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I only had one night in Geneva. So I knew I had to choose the right hotel to really make my stay extra special. I was having a tough time deciding between the Mandarin Oriental and Le Richemond, but in the end decided to go for Le Richemond due to it’s location overlooking Geneva’s famous Jet d’Eau, and also because while I’ve stayed at a Mandarin Oriental in Paris previously, I’d never stayed at a Dorchester Collection hotel before, and was intrigued to see what it was like. This ended up being the best decision ever!
I landed super early on Friday morning at around 9am, and as soon as I entered the lavish and opulent hotel lobby, the staff were there to take my bags and walk me over to the check-in desk. I knew I was really early and there was a high chance my room wouldn’t be ready yet, but the staff were lovely and asked if I’d like to use the spa to relax while I waited for my room. I gratefully accepted; I’d only had two hours sleep and was extremely hungover from my work leaving drinks the night before, so after the gentleman showed me down to the spa I got changed and headed in for a nap.
The spa is fairly small due to Le Richemond’s clientele – they have a lot of Arabs stay there, and because the women don’t like to use spas as they don’t like to undress in front of others, the hotel made the decision to only have a small relaxation area, a steam room, a sauna, and showers. The changing rooms are very small (there is one toilet and a tiny communal change area), and there isn’t a swimming pool, which makes the hotel feel like more of a business hotel than a family-friendly hotel, but this suited me absolutely fine!
I was actually really impressed with the Spa, it’s a Sisley Spa and was pretty much empty for the whole time I was in there, and I adored the steam room. I’m asthmatic and actually find that if a steam room is too hot it overwhelms my lungs and makes it difficult to breathe and relax, but Le Richemond’s was the perfect temperature. In fact I even fell asleep in there only to wake up and find the lights had gone out. They have this snazzy technology where the lights twinkle different colours for 10 minutes starting from when you enter, and then once those 10 minutes are up they automatically turn off to let you know that it’s time to leave and have a shower.
So when I awoke and realized the lights were out, I showered and then hopped back in for another session! After my steam room session I tried out the sauna, and then approached the refreshment bar to see what was offered. They had huge jugs of ice cold lemon and mint water, a wide variety of herbal teas, and an incredible orange, ginger, and cardamom(I think?) tea. They also had a refrigerator with bottles of water and cold flannels.
I got some water and tea and went to sit on one of the relaxation chairs, and had a nap while the twinkling music played and the soothing sound of the waterfall beside me echoed in my ears. When I went back up around midday to see if my room was ready, I was pleased to hear that it was. I was booked into a superior room, which is their most basic room, and had tweeted the day before (as I often do) saying how excited I was to be staying there. Never did I ever expect what happened next…
I was shown up to the fifth floor, and when the lady opened the door I thought there was some sort of mistake. But no..”Madame Lux welcome to our Ambassador Suite…we hope you enjoy your stay here!” I sort of wandered around in awe and stammered a thank you, and was left to settle in for my one night stay.
The suite had a very large and comfortable living and dining area, with a very well-stocked mini-bar and TV, and a small balcony with a table and chairs that overlooked Lake Geneva and the Jet d’Eau.
The adjacent bedroom which you enter through huge mirrored double doors, was also very spacious, well equipped, and had a huge balcony!
The wardrobes were huge, although I didn’t use them as I was there for such a short time (seriously, who unpacks for one night?!), and there was a separate toilet/powder room next to the bathroom. The bathroom was quite dark with that awful bright lighting, so my attempts to take decent photos in here was abandoned.
Photo courtesy of Le Richemond
I was a little disappointed with the amenities provided (they were L’Occitane though which I was thrilled about) – you only got the standard shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand cream, shower cap etc etc. I love it when hotels go above and beyond and provide anything you may have forgotten (make-up remover pads, razors, cotton buds, etc).
Personally I also found the hotel a little dated, and think it could do with a bit of a refurb and modernisation, but from talking to the staff I understand this is a little difficult due to conflicts between the management (Dorchester Collection) and the actual owners of the building (the same owners as the Four Seasons building down the road). Don’t get me wrong, it is a beautiful hotel, but some aspects just felt like they needed a refresh.
The staff at Le Richemond were really exceptional. I was visiting my friends Peter and Adam for the start of the Fete de Geneve that weekend (basically I flew to Geneva for a party), and the staff were great. Adam came to pick me up after he finished work as I had no clue how to get to the club, and the staff on the desk called my room to ask if it was OK to send him up – I said yes and before I knew it he was at my door and exploring the suite while I finished getting ready.
When I returned at 4am I had a very comfortable sleep in the humongous bed, and then was awake bright and early at 9am to get up and ready for breakfast and the day ahead. Officially my room reservation was for 2 people, so Adam met me in the lobby at 10am and we had an incredible breakfast in Le Richemond’s ‘Le Jardin’ restaurant. I mean, it was so good we actually had two breakfasts each.
