Beau-Rivage Geneva

Not many luxury hotels can claim to have been in operation for more than 150 years, and still fewer have remained independent and family-owned for all that time. Beau-Rivage Geneva, however, is exactly that. It’s among the most luxurious hotels in town — set right on the shores of Lake Geneva, overlooking the city’s famous Jet d’Eau — and it didn’t get that way by resting on its 1865-vintage laurels.

A massive multi-year renovation leaves the Beau-Rivage two floors taller than it was before, and the interiors, by the French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, are thoroughly renewed, even as the atmosphere of aristocratic elegance remains undisturbed. The suites, named for such luminaries as Charles de Gaulle and Elizabeth Taylor, scale extravagant heights of luxury, while even the relatively humble Executive rooms remain faultless in their comforts.

The hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Chat-Botté, is joined by Patara, a high-end Thai eatery, as well as a spectacular terrace and a Champagne bar. The hotel’s Balneo suites feature a hammam and jacuzzi, and in-room massages complete the relaxation offerings. Safe to say the Beau-Rivage continues to earn its place in the pantheon of Geneva’s extraordinarily luxe high-end hotels.