Mon Repos Hotel

The lobby and common spaces in Mon Repos Hotel are boutique-chic with a high-end feel that suggests a higher star category. (Guest rooms, unfortunately, are a little plainer.) Dim lighting sets a moody tone for an eclectic mix of vintage, boho, and modern pieces: Victorian armchairs feature curved legs with velvety or damask upholstery, while chairs at the bar are sleek with curved wood backs and chrome legs. Antique objects, hardwood furnishings, and modern art all come together for a look that feels both charming and sophisticated. During the week, business guests and diplomats are the main clientele, while the weekend crowd includes couples on romantic getaways. While children are welcome, no particular amenities are tailored to kids.

For business guests and diplomats, Mon Repos Hotel is ideally located, right along the beautiful Parc du Lac and in walking distance to the World Trade Organization (a four-minute walk away) and other international organizations. The Lake Geneva waterfront is a five-minute walk through the park, the Botanical Gardens can be reached in five-minutes on foot, and the U.N. is about a 20-minute walk. It’s an eight-minute walk to the Gare de Genève-Sécheron transit stop. It may not be ideal for guests who want to spend most of their time in Old Town, though it’s still walkable in about 20 minutes. Geneva International Airport can be reached in as little as 25 minutes via public transit or 10 minutes by car.

While they don't reflect the same stylish flair of public spaces, guest rooms are simple, clean, and contemporary with a modern palette of gray and white. Heather gray wall-to-wall carpeting meets white walls and bedding, while dark accent walls behind the beds add a little contrast. It’s all more than serviceable, but feels a little too basic to bump this property up to the "upscale" range. The generic light wood furnishings, for example, include open wardrobes and narrow desks, something that belies a mid-range property. Bathrooms are on the small side, but they're modern with gray or white tiling and combination showers and tubs.

Rooms include lightly stocked minibars, coffee/tea service (usually with electric kettles), flat-screen TVs on desks, electronic safes that can fit laptops, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms feature wall-mounted toiletry dispensers and hairdryers. Irons and ironing boards are available on request. Air-conditioning is notably missing, but rooms have ceiling fans. Other downsides: Guests occasionally complain of thin walls or noise from traffic in street-facing rooms (though with the windows closed, this isn’t an issue.)

Room sizes include Single Rooms, Double Rooms, and Junior Suites, the latter of which include Nespresso machines and sitting areas with sofa beds. Note that in addition to the property’s 80 rooms, the hotel can accommodate longer-stay guests in 25 apartments equipped with kitchens and up to three bedrooms.

The hotel’s charming bar and lounge extends into a dining area and features an outdoor terrace with seating. The bar isn’t huge, but it doesn’t feel like an afterthought either, with stylish decor, a selection of wines, and a featured cocktail. In the evenings, light dishes and meals (chicken in cream sauce, ravioli, pizzas) are also offered, though the bar and restaurant are closed two days a week, a nuisance to some, as there are few restaurants in the immediate area. A well-liked hot and cold breakfast buffet is offered daily for an extra fee.

While the hotel has no on-site wellness facilities, it offers free transport (by water taxi) to Bain-Bleu Hammam & Spa across the lake. There are lots of lounge nooks throughout the lobby: a reading corner, two meeting room, and a stylish business nook with a Mac desktop computer for guest use as well as a printer (printing pages cost a nominal extra fee). Wi-Fi throughout the property is free. Bikes are available to borrow free of charge, and parking is available for an extra nightly fee. The front desk is open 24 hours.