We  sat outside on the terrace side-by-side overlooking the lake, the Jet d’Eau, and a fancy yellow Lamborghini, and both started with fresh OJ and tea. Food-wise I started with the Poached Eggs, and then had the French Toast coated in maple syrup and Apricot jam! Both were literally perfection. Adam had the breakfast buffet, and then Eggs Benny with Salmon.
Then I had to sit there for ages while Adam spoke to the waiter in French. I couldn’t understand a word. Literally no clue what they were talking about. Luckily for him I was happy to just sit and listen in awe of these foreign words coming out of his mouth. I just can’t get my head around how people can speak multiple languages fluently – I struggle so much with languages so to me it’s just mind-blowing. Every time he speaks French or Arabic in front of me I’m just like ‘I have no idea what you’re saying but please don’t stop’.
Anyway, I would definitely recommend Le Richemond for any business travellers, solo travellers, or couples. It definitely isn’t a very family friendly hotel if you’d like to relax by a swimming pool, but the location is so perfect for exploring Geneva, and the staff really go above and beyond to ensure your stay is as comfortable as possible. And even though it needs a refurb, it’s still a stunning hotel with a certain opulent Swiss charm about it. Somehow it just ‘fits in’ with the rest of the city. I’m really glad I stayed there, and now I’m desperate to try The Dorchester in London to see how they compare!
Rates start from 495CHF for the superior room that I was originally booked in to, and 2,545CHF, for the Ambassador Suite I was kindly upgraded to. You can book via The Dorchester Collection or Hotels.com*.
Stay tuned to find out what I got up to with my short time in Geneva!WATCH THE SUITE TOUR:
PIN FOR LATER:
*This is an affiliate link. If you book a stay through this link the site will give me a small amount of the profit – literally pennies. This doesn’t cost you anything extra!
Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of Content Marketing at Amazon by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.
So intrigued by this hotel! The blue and red coloured chairs are an interesting touch – aside from that the hotel looks lovely and amazing views of the Lake from the balcony of your suite! x
Emma @ AdventuresofaLondonKiwi
August 14, 2016 / 2:29 pm
It's such a shame you were only in the suite for a few hours!
Catherine Lux
August 14, 2016 / 3:23 pm
Tell me about it, 24 hours in that suite was definitely not long enough!! x
Connie Consumes
August 14, 2016 / 7:35 pm
Gah I haven't stayed in a suite that large for some time! I think I'd be too tempted to relax in there all day…
Angie SilverSpoon
August 14, 2016 / 8:10 pm
Though the hotel is a little dated, the room is gorgeous! I love the blue velvet chairs and that balcony and view are just everything!
Catherine Lux
August 14, 2016 / 9:43 pm
Totally agree! I really loved it; especially the view, the chairs, and the awesome mirrored wall! So old-school glam!
C x
Posh, Broke, & Bored
August 15, 2016 / 3:33 pm
I love surprises like these! Even if its a very short stay, a nice upgrade like this can make a 'fast and furious' trip a little more special. x
Its so amazing when upgrades like this happen! A friend was flying out for her honeymoon and her husband and she were not booked on seats near each other. The airlines refused to give them seats next to each other or upgrade them to the completely empty business class seats – which is just silly since it doesn't take much. I cannot afford to stay at this hotel but I am super tempted hearing about that breakfast. I am going to Geneva in October so might try it out!
Catherine Lux
September 9, 2016 / 1:53 pm
They're the best aren't they!
That service sounds horrific – usually airlines do everything they can to make your honeymoon amazing!!
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So intrigued by this hotel! The blue and red coloured chairs are an interesting touch – aside from that the hotel looks lovely and amazing views of the Lake from the balcony of your suite! x
It's such a shame you were only in the suite for a few hours!
Tell me about it, 24 hours in that suite was definitely not long enough!! x
Gah I haven't stayed in a suite that large for some time! I think I'd be too tempted to relax in there all day…
Though the hotel is a little dated, the room is gorgeous! I love the blue velvet chairs and that balcony and view are just everything!
Totally agree! I really loved it; especially the view, the chairs, and the awesome mirrored wall! So old-school glam!
C x
I love surprises like these! Even if its a very short stay, a nice upgrade like this can make a 'fast and furious' trip a little more special. x
Daydreaming With…Stanley Kubrick – Posh, Broke, & Bored
Its so amazing when upgrades like this happen! A friend was flying out for her honeymoon and her husband and she were not booked on seats near each other. The airlines refused to give them seats next to each other or upgrade them to the completely empty business class seats – which is just silly since it doesn't take much. I cannot afford to stay at this hotel but I am super tempted hearing about that breakfast. I am going to Geneva in October so might try it out!
They're the best aren't they!
That service sounds horrific – usually airlines do everything they can to make your honeymoon amazing!!
Enjoy Geneva!
C x