Consistently ranked among Switzerland’s top hospitality establishments, the hotel exudes a palpable sense of history that makes every corner enchanting. The corridor connecting both wings displays archives of documentation relating to the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne—signed in this very hotel after World War I to end the conflict between the Allies and the Ottoman Empire. These and other historic agreements continue to attract history buffs, who marvel at the moments when a few strokes of the pen opened new chapters in human civilisation.

A 2022 update by French interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon refreshed the rooms with elegant new interiors, including a minibar cleverly positioned at eye level and modern, intuitive touch-screen interfaces for lighting settings (relaxed, night mode, and ambient). From the balcony, you are transported into the same reverie as countless writers, poets, and dreamers who have stayed here, a place where solace and inspiration abound, and where the beguiling landscape makes spirits soar.

Beyond the beauty of the pristine outdoors, the guest experience is enriched by the hotel’s impeccable service, from bellhop to front desk. Housekeeping performs an almost forensic job in keeping everything spotless, from marbled bathrooms and double vanities to glass-topped tables and even the books on the mantelpiece.

Breakfast at La Terrasse is a resplendent affair, featuring Parma ham, seasonal local grapes, honey from the hotel’s own beehives (with a crystalline texture and the aroma of Swiss flowers), and 11 kinds of juices, including mango, ginger, and peach. For those so inclined, eggs may be topped with golden imperial caviar, a nod to the aristocrats and nobles who once savoured breakfast with the same view of Lake Geneva, carved by the retreating Rhône glacier more than 10,000 years ago.

The hotel’s restaurants and bars span the Japanese Kaigan, the lobby lounge and bar, and the chic brasserie-style Café Beau-Rivage, where sommeliers wax lyrical about the elegant Chasselas, a full, dry, and fruity local grape varietal used in white wines.

For gastronomes, the ultimate culinary experience awaits at Pic au Beau-Rivage Palace, a two-Michelin-starred institution for more than 15 years. Following a recent revamp, it continues to bear the name of Anne-Sophie Pic, the world’s most decorated female chef.

Dinner in the garden begins with one of her signatures, Les Berlingots, marked with her copyright ASP, featuring ewe’s milk cheese from Mont-Gibloux and a corn velouté with wild chamomile and floral curry. For the main course, it’s hard to overlook the luxurious caviar Kristal sea bass, a firm favourite of Anne-Sophie’s father, Jacques, who helmed the family’s three-Michelin-starred Maison Pic in Valence, France. This dish, a Pic family classic for over five decades, features line-caught Mediterranean sea bass served with a white champagne sauce and generously topped with Osetra caviar.

Throughout the Beau-Rivage Palace, you’ll spot the iconic Bee Bottles by French glassmaker Pochet du Courval, a symbol of Guerlain. At the hotel’s Guerlain Spa, one of only two in Switzerland, limited-edition fragrances are housed in these exquisite bottles. The spa itself is a sanctuary of rejuvenation, offering age-defying treatments and skin-renewal rituals. A facial feels dreamlike, enhanced by Guerlain’s signature paraffin hand treatment and a sensory experience of ambience, music, temperature, and lighting.

From the hotel, Lausanne opens up with its lakeside promenade, Olympic Museum, vibrant nightlife, and the Lavaux vineyards, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, within easy reach. The hotel’s chief concierge, Sylvie Gonin, whose winemaking family traces its roots to 14th-century Lavaux, has served here for more than three decades. “I always say that Switzerland is a bubble within Europe, and Lausanne is a bubble within Switzerland,” she says with a smile. “And for me, the Beau-Rivage Palace is a bubble within Lausanne.”