Lausanne Palace

The Lausanne Palace, a distinguished Michelin Two-Keys property in Lausanne, Switzerland, consistently receives high praise for its luxurious offerings, exceptional service, and prime location. It stands as a blend of historic grandeur and modern comfort, making it a favored choice for discerning travelers.

1. Overall Rating & Sentiment

The general consensus for Lausanne Palace is overwhelmingly positive, with guests frequently describing their stays as exceptional and wonderful. It holds a "Superb" rating of 9.2 out of 10 based on 1,646 reviews and an impressive 19.2 out of 20 on the Michelin Guide's own scale. The sentiment highlights a high-class hotel with charm and history, often rated among the best in Lausanne.

2. Key Highlights

Guests consistently laud the Lausanne Palace for several standout features:

• Service Excellence: The staff's helpfulness, friendly nature, and professional demeanor are frequently praised, with service often described as "out of this world".
• Prime Location: Situated in the heart of Lausanne, the hotel offers excellent accessibility to the city center and financial district, with many rooms boasting gorgeous panoramic views of Lake Geneva and the surrounding mountains.
• Luxurious Spa & Wellness: The expansive CBE Wellness area and Aveda spa are significant draws, offering relaxing treatments, an indoor pool, jacuzzi, saunas, and a fitness area.
• Elegant Design & Ambiance: The hotel, built in 1915, maintains much of its 19th-century grandeur in stately public spaces, complemented by stylish and often contemporary room decor after recent renovations.
• Exceptional Dining: The variety and quality of its restaurants, including a Michelin-starred option, are a major highlight.

3. Room Quality

Lausanne Palace offers 138 rooms, including 30 suites, each individually decorated. While the hotel has a rich history, the rooms and suites have been recently renovated, providing five-star facilities with a contemporary and stylish décor.

• Comfort: Guests frequently mention comfortable beds with soft linens and fluffy pillows. Rooms are often spacious, with executive rooms ranging from 376-484 square feet.
• Design: The design incorporates wood floors and modern decor, often enhanced with fresh flowers and welcome fruit amenities. Suites, such as the Junior Suite with Lake View, offer contemporary interiors, while larger suites like the Coco Chanel suite pay homage to period décor.
• Amenities: Many rooms feature balconies with panoramic lake views. A notable detail is the complimentary minibar, with drinks included in the rate. Bathrooms are well-appointed, often featuring double sinks, bathtubs, separate walk-in showers, and Penhaligon's toiletries.

4. Dining Experience

The hotel boasts a varied and excellent gourmet dining offer across its four restaurants.

• La Table du Lausanne Palace: This is the signature restaurant, holding two Michelin stars and 18 points by the Gault Millau guide. It's known for highly refined recipes and tasting menus.
• Brasserie du Grand Chêne: Offers a Parisian brasserie ambiance with classic French fare like steak tartare and sole meunière.
• Côté Jardin: Features Mediterranean cuisine and offers outdoor terrace dining during warmer months, also serving as the location for breakfast.
• Palace Sushi Zen: Caters to those who enjoy sushi.
• Breakfast: The breakfast buffet is consistently described as outstanding, with a wide variety of healthy choices including smoothies, fresh juices, fruits, smoked salmon, cold cuts, pastries, and made-to-order eggs and omelets. Guests appreciate the option to sit outside.

5. Service & Staff

The service at Lausanne Palace is a consistent highlight, frequently described as "excellent," "out of this world," and "impeccable". Staff members are noted for being friendly, helpful, accommodating, and highly professional. Guests appreciate the "little attention to details," such as personalized touches for special occasions. The atmosphere is characterized by "rigid, old-world, eminently professional" service, rather than a modern, chatty approach.

6. Location & Accessibility

The Lausanne Palace is ideally situated in the heart of Lausanne at Rue du Grand Chêne 7-9, placing it conveniently in the city center and near the financial district.

• Attractions: It is located near the Esplanade of Montbenon and offers spectacular views of Lake Geneva. The hotel is also within walking distance to shops.
• Transport: The Lausanne train station is less than a 10-minute walk away, though it is uphill to the hotel. There is also a train station downstairs from the hotel, enhancing accessibility. Lausanne itself is about 40 minutes from Geneva.

7. Value & Pricing

While specific price ranges are not explicitly detailed in the provided snippets, the Lausanne Palace is consistently referred to as a "five-star luxury palace" and a "high class hotel". One review mentions guide prices starting over $300 per night for similar luxury hotels in Switzerland, which provides a general indication. Guests who value exceptional service, luxurious amenities, and a prime location generally find the stay to be well worth the cost, contributing to an overall positive value for money rating of 8.7 out of 10. Some reviews also mention that room amenities, location, cleanliness, comfort, and value for money all contributed to a perfect stay.

8. Common Complaints

Despite the overwhelmingly positive feedback, a few minor criticisms have been noted:

• Outdated Common Areas: Some guests have found that certain common areas, particularly hallways, appear a bit outdated and could benefit from refurbishment.
• Expensive Facilities: One guest mentioned that the facilities were "exaggerating expensive".
• Lobby Atmosphere: A few comments noted the lobby could be small and noisy, with a strong spa smell that some found unpleasant.
• Concierge: One isolated complaint mentioned the concierge not being pleasant.
• Room Temperature: A minor complaint highlighted a room being a bit cold.
• Charging Facilities: One reviewer noted the lack of basic easy phone/iPad charging facilities in rooms.

Sources

1. booking.com
2. michelin.com
3. hoteladvisorexpert.com
4. experiencesluxe.com
5. expedia.com
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9. michelin.com
10. manorcastles.com
11. booking.com