This lakeside old-timer has seen many lives, though it has gone full circle, relinquishing its status as a swanky hotel with Como-like views from less Como-esque suites (the restrained Pierre-Yves Rochon sort that reeks of a mogul’s suburban home). The opulence is instead expressed through rich materials, from the hypnotic straw marquetry on the cupboards and sliding doors to the thick, creamy rugs warming perfect parquet floors. Head up to the sixth floor for a balcony overlooking sleepy Quai Wilson, or simply be comforted by the fact that all suites twist, in some sense, towards the lake. True to Swiss form, the hotel’s restaurants are not worth bothering to book a local haunt for, with L’Aetelier Joël Robuchon’s theatrical tasting menus delivered like little paintings to the glowy-sultry counter, and vegetable-led Le Jardinier bathed in that nostalgic Geneva light, with its more unbuttoned, brasserie character. And, as far as activities go, Le Spa Guerlain houses the most photogenic of pools – it once housed piles of cash as a bank vault – and is backed up by saunas, steam rooms and treatments where deliciously smelling Guerlain lotions and potions are lathered on with zero Swiss restraint in mind. Rosalyn Wikeley
Price: Rooms from around £1,800 per night.
Address: Quai Wilson 37, 1201 Genève