The best accommodations Geneva

Budget & Tips

Hotel rates are almost twice as high in Switzerland as in France for the same services. You won't find a pleasant double room for less than CHF 180. Accommodation in Switzerland is therefore expensive, but hotels are generally very well kept and of high quality. It's good to know that at weekends, many establishments offer good rates. Overnight stays in Geneva are concentrated mainly during the week, with business tourism.

In summer, hotel rates are lower, as Geneva is a business city.

Beware of trade fairs and other events taking place in Geneva: room rates can triple or even triple depending on supply and demand.

Rates are given as an indication only. Consult hotel websites, as rates vary considerably throughout the year. For example, a high-comfort hotel rate may be only slightly higher than a lower-end hotel for those on a smaller budget. Don't hesitate to compare rates. Geneva's budget hotels are still very expensive, but their value for money is very relative.

You'll also find the whole range of mid-budget hotel chains. For a less expensive stay: bed and breakfasts are a good solution (see www.bnb.ch), as are youth hostels. And for an even lower-cost stay, consider setting up your base camp on the French side: there are hotels in Ferney Voltaire and in villages a little further away from the border, at much lower cost. The villages benefit from a good bus network linking them to Geneva city center, airport or train station, regularly and quickly!

To be booked

With 125 hotels and nearly 10,000 rooms, Geneva is ready to welcome you in all seasons. Home to major international organizations and corporations, Geneva regularly hosts conventions and seminars that fill up the hotels quickly. It is therefore wise to make reservations. It is impossible to find a room, for example, during the Motor Show in March.

What's very local

If there is one specificity in Geneva, it is the luxury hotels. With about fifteen 5-star hotels, real palaces, and many 4-star hotels, Geneva's offer is oriented towards the top of the range. If tipping is not mandatory and not expected, it is welcome when the service - which is always the case - is smiling and professional.

For food lovers

If breakfast buffets have become "international" over the years, they have the reputation of being generous, even copious in Switzerland, where charcuterie and regional dairy products go well with fruit juice and coffee.

Smokers

In a country where advertising and promotion for tobacco are still possible, the legislation is more restrictive for smokers in the canton of Geneva where smoking is forbidden in public places. If you dare to smoke on a terrace, don't be surprised by the glares and above all, pick up your cigarette butt.

Tourist traps

There are very few tourist catchers and touts in Geneva. The place where you can get trapped is, when arriving at the airport, to be "directed" to an illegal cab.