Mandarin Oriental Geneva

As the name probably suggests, the Mandarin Oriental hotels were first conceived a long way from Switzerland. But we would argue that there’s possibly no European city so well suited to the MO’s particular strengths as Geneva. This is a place with a deep appreciation for the finer pleasures in life, and a similarly deep appreciation for an operation that runs like a finely tuned machine. (If you’re Swiss you might be wondering why we just said the same thing twice.) And there may be no more blissful marriage of sensory pleasure and sheer professional effectiveness than the Mandarin Oriental, Geneva.

Once upon a time this was the Hôtel du Rhône, a rare postwar modernist landmark. Its historic façade remains as grand as ever, while the interiors have been updated: the public spaces by hospitality specialist Adam D. Tihany and the rooms by Sybille de Margerie. The new look is contemporary, with a hint of Hong Kong in the top-of-the-line suites, and above all it’s eminently palatable — the Mandarin Oriental is not in the business of taking anything too far. The only thing that verges on excess, in fact, is the sheer comfort of it all, especially the marble bathrooms with their walk-in showers.

And in the department of food and drink the Mandarin Oriental throws a bit of a curveball: Rasoi by Vineet, the signature restaurant, is an upscale Indian restaurant, and it’s recently been joined by Yakumanka, a luxe take on a classic Peruvian cevicheria.