Signau House & Garden

A suave hybrid of Art Nouveau villa and British townhouse elegance, Signau House holds court in Zürich’s plush Neumünsterquartier, a leafy pocket of Riesbach in the city’s Seefeld district. Flanked by stately Jugendstil villas, it’s a refined, off-radar escape a whisper from downtown, with the waterfront – home to Pavillon Le Corbusier and Seebad Utoquai – just a leisurely stroll away.

A 1912-built patrician mansion, Signau House blends old-world discretion with the intimacy of a private clubhouse. Once a Zürich residence for silk merchant Georg Syz-Hünerwadel, the house was dreamt into existence by the era’s go-to architects, Otto Pfleghard and Max Haefeli, alongside landscape architect Gustav Ammann. Their stroke of modern genius was a stately retreat wrapped in manicured English-style lawns and noble landscaping. Saved from obscurity by three Zürich families – including a descendant of Hans Syz – the house is reborn as a polished yet soulful hideaway.

With just a handful of boutique rooms, Signau House is a masterclass in understated luxury. The grand salon and spruce-panelled meeting rooms exude a cultured hush, while Salon Bleu, the resident lounge and bar, feels lifted from a 1920s novella. The breakfast veranda – a crisp, glassy pavilion – anchors the morning ritual. But it’s the in-house cinema that steals the show: a nod to its past as the Swiss bureau of Universal Studios in the 1960s when Martin Scorsese and Roger Moore graced its rooms.

Inside, the villa revels in its heritage. Josef Hoffmann, Eileen Gray, Thut Möbel, Thonet, Classicon and Fischbacher headline a design narrative curated from the owner’s private collection. Restored in 2018 by EMI Architekten, Signau House is a shrine to texture and tactility: polished parquet floors, burnished wood panelling, high stuccoed ceilings and decorative stone fireplaces whisper of a grand past. The pavilion – with its monochrome-tiled floor and elegant glasswork – conjures a winter garden meets Orangerie aesthetic, while the reimagined 1912 gardens by Daniel Ganz provide a verdant sanctuary dotted with Fröbeli water lilies.

The guest rooms upstairs take their cues from Jugendstil’s clean lines, focusing on architectural form and lush garden views. Muted colour-block walls, floral pastels, and artfully placed period furniture keep things refreshingly uncluttered. Art Nouveau lighting, vintage rugs over original wood flooring, and thoughtfully restrained styling bring the space into the now. Bathrooms – crisp in eggshell ceramics and milky greys – channel a quietly luxurious restraint, some with grand bathtubs nodding to the villa’s early 20th-century origins.

More of a private residence than a hotel, Signau House moves to the rhythm of its guests. The cinema plays host to curated screenings, from cult classics to art-house finds. The honesty bar tempts with a perfectly chilled dry Martini, best enjoyed fireside in a leather-clubhouse armchair. The city’s hottest chefs stage intimate pop-up dinners, drawing a mix of residents and in-the-know locals.

At the helm are seasoned hoteliers Regula Brucker and Tina Wiemes, whose background in luxury and lifestyle hotels brings a certain polish – a knack for effortless hospitality that feels like a well-kept secret. Their deft touch has made Signau House a favourite among Zürich’s creative crowd, from journalists to musicians, entrepreneurs to the nostalgic neighbour who grew up just a few streets away.

Nestled among historic villas and cultural landmarks, Signau House sits near the French Consulate and Villa Bleuler – home to the Swiss Institute for Art Research and one of the city’s finest art libraries. A quick tram or 10-minute cab ride lands you in the heart of Zürich’s cultural scene: Opernhaus Zürich, Pavillon Le Corbusier, The Monocle Café & Büro, and Seebad Utoquai – the perfect pre-breakfast swim spot.

A tale of restoration and refinement, Signau House is Zürich’s best-kept secret – a boutique mansion retreat for those who prefer their luxury personal, their design impeccable, and their city stay just slightly off-centre.