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Swissôtel Kursaal Bern with the Grand Casino under one roof
Kornhausstrasse, 3, Bern 3000
About this stay
This 4 star hotel is located in the city centre of Berne and was established in 1998. It is close to the Clock Tower and the nearest station is Berne. The Hotel has 2 restaurants, 2 bars, a conference room, a coffee shop and a fitness centre/gym. All 163 rooms are equipped with minibar, hairdryer, safe and air conditioning.
Swissôtel Kursaal Bern sits on the edge of Bern's old town, in the Kursaal complex above the Aare, and its neighbours are a congress centre and a casino rather than other hotels. The catalogue dates the hotel to 1998, and the 2020 refit gave the rooms their current look.
Choosing a bed
The catalogue is unusually exact about beds. Premier rooms come with two twin beds of 100 cm each or one 200 cm double, both with a small balcony; Swiss Advantage rooms have a 180 cm king bed, or a 200 cm king bed with a sofa bed; Classic rooms have a 160 cm queen bed and no view. Families can ask for the nine family rooms listed in the key facts.
A hotel with its own address book
Because the hotel is part of the Kursaal, its restaurants are shared with the whole building: Yù for Asian buffets, Giardino for Mediterranean dishes and a terrace, and a summer rooftop grill. Breakfast is served as a brunch-style buffet, and Bern's tourism site notes that sparkling wine and hot drinks are included.
The setting
The operator describes the site as having had 'the best view for 160 years', dating back to the summer inn that stood here from 1859, and rooms face either the Alps or the old town. The old town is about five minutes away on foot across the bridge, and the Zytglogge clock tower is listed at roughly 0.6 km.
Arriving by tram or by car
Tram line 9 stops in front of the hotel and runs to the main station in about five minutes, and Bern's tourism site says hotel guests may use the city's public transport free of charge. Drivers can use the underground car park (the catalogue lists CHF 30), which has six electric-car charging points.
Good to know
The hotel is LGBTIQ friendly, holds the Green Key label and is free of single-use plastic according to the catalogue. Pets are listed as welcome. Check-in times differ between sources (15:00 to 18:00) and check-out is at 11:00 or 12:00, so confirm yours when you book.
Sources: Bern Welcome: Swissôtel Kursaal Bern · The Luxury Editor: Swissôtel Kursaal Bern · Kursaal Bern: history of the house.
- Wi-Fi
- Spa & wellness
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Gym
Grand Casino Kursaal Bern: gaming without leaving the building
Two businesses share the Kursaal Bern building at Kornhausstrasse 3: the Swissôtel hotel and the Grand Casino Kursaal Bern, which occupies the fifth floor of the historic wing. Going from your room to the tables therefore does not mean stepping out onto the street, and a hotel listing names direct access to the casino as an amenity. The hotel has no gaming of its own; the casino is a separate company with its own rules, hours and entry conditions.
The casino at a glance
- Name
- Grand Casino Kursaal Bern (Grand Casino Bern)
- Where
- Fifth floor of the historic Kursaal, Kornhausstrasse 3, 3013 Bern
- Open
- Sun to Wed 12:00 to 02:00, Thu 12:00 to 04:00, Fri and Sat 12:00 to 05:00; live tables from 14:00 (Kursaal website)
- Tables
- 14, including blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold'em, American roulette, Vegas roulette and Diceball
- Machines
- About 350 gaming machines and 20 Touch Bet Roulette terminals (directory listing)
- Poker
- Two tables for Hold'em and Omaha, with a monthly poker series
- Contact
- +41 31 339 55 55, [email protected], grandcasino-bern.ch (directory listing)
Eating and drinking in the Kursaal
- Yù: Asian dishes from Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese kitchens, served as a buffet.
- Giardino: Mediterranean and Italian cooking, with a terrace.
- Crazy Daisy Kitchen Bar: a 1920s-style restaurant with a full bar.
