Old Money Luxury at the Beau-Rivage Hotel Geneva

When you stay at a luxury hotel like Beau-Rivage, you aren’t simply residing in riches, you’re experiencing history. The hotel has a dark, but impressive, past. Although those dark moments, as detailed below, do not detract from the luxurious old-money wonderment of the Beau-Rivage.

Nestled on the shores of Lake Geneva, the Beau-Rivage Hotel has radiated elegance for over 150 years. It has played host to countless celebrities, politicians, and royalty. It’s readily apparent upon arrival why it’s considered one of the most prestigious hotels in Switzerland.

In this article, we’ll explore the history of the Beau-Rivage Hotel, the room we stayed in, and the food we enjoyed. For the accompanying video, see below. And if you’ve had a similar old-money luxury experience in Geneva, tell me in the comments. I am always seeking new adventures!

A richly dark history at the Beau-Rivage Hotel Geneva

Unsurprisingly, the Beau-Rivage is known for its discretion and privacy, like Switzerland in general. It’s probably why so many celebrities enjoy it. Some of those celebrities, unfortunately, met their demise at the Beau-Rivage. This video does a great job of chronicling the hotel’s rich and dark history.

In 1898, Empress Sissi of Austria died in the Beau-Rivage after she was stabbed by an anarchist. Almost one hundred years later, German politician Uwe Barschel was found dead in his hotel room bathtub. But neither of those morbid events has deterred guests from gracing the hotel’s opulent halls. It didn’t deter us either.

The hotel is still family-owned and operated, just like it was 150 years ago when Jean-Jacques Mayer first opened its doors. I could immediately sense this family touch and feel when we arrived for check-in. They rolled out a small wagon filled with toys to welcome our toddler to the hotel. He was allowed to pick one toy from the cart. He chose a Swiss ambulance.

The Beau-Rivage Hotel has undergone multiple renovations over its history. Yet it has still preserved its old-money charm. From the lobby to the rooms and restaurants, it’s a setting fit for a prince and princess. The hotel prides itself on world-class service, as evidenced by their constant check-ins to see if we needed anything (it was almost too much customer service at times!).

Rooms with stunning views of Lake Geneva

With just under one hundred rooms and suites at the Beau-Rivage, it has a boutique, family feel. Most of the rooms look at the largest alpine lake in Europe, which sits at the hotel’s doorstep, Lake Geneva. I was obsessed with getting the best possible time-lapses from our small terrace.

We stayed in a Junior Suite Lake Panorama Room. It was the perfect size for me, my wife, and my small child. They even constructed a crib in the corner of the room, with the Beau-Rivage insignia emblazoned on the pillow cover. And how could I forget to mention the baby bath products they provided too?

Five-star touches.

Although it was a bit odd that the toilet was in a separate room from the rest of the bathroom. It had its own sink, but it was on the opposite side of the room from the shower and bathtub. I didn’t mind, but I hadn’t seen that design before.

The rooms have a unique blend of modern and traditional styles. There are fireplaces in each room, but also beautiful marble throughout the bathroom areas. Our suite had a great desk and seating area.

My favorite part of the room though was our small terrace. Not only could we soak in the beauty of Lake Geneva, but we could see across the bridge to the Old Town with the Alps in the backdrop. Stunning.

Fine dining at a steep price

The Beau-Rivage has a Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Chat-Botté. They serve all meals of the day here, but we only tried breakfast, which came with the room package we purchased. The included breakfast was called the “American Breakfast”, and it lived up to its name in size.

At over 50 Swiss Francs per person, I had sticker shock until the carousel of food arrived. One impressive delicacy after the next was placed in front of us. We could customize the menu as we wished.

One day I had a French omelet (which was perfectly executed with gruyere), and another day I enjoyed my eggs scrambled. Their pastry basket was our son’s favorite. Who doesn’t love a French croissant though?

They even included cured meats, fish, cheese, and other accouterments. Coffee could be customized to our liking. It was all divine.

The most entertaining part of dining at Le Chat-Botté was the people-watching. The other diners appeared to drip with money. There was an air of sophistication at the tables around us; an unspoken elegance. I loved it.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about the other Beau-Rivage restaurant we tried, Albertine’s. This is the main bar off the lobby. The menu is limited by design, but it also lacks focus (presumably not by design). There was a burger in addition to Asian-inspired dishes like vegetable dumplings. The latter were soggy and poorly executed.

But the burger was delicious. The cocktail and wine list was solid. I just had higher hopes for the menu after enjoying one spectacular breakfast after the next at the restaurant one floor below.

The Beau-Rivage Hotel is a spectacular old-money luxury experience

I give few hotels a 10/10. The Beau-Rivage earned it though. From check-in to check-out, they tended to our every need, anticipated others we didn’t ask for (like the baby crib), and created an old-money luxury setting that also embraced modernity. It has the amenities of a full-service hotel with the care and attention of a boutique.

So if you find yourself traveling to Geneva, I would recommend staying at the Beau-Rivage Hotel. They are not even paying me to say that!

It’s the perfect destination to treat yourself. At times we all need some old-money pampering.