Beau-Rivage Palace

Place from the optics is great and beautiful. Staff however, was really unfriendly. I work in hospitality, so I might look at it differently. But I also travel a lot and have been in quite a few top places. Beau Rivage is well known, for its prestige presentation, its luxury - rich in detailed and fine looks, good food to excellent service. It was my second time a this hotel in Lausanne and from the moment I entered, I was treated as “second class”. We had quite long trip by car and therefore, looked a bit underdressed - and were treated like such. I’m a women btw. When we came by car, they didn’t offer to even carry the small bags - which I get, I can definitely carry one or two my self - yet, not a 5 star service. The front door was not being held open for me and the guy at the front desk seemed as if he hated his job. 5 star service should also know that it was my second visit, and the fact that I / we booked also a second time, a high priced category - but didn’t receive any “welcome back” whatsoever is odd for a place like this. Definitely no Forbes standards here as well. I found black hairs in my shower but also in the bathtub. We had a a great evening with a nice server at the brasserie. Excellent food and great wine suggestions from a very nice young man. When we came back to our suite, the room was not prepared …. And I booked a suite - not that it matters because a 5 star hotel must to do that for every category. When I asked the concierge about the opening hours for their on house store, because I still needed a dress and my partner bathing stuff, they said, “too bad, we open tomorrow maybe at 10, but we also don’t have much people currently”. I don’t get that because I was willing to spend some money and they gave me no other option. Breakfast service was a bit strange and slow. Anyways, hotel is beautiful, very expensive for what it is but food, drinks, interior all in all was good.

We only had 48 hours staying at the BRP. In this time we had planned to do a day trip to zermatt to see the Matterhorn. The BRP was so top tier we decided to cancel our day trip plans and spend 100% of our time at the hotel. This is the highest regard I can pay this hotel. A must stay, even if you have no business being in or near Lausanne. Would 100% return.

Over a ten year period ( starting in 1962) my parents would escape the heat in Brazil, and spend winter months in Switzerland. Our first stop was always the Beau Rivage, where the GM Walter Schneider would welcome us with open arms. During wintertime the hotel only opened the "new" wing, and had only one bar and one restaurant open. As modest as that may sound, the service, attention to detail, and the food were extraordinary. Obviously over the past 60 years, the hotel has grown to meet demand but it has also joined the arms race for new luxury amenities which are obligatory in today's luxury hotel market. Does all this "luxury" translate into a better hotel? I believe not. The service continues to be outstanding, and the attention to detail is still evident, but our experiences in two restaurants were really disappointing. A light lunch in the sun parlor was pathetic: gummy duck dumplings and a 7 layers of bread with little in between. The Japanese restaurant fared no better. The execution of classic Japanese dishes ( tempura and yakitori ) was nonexistent. The tempura batter was too thick ( absorbs oil..) and yakitori never saw a charcoal grill! When I compare these meals with the classic restaurant and dishes of years past, I just find it regrettable. When in Switzerland ,give me an emincé de veau, .and I will be perfectly happy even if it costs me a fortune.

We stayed at the hotel for two nights, arriving by car, of course. The hotel offers valet parking. Architecturally speaking, this is one of the most beautiful hotels we have ever stayed in. The location is excellent—just steps away from Lake Geneva and the Ouchy promenade. We received a large room with a balcony and a lake view, which was simply wonderful. The room was well-equipped with everything we needed, and the bed was very comfortable. The bathroom was also large and spacious. Breakfast was very good, as were the meals at the hotel’s main restaurant (not the Michelin). The service was very good, and overall, we enjoyed ourselves immensely. We will definitely return!

Lausanne is beautiful, but if I ever returned, I would choose a different five-star hotel. The elevator key card doesn’t work reliably, expect to stand in the glass elevator repeatedly tapping until it registers a green light. The bathroom sink and shower also drain poorly, leaving standing water. Our bathroom had a urine smell that I ended up trying to mask by pouring shower gel down the drain and flushing repeatedly. The buffet breakfast wasn’t great either. Staff attitude was inconsistent at best. Some concierge staff came across as arrogant and dismissive toward guests. They’ll happily make all your bookings, but you’ll still feel looked down on. The worst part of our stay , something that would never have happened at a Four Seasons: Concierge Aleks suggested that leaving the hotel 25 minutes before our train’s departure would be enough time, despite knowing I had 4 pieces of luggage, 3 backpacks, a stroller, and 2 kids. I asked for a taxi that would give us 45 minutes instead. The taxi arrived 15 minutes late, and it was so small my stroller didn’t fit , even though I’d specifically asked for a van. I had to disassemble the stroller on the spot. By the time we arrived at the station, I had 15 minutes left to reassemble the stroller, unload everything, and find our platform, all without speaking the language. With such little time, and no one speaking English, we got on the wrong train. What should have been a 3.5-hour direct ride, turned into an 11-hour trip with four connections. When I called the concierge to explain how stressed I was and to ask if they could arrange a taxi to get me to my next destination, or if they can help me figure out how to get to my destination, they stopped answering the phone, I called 11 times! No answer! Instead, I later learned they spent that time reviewing security camera footage and contacting the taxi company , to prove that, it was not their fault Once our luggage was unloaded and the stroller reassembled, I had exactly 9 minutes in a train station where no one seemed to speak English. Imagine getting on and off a train four times with 2 kids, 4 pieces of luggage, a stroller, and 3 backpacks only because hotel failed to get your taxi on time or the size that you need!!! A Four Seasons concierge would have focused on helping me find the best way to reach my destination. The Beau-Rivage instead focused on proving it wasn’t their fault, leaving me and my two kids to figure it out on our own. The lack of hospitality here will leave you regretting your stay. If you’re used to real 5 star customer care, like at a Four Seasons, stay at a different five-star hotel.