24 Hours at the Hotel Beau Rivage - Geneva
Having been in Geneva quite some times now, I came to the conclusion that it is not part of one of these cities I would dream of living in – even though it has one of the highest living standards in the world and lies on the magnificent Lake Geneva. Since it is a very important city and I tend to go there often, I am lucky enough to have a quite interesting and various hotel industry. From fairly priced five-star-hotels to some of the most luxurious properties I have stayed at in Switzerland. The last hotel I was able to try out is definitely part of the latter one: the Hotel Beau Rivage Geneve. Located on the famous Quai du Mont-Blanc (where the majority of the hotels are situated), most of the rooms and almost all suites are facing the Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc of course.
Not sure whether you are aware of the historical background of the hotel which was one of the most interesting a hotel in Switzerland might have. From our old Empress (Elisabeth of Austria aka Sissi), Wilston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace of Monaco or Charlie Chaplin to many other celebrities – they all stayed at Geneva’s most legendary hotel. Even though the history was overshadowed by some sad events, the owner family (Beau Rivage Geneva is still in hands by the Mayer family) put many efforts into keeping the hotel always on the latest stand in terms of technology and amenities as well. Might it be Geneva’s first hotel with baths or the most wonderful duplex suites in entire Switzerland – I was really super excited to finally stay at that property.
I was checking in around 2pm and having stayed there over the weekend, I could park my car in front of the hotel free of charge (in comparison to the weekdays where you have no other option than parking the car in the garage) which was just great. A porter helped me with the luggage while I was checking in at the front desk that was situated near the main courtyard. Everything was decorated in Christmas stuff and gave a nice feeling. Within minutes I was shown to my room on the 5th floor. While the 5th floor has been completely renovated, the 6th floor was added in a way not to harm the hotel’s outside. Even though the main idea was to add further suites, there are also a handful of Executive Rooms that have been renovated on the 5th floor.
I received a room on the corner of the hotel overlooking the city of Geneva and the Jura mountains. While not the most amazing view (lakeside), it offered plenty of daylight and another perspective of the city which was cool. To be honest, the focus onto the view vanished when I saw the entire interior design which was just perfect. In general I love when the interior is done by Pierre-Yves Rochon (Sacher Hotels & Four Seasons Paris) so I really felt how tradition was paired with modern technologies. Might it be the spacious entrée, the bright walk-in wardrobe or the lush bathroom in beautiful marble with separate toilet, bath tub, double vanities and walk-in shower. All toiletries came by Clarins and the bath towels were extremely fluffy as were the bathrobes. In general, the bath was perfect and the only thing missing was a music system so to listen to music while showering HAHA. Fun aside it was amazing.
Further continuing the tour, I have to highlight the posh double bed which was the best I have experienced in Geneva so far (sorry Mandarin Oriental and President Wilson). As welcome amenities I received a selection of Madeleines (French pastries) along a bottle of still and sparkling water with a handwritten welcome note. When I came back from dinner, I was impressed by the beautiful light and plush slippers that were provided in addition to a special pillow with the hotel logo put on top of the other pillows. Before I fell asleep, I discovered the hotel’s TV offerings. Beside a huge variety of television programmes, there was a library with the latest movies that still were available in cinema. All of the movies were complimentary which I found an amazing offering.
For dinner I had the chance to try The Bar since the hotel’s Michelin starred restaurant is closed on Saturday and Sundays. Beside the gastronomic Le Chat Botte, there is also a Thai Restaurant along The Bar where I was having dinner that night. Service was really nice and attentive while the vibes were chill and relaxing in a very luxurious and historic environment. Overall the menu was very international with me ordering burrata as a starter followed by beef fillet with French fries and vegetables. Totally random I paired the dinner with a cocktail followed by a better matching glass of Bordeaux. I was even offered a dessert which was the main highlight of the dinner. All that is left to say is that Geneva has great dining venues and especially outstanding steak restaurants that kind of have a livelier ambiance.
Breakfast the next morning was served in Le Chat Botte. When I showed up at the restaurant there was no staff member so I found myself a spot. That must have been the reason why I was the only guest that was not provided a plate of cold cuts and salmon. Otherwise I need to mention that the buffet is on the small side however the choice of egg dishes on the other hand was great and my Egg Benedict tasted just perfect! I was served a hot drink and told that I can find the orange juice on the buffet. Since it was already time to go, I headed towards the front desk in order to check-out. A friendly lady from the front desk did the paperwork and I was all set to go back to Lausanne.
Overall I had a very nice overnight stay at one of the most historically important hotels in the world (also because Empress Elisabeth of Austria spent her last hours there) and truly enjoyed the newly added part of the hotel. Should you be in Geneva and want to experience one of the last family owned hotels in the world, I can highly recommend the Hotel Beau Rivage.
We were guests at the Hotel Beau-Rivage Geneve for editorial purposes however all above written expresses our own opinion and has not been influenced.