- Rooftop Grill: grilled dishes and cocktails, in summer only.
- Rondellbar: a bar on the gaming floor itself.
From summer inn to casino: the building's story
- 1859 to 1860: a merchant builds a summer inn in Swiss-chalet style on the Schänzli hill above the Aare.
- 1873 to 1874: a music pavilion, a terrace wall and a stage hall are added.
- 1914: the main Kursaal, designed by Albert Gerstler, opens with a concert hall, a lift tower and a gaming hall.
- 1933: a chandelier hall with a theatre and stage follows; the building later serves as a military hospital in wartime and becomes a congress centre from the 1960s.
- 1998: the hotel opens. 2002: the Grand Casino opens in the building. Parts of the Kursaal are heritage-protected, and sources differ on some dates.
Who runs it
- The building and its businesses belong to Kursaal Bern AG, which covers the congress centre, the hotel and restaurants and the casino.
- The casino itself is run by a subsidiary, Grand Casino Kursaal Bern AG; in July 2024 the group raised its holding to 68.5% by buying 13.5% from Casinos Austria (Swiss) AG, and 31.5% stays with Swiss Casinos Holding AG.
- Hotel and casino are separate businesses, so a hotel stay does not include casino entry or offers unless one of them says so.
Swiss casino rules in brief
- Young people under 18 are not admitted to Swiss casinos; a directory adds that guests must show valid photo ID and dress smart casual, which the casino should confirm.
- A casino can impose a gambling ban on a player, and it can also be requested voluntarily (for at least three months). Bans are entered in a central register and apply to all casinos in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, including online casino games.
- Relatives, friends and colleagues can alert the casino to worrying gambling behaviour, and the casino then examines whether to impose a ban.
- No entry fee was found on the pages consulted, and hours change on public holidays and event days, so confirm both with the casino.
Gambling should stay a pastime. If it stops being one, ask the casino's social-care staff for help or a self-exclusion, or contact the Swiss gambling-addiction advice services (sos-spielsucht.ch).
Sources: Kursaal Bern: opening times · Kursaal Bern: history of the house · World Casino Directory: Grand Casino Bern · blue News: Kursaal increases stake in Grand Casino Bern · Federal Gaming Board (ESBK): gambling ban.
Facilities
Facilities
- Car park (30 CHF, extra charge)
- 24-hour reception
- Check-in hour (18:00)
- Check-out hour (11:00)
- Wi-fi
- Hotel safe
- Currency exchange facilities
- Cloakroom
- Lift access
- Shop
- Gym
Catering
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Non-smoking area
- Air conditioning in Restaurant
Health & wellness
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Solarium
Entertainment & pools
- Casino
Business
- Business centre
- Audio-visual equipment rental
Meals
- Vegetarian meal
Payment methods
- American Express
- JCB
- Diners Club
- MasterCard
- Visa
Good to know
- LGTBIQ friendly
- Single-Use Plastic Free
Green programmes
- Green Key (FEE)
Rooms
Twin room
Premier room with 2 twin beds (100cm each) and a small balcony
Double room
Swiss Advantage Room with 1 king size bed (180cm) and small balcony
Double room
Premier room with 1 double bed (200cm) and small balcony
Double room
Classic room with queen-size bed (160cm) with no view
Swiss advantage room with king-size bed (200 cm ) and a sofa bed
| Room type | Guests | Adults / children |
|---|---|---|
| Double room | up to 4 | 4 adults / 3 children |
| Single room | up to 1 | 1 adults |
| Twin room | up to 4 | 4 adults / 3 children |
Room types and occupancy come from the Hotelbeds catalogue and have not been confirmed by the hotel, so treat them as indicative. Ask the hotel for current rooms, bed layout and the number of guests.
Meals and key facts
Meal plans
Type of stay
Key facts
- Number of floors (main building)
- 5
- Double rooms
- 133
- Family rooms
- 9
Getting around
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