Beau-Rivage opened on the quays of Ouchy on March 25, 1861, the first Swiss hotel to light its suites with gas, and in 1908 the neo-baroque Palace wing by Eugène Jost made it Beau-Rivage Palace. It stands in about 10 acres of gardens on Lake Geneva, and its salons have hosted diplomacy for more than a century, from the post-war reparations conference to emergency talks on Syria; Charlie Chaplin and his wife Oona stayed here when they moved to Switzerland. Pierre-Yves Rochon renovated the Palace wing in 2014 and the Beau-Rivage wing in 2020. The most sought-after rooms and junior suites face the lake and the Alps from private balconies, and one signature suite has one of the largest private hotel terraces in Switzerland. Anne-Sophie Pic holds a two-MICHELIN-star rating at Pic Beau-Rivage Palace, a dining room by Tristan Auer over the park and the lake; Kaigan serves Japanese cooking and Café Beau-Rivage the brasserie classics. The Guerlain Spa covers 1,500 square metres, with eight treatment rooms, an ice cave and heated indoor and outdoor pools.
- Nearest airport
- Geneva Airport (GVA), 31 Miles / 50 Kilometres
- Rooms
- 168 rooms and suites
Insider tip Have the hotel arrange a tasting in the UNESCO-listed Lavaux vineyard terraces, a short way along the lake.
Why I choose it Lausanne's grand hotel since 1861, on the water at Ouchy, with Anne-Sophie Pic's cooking under the same roof.