 2025. Basel Tourismus counts 101 rooms and suites, the Michelin Guide 82: the figure depends on what is counted.
The house is home to the Cheval Blanc, which holds three Michelin stars, plus a brasserie and the terrace above the river. The Seijaku wellness area follows a Japanese model.
Location and walking times
Marktplatz is a four-minute walk, the Mittlere Brücke three minutes. You reach Messeplatz in 14 minutes across the bridge and Basel SBB station in 21, or more easily by tram from Schifflände.
Our advice
Book a room on the Rhine side: the view over Kleinbasel and the Mittlere Brücke is the hotel's real luxury. For Art Basel and Fasnacht it fills up early, and some guests mention building work outside.
As in every Basel hotel, the visitor tax gets you the BaselCard for trams and buses. Whether breakfast is included depends on the rate.
Check rooms at Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois: the link opens the hotel on Booking.com for a weekend about four weeks ahead, change the dates to suit your stay. During the big fairs and Fasnacht, booking early is the safest option.
See availability on Booking.com →Partner link: booking through this link supports our editorial team at no extra cost to you.Read next: Where to stay in Basel? The districts compared, with prices and visitor tax and Art Basel hotels in Basel: prices, booking deadlines and alternatives in the region.
Sources: the establishment's website, Basel Tourismus, Google Maps (address, reviews, October 2026), Google Hotels (prices checked on 23 October 2026), timetables from transport.opendata.ch, walking times calculated on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
How old is the Hotel Les Trois Rois in Basel?
Does Les Trois Rois have a Michelin-starred restaurant?
Corinne Schaub
Corinne spent six years on the front desk of a hotel near the Badischer Bahnhof, answering the same questions about trams, zones and the border every day. She writes the pages she would have liked to hand to her guests. She checks every fare with the operator, never in a guidebook.
