The best hotels in Geneva
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Switzerland’s most cosmopolitan city is also its most visited, with high-flyers jetting in for business – notably the headquarters for the UN are here amongst others – as well as pleasure. With the Rhône to the side, Lake Geneva, and the surrounding snow-capped Alps, it has one the loveliest city settings in Europe. Where trips include exploring charming cobbled streets, luxury shopping, the Palace of Nations, museums and onwards to some of the best ski resorts in Europe. Suitably, Geneva is home to an array of refined boltholes, grand dames and notable hotel names that overlook Lac Léman, the Alps and the Jura. Here is our pick for the best hotels in Geneva.
Hotel d'Angleterre Geneva
As part of the Tollman family’s Red Carnation Collection, Hotel d'Angleterre offers a loveable one-of-a-kind combination of English charm and Swiss elegance. Built in 1872 in a prime spot facing the lake, for many years it operated as the smallest five-star in Geneva, with just 45 rooms – until the 2021 opening of the nearby Woodward, which has a mere 26. Nevertheless, the Angleterre still feels very intimate and clubby. Guests who have spent time at other Red Carnation properties will recognise familiar Tollman design tics: the theatrically draped curtains and shimmering silk wall coverings, the quarry-depleting quantities of marble and onyx in the bathrooms, and the colourful chandeliers. The Presidential Suite – the best for lake views – has welcomed many well-known figures over the years including Michael Jackson and Mikhaïl Gorbachev. The Angleterre’s Windows restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. The afternoon tea is a particular highlight, living up to the Englishness implied by the hotel’s name, with its finger sandwiches, scones and exceptional selection of exotic teas. Read more of our Hotel d'Angleterre review.
Price: Rooms from around £494 per night
Address: Quai du Mont-Blanc 17, 1201 Genève
Richard WaiteFour Seasons Hôtel des Bergues
Hôtel des Bergues is Geneva’s very first hotel, built in 1834 along the waterfront and most recently was transformed into a Four Seasons in 2005. The rooms are wonderfully opulent in a loosely neo-classical, Louis-Philippe-inflected style, with lots of brocade and toile de Jouy in shades of Wedgwood blue and almond green. If that’s not your style, reserve one of the Loft Suites on the sixth floor that embrace a ‘contemporary Swiss chalet’ aesthetic. The lively Michelin-starred Il Lago restaurant sits on the ground floor while Japanese restaurant Izumi serves delicious sushi al fresco on the trendy rooftop. Last but certainly not least, the top floor’s Asian-inspired Spa Mont Blanc is one of the big draw cards for the hotel, which covers two floors and includes a decent-sized pool.
Price: Rooms from around £905 per night
Address: Quai des Bergues 33, 1201 Genève
John AthimaritisBeau-Rivage Genève
Elegantly posed behind the Rotonde du Mont-Blanc, this grand neoclassical-Italian-style building has operated as a hotel since 1865, originally run by the Mayer family and now more recently by the Casacubertas family. Rooms range from the deeply traditional to the profoundly traditional – wall sconces, chandeliers and gilt-frames. The most recent spate of renovation, which concluded in 2018, saw the addition of 17 rooms on the fifth and sixth floors, including half a dozen split-level ‘duplexes’ and a new Royal Suite, which really is pharaonic. The main fine-dining restaurant, Le Chat-Botté, opened in 1967 and remains a thriving local institution. Michelin-anointed chef Dominique Gauthier has been there for a quarter of a century, famous for his traditional French dishes, including frogs’ legs and foie gras. For a more intimate affair, La Terrasse Alpine served up cheese fondue in heated gondola cabins. See our full Beau-Rivage Genève review for more.
Price: Rooms from around £472 per night
Address: Quai du Mont-Blanc 13, 1201 Genève
Les Armures
History buffs will love the location of Les Armures, set within a 17th century building in the center of the Old Town. Expect to be greeted by beams, wall sconces and charming alcoves, while bedrooms blend the old with contemporary touches. For such a historic address the Junior Suite is surprisingly spacious and ideal for families with an optional sofa bed set up. The hotel is also home to the city’s oldest restaurant, serving up traditional Swiss fare including the must have two-cheese fondue.
Price: Rooms from around £310 per night
Address: Rue du Soleil-Levant, 1204 Genève, Switzerland
Hôtel Bristol Genève
Another grand dame on the lake, Hôtel Bristol dates back to 1896 and yet its decor points to the later Art Deco era. Expect rooms to be bold, with French designer Annie Zéau applying a unique contemporary Art Deco aesthetic via geometric carpets, botanical wallpaper and bright pops of colour. Jewel tones and botanical prints continue in The Côté Square, which changes its international menu every month to reflect a different country’s traditional cuisine.
Price: Rooms from around £259 per night
Address: Rue du Mont-Blanc 10, 1201 Genève
InterContinental Genève
This is one to book mark for the summer months. Much of the appeal of this central hotel – located near the Palace of Nations – lies outside. Rooms and suites offer varying picturesque views of Lake Geneva, Mont-Blac, Jura mountains or Geneva city. Book into the Residence Suite for views of it all. And then there are the surrounding lush gardens, with the verdant summer terrace Woods restaurant, as well as the outdoor pool surrounded by lush greenery and lined with lounges.
Price: Rooms from around £428 per night