Having visited my dad in January this year I enjoyed the lead up to the annual Carnival festivities; 5 days and 5 nights straight of marching bands, drum inpromptus and people dressing up in all sorts of ways! Now you may think it is expensive, but keep note of the Hotel Alpha in the Zähringerstrasse which offers a single room (& shared showers) for Sfr.85/day all the way to a triple room incl. showers for Sfr.185/day