Just where the road through Pfäffikon branches off towards Rapperswil there’s what looks like a small commercial estate, and plonked in the middle of it is a dull metal building housing (among other things) the Seedamm Plaza. But the first impressions are misleading; walk in the door and a wide, spacious atrium opens up in front of you. Reception is to your right; on one side of the lobby a glass lift goes up to the double rooms while its counterpart on the left side goes to the casino. (Single rooms are reached through a more conventional lift lobby left of the entrance doors).

At the back of the atrium you’ll find the bar (you can’t miss the bright red upholstery) which is often crowded with fairly slow service. To the right of the bar is the most informal of the three restaurants; further to the right is the Japanese restaurant, and furthest along the same direction is the breakfast room. Running behind all of these, with picture windows on to the lake, is the formal “Pur” restaurant.

The double hotel rooms are large and well-appointed with good-sized bathrooms and (in my case at least) French windows onto balconies with a lake view. These rooms cost just under £100 incl. breakfast when I stayed there in May and June 2007. I also stayed in a single room on one visit; these are quite small and guests are advised not to open the windows because of the mosquitoes. They are cheaper - £65 when I stayed in July 2007. The rooms are air-conditioned, which seems to be a rarity in this part of Switzerland, even in expensive hotels.

The breakfasts in this hotel are very good; a large selection of different Swiss breads teamed with cheeses from the region and cooked meats. Service can be slow but unless you want waffles or a cooked breakfast you can serve yourself from the buffet – there’s even a coffee machine that does ‘proper’ coffees so really no need to wait for the waitress.

I ate in the ‘informal’ restaurant which does Italian-style food. I had arrived very late and was glad to have simple gnocchi which were tasty. I also enjoyed the ‘Pur’ restaurant (the large formal one) with colleagues. This was quite an experience – the food is imaginative and delicious, and although perhaps a bit fussy in presentation there are some inspired and unusual flavours that really work (duo of sesame and green curry sorbets, anyone?). There’s a great wine list too. The somewhat predicable downside is the expense – you can eat for a reasonable price but will have to choose wisely. Service in both restaurants was friendly – that in ‘Pur’ a step up from the informal restaurant.

I didn’t try the sports facilities – apart from in-house stuff the hotel offers cycling and Nordic walking and is right by the Alpamare water park. I also avoided the casino! I did buy a copy of the book left in guest rooms as light reading (but not to be taken away) – “Kundenverblüffung” by Daniel Zanetti – a fun read on the subject of customer service with a lot of cringeworthy real-life examples.

In summary this is a great business hotel that would also be perfectly acceptable for a private stay for those touring around during the day or visiting the nearby Alpamare water park.