Lausanne
Switzerland


The Experience

If you want to be smack in the center of things in Lausanne, then this turn-of-the-century-style "palace" is the place for you. It may be first and foremost a hotel for the business crowd, but there's no surprise that the setting here appeals not just to harried executives but to anyone who wants to relax among the opulence. And the near-theatrical drama of some of the massive public rooms extends to the ornate furnishings and the larger-than-life crystal chandeliers and tapestries. An air of efficiency permeates the hotel, but for those with more time on their hands there's an immense terrace overlooking immaculately kept gardens and the lake beyond that's ideal for whiling away an afternoon.

The Rooms

Most guest rooms face south and therefore have fine views over Lake Geneva, as well as the Alps, even though the property is blocks from the lakeshores. With a recent renovation, some rooms have taken on a contemporary feel, while others still rely on a more classic (and safe) Empire-style decor. The hotel wisely chose to keep the extra-high ceilings throughout, effectively retaining a sense of grandeur. Also grand are the bathrooms, mostly done in mottled black marble, some with hot tubs and televisions. In many cases, rooms have French doors leading on to lakeview balconies or patios, but if you can't get one looking out on the lake, request one facing Lausanne Cathedral, which is especially impressive at night.

The Service

President of the Leading Hotels of the World M. Gauer has run the hotel for 10 years, and overall, service is smooth. Still, it is punctuated with weaknesses in the concierge/lobby department; valets have been known to lose car keys, and on rainy nights it is hit or miss whether a doorman will be available to help you hail a cab -- or greet you with an umbrella when you step out of one.

The Highlights

Bars, busy early evening with after-work drinkers, include the world's third Krug Room, which merges into LP's Bar, where antique travel trunks line the walls. Sit down to a meal in the airy contemporary Côté Jardin, which flows out onto the terrace in summer and serves Mediterranean food, or the sumptuous Edwardian La Table d'Edgard, whose ever-changing menu justifiably makes much of excellent local produce. Of course, as its new name suggests, the hotel is pushing its CBE Concept spa; the attractive buffed facilities are truly state of the art, and the treatment menu so generous that it includes Rhassoul (Moroccan clay) and its own trademarked LaStone, a delicious therapy that combines strokes with hot basalt stones and cold marble with -- what else -- Swedish massage.

-- Alistair Scott

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