Null Stern Hotel
The Null Stern is a concept hotel by artistic entrepreneur brothers Frank and Patrik Riklin - ‘Null Stern’ means ‘no stars’.
The original project ran for one year, from 2009 to 2010, before being turned into a museum. And in 2022, it was revived as an open space concept, called Zero Real Estate.
This does not mean it is crummy, far from it. The name is intended as subversion and commentary on the super-trendy, over-styled hotels currently in vogue all over the world.
Photo credit: Verein Null Stern / CH - 9050 Appenzell
The tagline says, ‘the only star is you,’ which draws attention to you as a guest and also as a participant in this live work of art.
It is in a disused Swiss nuclear bunker with two-foot thick blast-proof walls and doors.
And if this sounds a bit extreme, lucky there is a 24-hour butler to cater to your needs and serve morning coffee.
Within three months of operating, this former fallout shelter was nominated for a World Hospitality Award.
The original Null Stern closed as a hotel for good in 2010, remaining open as a museum only.
However, their new hotel concept, Zero Real Estate, was the latest artistic hospitality project of Null Stern during the summer of 2022.
They have used the majestic Swiss Alps in Saillon in Valais as the backdrop for yet another zero-star hotel, where there were no walls or roof around the "room".
