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 in a style that pays tribute to the hotel’s century-plus of history as well as the landscapes of Switzerland. The look is contemporary, 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 it’s in the department of food and drink that the Mandarin Oriental, Geneva most straightforwardly displays both Eastern and Western influences. SACHI, the flagship restaurant, features the Japanese cooking of a Nobu-trained chef, as well as an omakase bar; it’s complemented by the French flavors of the modern-classic Le Bistrot du Rhône.