Where to Stay in Geneva, Switzerland: Hotel Beau-Rivage Geneva
If you’re looking for a luxury hotel in Geneva, look no further! You have to check out Hotel Beau-Rivage Geneva. It’s such a special hotel with rich history, stunning interiors, and excellent service. We can’t recommend it enough!
Run by the Mayer family since 1865, the Beau-Rivage is one of the oldest hotels in Geneva. To this day it’s the only independent family-owned hotel in the city. It’s situated in very close proximity to the town center, which made exploring Geneva very easy. The hotel is only a 5-10 minute walk from the business and shopping area, the old town and its museums, and the train station. It’s also only a 10-minute drive from Geneva International Airport.
the rooms at hotel beau-rivage geneva
In 2017, Beau-Rivage opened up the completely renovated top floors with brand-new suites, and my Lake View Loft Suite was one of them. It was definitely one of the most gorgeous and luxurious hotel rooms I’ve ever stayed in. It had enormous windows, a sky view from the bed (you can literally fall asleep looking at the stars), a spacious living room area equipped with modern technology. And, of course, there was a huge bathroom with an Italian-Hammam shower. This hotel room was probably bigger than my apartment, and I felt like a princess the whole time I was there.
The hotel has 95 distinguished rooms, each one of them decorated in a unique way. I took a tour of the property and was lucky enough to see a few other rooms that weren’t occupied at that time.
the history of hotel beau-rivage geneva
Beau-Rivage is bursting with history and has a very impressive list of famous guests: Elisabeth of Austria (aka Sissi), Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace of Monaco, Charlie Chaplin, and many other celebrities have stayed at this legendary hotel. They used to write down the names of all the guests in the guestbook pictured below. Let’s take a moment to appreciate that beautiful handwriting!
the food at hotel beau-rivage geneva
Breakfast is such an important part of the whole hotel experience. At Beau-Rivage guests can come downstairs and start the day with a very impressive breakfast buffet. But I chose to stay in my bed a bit longer and get room service. It was such a delicious spread!
Beau-Rivage has two onsite restaurants. One of them is Le Chat-Botté, a Michelin star restaurant serving creative, contemporary cuisine. Another one is Le Patara, an in-house alternative serving fine Thai cuisine. There is also the Atrium Lobby Bar that offers a wide selection of unique cocktails, a menu for lunch and dinner, as well as afternoon tea. You will not go hungry there!
I was happy to discover these cute fondue gondolas which were opened in partnership with the Gstaad tourism board. There guests can enjoy cheese fondue and many other specialties from Gstaad in a unique romantic atmosphere. Such a great way to experience winter in Switzerland without leaving the Beau-Rivage hotel. I hope they continue doing this every year!
If you’re looking for an independent hotel in Geneva that combines both history and luxury, the Beau-Rivage hotel would be the perfect home away from home for you.
