Hotel d'Angleterre

The shores of Lake Geneva and the banks of the Rhone are thick with deluxe grand hotels, many a century old and more. One of the most unique is the Hotel d’Angleterre, on the Quai du Mont Blanc, on the right bank; this hotel’s English flavor runs deep, and may well account for its continued success against such formidable competition.

With only 39 rooms and 6 suites, the Hotel d’Angleterre is a bit more intimate than one might expect. The accommodations have been rather substantially modernized, with the Louis XV or English manor house décor updated with a more contemporary look. The occasional canopy bed or safari print remain, as faithful vestiges of the hotel’s history, but overall it’s a refreshing blend of soft, muted colors and rich contemporary furniture.

Business Ready rooms come with all the copious amenities of the other rooms (soundproofing, satellite TV, Penhaligon’s bath products) as well as a generously sized work desk and swivel chair, a rental laptop, a personal fax/copier and secretarial and IT support.

Afternoon tea, complete with scones and finger sandwiches, can be served in-room or in the Windows Café, the hotel’s international-cuisine restaurant, with panoramic views of the lake and the mountains beyond. And for drinks it’s the Leopard Room, the British Colonial-styled bar, decked out in antique steamer trunks for tables and animal hides for upholstery.