Fairmont Le Montreux Palace

Fairmont Le Montreux Palace is the city’s biggest and grandest hotel, with a sprawling Belle Epoque facade that dominates the lakeside, itself almost enough to keep Montreux architecturally anchored in the 19th century. Inside it’s more of the same, enough meticulously preserved opulence to stun the most jaded jet-setter, making pretenders out of the majority of so-called “grand” hotels.

There may be a certain homeliness lost to all this determined splendor, but there’s something to be said for a return to the days when a hotel felt like a hotel, rather than an overgrown bed and breakfast. As in any grand hotel, there’s a certain caste system to the guest rooms, the cheapest rooms being a touch crowded, the better ones more spacious, and the best overlooking the lake rather than the mountains. Rooms on either side open through French doors onto small private balconies.

Beneath all the old-world elegance, Fairmont Le Montreux Palace is a fully modern business hotel, with all the trappings: wireless LAN in all rooms, extensive meeting facilities, and a distinctly un-Swiss Amrita spa, offering the latest treatments and a well-equipped fitness center. There are several restaurants and bars to choose from, including the Montreux Jazz Café and Funky Claude’s Bar, named for the founder of the famous Montreux Jazz Festival.