There is nothing like trying a new place to stay – as in brand new! I am relatively new to the concept of staying in apartments, but having been introduced and invited to try the Swiss Luxury Apartments on my recent trip to Geneva, post Verbier, I couldn’t say no. Why? Because they looked lovely, and I knew I would be comfortable.
The Swiss Luxury Apartments are located opposite Le Richemont Luxury Hotel & Spa and the Beau Rivage Hotel. They are situated right in the centre of town, with its great shops, restaurants and bars (well, if you bear in mind that this is Geneva – which doesn’t scream late night fun pour moi!). The apartments are literally two minutes’ walk from Lac Leman (or Lake Geneva).
Pre-Arrival
– Was there any pre-arrival communication by the hotel with myself via email or social media?
No, the booking process was organised by the lovely Lauren di Marco, who handled all communications with the property.
– Did I try to engage the hotel via Twitter? Did the hotel interact with me and made me feel welcome/special?
The apartments do not have a Twitter account, so not much I could do.
– Has the hotel tried to gather any personal information (e.g. preferences) prior to my stay?
No.
Arrival
– The wow factor! What was the hotel decor style?
To be truthful, this is not a hotel. When you arrive, there is some sort of reception, which a seating area too. It was quite nice, although a little bit cold, in my opinion.
– How quick and efficient was the hotel check-in?
Very efficient as all our details had been pre-processed and our keys were ready.
– Was I addressed by name once reservation has been located? (it is all about the small details, some others are outstanding with this, and I love it, like I do when I board an airplane)
We were indeed – and with 3 ladies, it wasn’t easy to learn all our names.
– Did I get an upgrade from my confirmed pre-booked room type?
We were confirmed to stay in a luxury 2-bedroom suite, which is exactly what we got.
– Did I feel genuinely welcomed by the hotel staff?
Very much so. Samuel was our host and we saw plenty of him during our short stay.
– Luggage – how many people did I have to tip before the luggage made it safely to my room? This is cultural, I know
None. Samuel helped us with our luggage (which was a lot as we had just arrived from Verbier).
– Wi-fi – was I told anything about it? Was there a charge?
Wi-fi is free for all guests. excellent news.
Room Experience
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Yes, this is lovely
– First impressions – décor, size and wow factor
Wow wow wow, it was lovely. Beautifully decorated and presented, I loved the apartment the minute I walked in. Seriously nice.
– Welcome amenity
We had some lovely sweets and drinks. Much appreciated as I was a little bit hungry.
– The bed
A Frette heaven. It was outstanding – and beautiful!
– Closet/Wardrobe – proper hangers or those annoying ones where you need a PhD to get them out one by one? This is a personal pet peeve of mine. I can’t stand them.
To be honest, as we were only staying for a night, I didn’t unpack.
– Iphone Charger/Dock
No.
– Bathrobes and slippers
All there and Frette, of course (I was very impressed).
– Coffee and Tea
As an apartment, you actually have a very efficient kitchen, which comes with all facilities. Nespresso, obviously.
– Free bottled water
And free mini bar indeed – still and sparkling water, juice and coke. Simple, but so great
– Magazine selection – had some nice surprises and doesn’t happen often enough!
I honestly cannot remember!
– Power sockets in useful places – we have more and more devices and we know where we want them! By the bed, by the working area.
We didn’t have a problem with this, there were plenty around (but with Swiss sockets, beware.. some European plugs do not fit!). I also loved the actual light switches (you may have gathered I have a little fetish for interior design).
Bathroom
– First impressions – décor, size and wow factor
The bathroom was fantastic – all with the latest specifications, seriously good. But one thing I couldn’t find? The toilet! That is right! We had a 2-bedroom suite, one of which had a “full en suite bathroom”. The other room, mine, didn’t have the toilet, which is a fascinating French phenomenon (I know I am in Switzerland, before you think I am confusing my geography!). The toilet was indeed a separate room, so it could be used by guests as well – I find this really quite strange as where I come from you always have “an extra” toilet for guests, you don’t remove one from the main bedrooms. Would love to know the rationale behind this, but I am afraid I don’t!
– Bath, shower and taps – I am looking for Duravits and Hansgrohes (or other fab brands) around the world. How fab was the shower? And a little pet peeve.. was I able to operate the shower without asking Mr. O for help?
Shower heaven, bathroom heaven. It was lovely!
– Towels – yes, please! How many and how soft and lovely?
Brand new Frette towels which were soft and lovely and despite being new, didn’t leave anything behind… oh and large too!
– Toiletries – own brand, super brand, baby ones or proper ones? I shall find out!
Full toiletries by a “spa” brand were provided, which I didn’t use.
– Amenity kit – I don’t want more sewing kits thank you very much, but I will need a shower cap.
I did have my shower cap, and everything I needed.
– Hairdryer – is it a human one, or just something stuck to a wall that only makes noise?
I didn’t use it in this occasion, but it was there.
Breakfast
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A nice breakfast room
– Décor of breakfast room
Being an apartment, breakfast is not provided, but croissants can be ordered in advance, which is what we did. (Thank you, Samuel!). We had everything else we needed (coffee, juice, etc).
Bar
No bar, unless you have your own little party. On that night, we had an incredible dinner at the Four Seasons Geneva and indulged in some lovely cocktails (and walked 5 mins back to our place – so good!)
General thoughts
– How good and reliable was the wi-fi?
We didn’t have a problem at all.
– Did the hotel interact with me via Twitter during my stay?
No.
– Location
Really really good – also close to Geneva train station, to which we had to travel to and from. You had to cross the lake to get to the shops, but it isn’t a problem at all.
– Cost – rooms starting from…
Starting at 450 CHF (370 Euro) for 1 bedroom apartments, and 900 CHF for the 2-bedroom suites for short stays. Better rates can be found on longer stays. I found it expensive at the beginning, but if you compare with similar luxury hotels in Geneva (which can be really expensive), it can be a good option.
– Would I recommend it to my best friend?
Oh yes, and I know she would love it!
– Would I stay again?
I have stayed at quite a few 5-star hotels in Geneva and I would think that this concept beat them all. Seriously impressed.
Final thoughts:
I really really liked these apartments and would recommend them without a doubt. They were super spacious and the decor was faultless. I seriously wouldn’t mind moving in, if I had to be in Geneva (which I still find a teeny tiny boring, I am sorry!).
Have you visited these apartments? What were your thoughts?
xo
Mrs. O
Disclaimer: I was a guest of Swiss Luxury Apartments during this stay, but hopefully you will see that this has not influenced my thoughts about the property.