Geneva is a big surprise, a beautiful city with a great vibe, its famous lake encircled by snowy peaks in winter. It’s home to a vast number of high-profile international organisations, and while the architecture is strictly French, the population is distinctly global. This chic hotel sits in the middle of it all, one block back from the lake, a short stroll over to the Old Town. It has everything you’d want from a smart city base: helpful staff, delicious food and lots of style. It mixes Eastern colour and design with Western form and function, hence its name. Art from across the world adorns the walls and the bar spills into a pretty courtyard, where mood lighting illuminates a wall of flowing water.
A lift in reception whisks you up to the 41 lovely rooms. Some are bigger than others, but all have a pleasing uncluttered style with super-comfy beds, all the technology you’d expect and white robes in beautiful bathrooms (even small robes for children, a nice touch). Babysitting can be arranged, there’s a computer in the library for guests, and there are 2 good restaurants across the road. Finally, don’t miss Les Bains des Pâquis - a favourite local haunt; it's a strip of land that extends into the lake for swimming, sunbathing, eating, drinking, even a hammam.
Highs
- One of the best locations in town, 5 minutes' walk from the train station and 3 minutes to the lake
- Stylish rooms with cool bathrooms are generously sized, even the Solo rooms for singles
- Excellent inventive Asian fusion food in the restaurant and well priced by Genevois standards
- Guests are given a free local travel card
Lows
- Rooms seem expensive, especially on week nights when business people are in town, but Geneva is a pricey place generally and children under 12 stay free
- Breakfast is extra, but again, free for children under 12
- The hotel is on the edge of Geneva's (rather tame) red light district
- Taxis to the airport (3km away) are expensive; better to take the airport train, which stops at Cornavin, half a kilometre from the hotel
Best time to go
Geneva is a great city, far more interesting than you might think, and there’s always something going on, from concerts and opera to festivals and regattas. It is an international hub of big business and very expensive as a result. However, prices drop at weekends and in July and August during the holidays.
Our top tips
- Boutique Hotel
- 41 rooms
- Restaurant and bar (open daily)
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Concierge Service
Rooms
Rooms all have a similar style with dark wood floors, yellow walls and bold colours for curtains and throws. You’ll find Nespresso machines, flat-screen TVs through which you can access the internet and a library of movies. Extremely comfortable beds have Frette linen, while smart bathrooms feature Grohe showers and white robes.
Solo Rooms are bigger than you’d expect (20sqm), with oversized single beds plus room for a small table. Superior Rooms are similar but a little bigger (23sqm) with a kingsize bed (or twins, on request). Deluxe Rooms are noticeably bigger (27sqm). They have better storage, a tub and/or a separate space for an extra bed.
Junior Suites come with sofa areas, iPod docks on their desks, perhaps 2 flat-screen TVs or a big walk-in wardrobe. The Duplex Junior Suite is spread over 2 floors (41sqm), with a lower sitting room and a bedroom up above with a double-ended bath (in addition to the downstairs shower room).
The Duplex Suite is the biggest room in the hotel (53sqm). It has exactly the same fixtures and fittings as the Duplex Junior Suite, plus a TV at the end of its double-ended bath, and a separate shower in the upstairs bathroom.
Features include:
- Bathrobes
- Hairdryer
- In-room treatments available
- Minibar
- Safe box
- WiFi
Eating
Breakfast, served in the restaurant, isn't included in the room rate, but 2 menus are available. The first includes a buffet with hams and cheeses, baskets of croissants and pains au chocolat, fresh fruit salad and yoghurts, then cooked dishes - perhaps a boiled egg or some bacon. There is also a light version available pre-packed for on-the-go types, with muesli, fresh juice and coffee.
Room service is available over lunch and dinner, either in your room or in the bar. There are soups and salads, pizzas and burgers or a club sandwich with fries.
Dinner in the smart restaurant is refreshingly different for Geneva: an excellent Asian fusion menu offers a true East-meets-West vibe (Eastwest!). The strange and wonderful mixtures of flavours and textures could so easily go wrong, but the balance is undeniably right. We loved the green tea focaccia served in a giant cacao bean, and the yuzu lemon sorbet served with salted caramel cheesecake, but the real standout dish for us was the piquant and savoury udon noodle starter. In the warmer months, you can eat al fresco in the serene inner courtyard, with flickering candles
Features include:
- Bar
- Kids' meals
- Restaurant
- Restaurants nearby
- Room service
Activities
- Lake Geneva plays a big part in the lives of the Genevois - they walk by it, sail on it and cross its bridges all day long
- Les Bains des Pâquis is a favourite spot, a small promontory that juts into the lake. There’s an all-day café, tiny beaches and decked terraces for swimming and sunbathing, even a hammam and a beautiful diving board
- Don't miss the Old Town for mazy lanes that climb up to the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre. It's free to visit, but it’s worth paying to climb the north tower for views over the city and lake
- The Jet d’Eau, Geneva’s landmark fountain, is ever-impressive. 500 litres of water a second shoot into the sky at 200kph, reaching a height of 140m. You can take a boat over to the island to investigate, but if the wind changes, you may get very wet!
- Jump on a mouette, one of the tiny yellow ferries. You can use the free travel card that comes with your room. Or take a cruise and spin round the bay, head north past villages, or south onto the fabulous Rhône
- Hire bikes and follow the promenade north along the west shore, dip into the botanical garden, then drop down to the UN at the Palais des Nations and tour its chambers on weekdays
- The International Red Cross was founded in Geneva in 1863. Their museum (near the UN) is deeply moving
- Another must-see is the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, for a fascinating collection of art, sculpture, pottery and beautiful artefacts spanning pre-history to the mid-20th century
- The Geneva Festival takes place at the end of July and the beginning of August. The lakeshore buzzes, and there are all sorts of concerts, lots of fireworks and the odd drink
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Boat trips
- Cycling
- Hiking
- Historical sites
- Museums / galleries
- Nightlife
- Plantlife / flora
- Sailing
- Shopping / markets
- Swimming
- Well being
Kids
Children are very welcome and baby cots or extra beds can be accommodated in Deluxe Rooms, Junior Suites and the Duplex Suite. Children aged 12 and under stay for free in their parents’ room and there is no charge for breakfast. They also receive small bathrobes, a lovely touch.
Best for:
All ages
Family friendly accommodation:
Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms
Babysitting:
On request; price depends on age and number of children.
Children's meals:
High chairs and a kids' menu in the restaurant.
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
Eastwest hotel is in the heart of Geneva, close to the lake and a few minutes' walk from the Old Town and shopping streets. Geneva sits in the southwest of Switzerland on its border with France (its airport marks the border, with exits either side).
By Air:
You can fly into Geneva from all over Europe and from most countries across the world. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving this airport.
From the Airport
You can take a free train into the city, or a taxi cost CHF50 when we visited. Local transport is excellent so there's no need to hire a car while you're here, unless you're planning to explore the wider area.
By Train:
Geneva is connected to all major Swiss cities and towns by train. From abroad, it is possible to take the train to Geneva from Paris and Milan without changing, and from London, Rome, Berlin and Vienna changing only once. See Seat 61 and Eurostar for more details. The hotel is 500m south of the station at Cornavin.
By Car:
The hotel is 300m from the southern shores of Lake Geneva. If you want to hire a car, see our car rental recommendations. Speed cameras are everywhere, so beware!
Detailed directions will be sent when you confirm a booking through i-escape.com. 
More on getting to Switzerland and getting around
Airports:
- Geneva 3.0 km GVA
Other:
- Beach 0.5 km
- Shops 0.1 km
- Restaurant 0.1 km