Le Richemond Geneve

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Le Richemond Geneve

Style: Contemporary Classic

Atmosphere: Quiet

98 Rooms

One of Geneva’s grandest hotels, the 130-year-old Richemond stands opposite the Brunswick Gardens, with views of the Old Town Cathedral, Lake Geneva (just 50 meters away) and beyond, the Alps. The style is a theatrical and imposing blend of Art Deco chic and Victorian elegance, decorated in rich fabrics, with red velvet everywhere.

As one of the city’s longtime favorites, the Richemond has played host to everyone from Colette and Marc Chagall to Pavarotti and Michael Jackson (who seems to have a soft spot for European grand hotels). And just when some of the gilded edges were starting to fade, the Richemond was bought by the Rocco Forte group, specializing in absolutely modern grand hotels.

Don’t expect a modernisation of the interiors, though; this place’s old-world lustre has always been key to its charm. Rooms provide that odd contrast of antique furniture and graceful wood paneling with satellite TV and broadband internet, and the bathrooms are, happily, not historically authentic—they’re twice the size they must have been in 1875. Many rooms enjoy views of the Brunswick Gardens, and some overlook the lake.

Le Jardin is the Thirties Art Deco-styled Italian restaurant, with its attached bar, and the Pavillon Richemond operates from a cottage in the gardens, serving Italian and Lebanese cuisines, a nod to the Richemond’s old Gentilhomme Lebanese restaurant.

The combination of old-money opulence and private-club intimacy is what made the Richemond famous; look for the new ownership to add an added measure of professionalism to one of Switzerland’s most charming hotels.