I've traveled and lived in both Asia and Europe for several years and know what to expect when I book a mid-price hotel. So I was shocked at what happened when I called for help late at night at the Arabelle. I should have known there was a problem when I saw the room was merely a white dormitory shell. The wood floor was mildew-stained and creaked with every step (very different from all the photos). There was a balcony that could have been charming, but it was spoiled by the topless juice bottle stuffed with old cigarettes floating in brown water (It was a non-smoking room). Then there was the discovery that there is no staff on duty and no emergency help available by phone after 10 pm. On our last night, my daughter vomited all over the bathroom. It was 1 am. I called the number listed in the hotel guide and got a desk clerk at a sister property a few blocks away. All I wanted was some cleaning supples. We couldn't even use the toilet because the floor and the bowl were such a mess. The clerk suggested I scrape up the mess with toilet paper and leave my young children (one ill) alone to search the darkened hotel for paper towels and disinfectant. I gave up on any help and tried to tackle the job with some hand sanitizer. I finally shut the bathroom door (the odor still was horrid) and left it for the poor maid. We checked out as early as possible and the desk clerk said I should have booked a 5-star hotel if I wanted any help past 10 pm. Remember, I did not ask for a maid, just a bottle of disinfectant and paper towels to make the place habitable until morning. Apparently the staff at the Arabelle and other hotels owned by the same company believe a guest should pay several hundred dollars extra nightly for the privilege of cleaning his/her own bathroom. I also wondered what would have happened if there was a life-or-death emergency, such as a fire or a break-in. And by the way, the location isn't good. Look instead for any one of many hotels we saw while walking in the area near the town clock.

While the city center is east of the main railway station, this hotel is on a hill to the west close to the university. It's only a 10 minute walk to an elevator that takes you down to the station. The location is not really central, but fine. The room I stayed at, which in fairness was one of the smaller, was really, really small. The rate was reasonable, by Swiss standards, which is why it gets a rating of 2.