I have been to Geneva twice. The first time, I was on a school trip to Annecy to practice my French. I was allocated one day to spend roaming around the Swiss city, splashing my francs – kindly withdrawn beforehand by my mother back in Yorkshire – on the most expensive chocolate I could find, ostensively on the basis that I'd bring some home as a gift. You can imagine how that panned out. Some 15 years later, I returned to the famous city in search of something even tastier: European football.
Before even consulting my bestie, I'd bought us two tickets to the first semi-final of the UEFA Women's Euros, hoping that the Lionesses would take an unconventional route to victory (they did!). Then there was the small matter of where to stay. Ultimately, we just needed a base, but hospitality aficionados that we are, we fancied a base with a bit of luxury and, ideally, personality.
Rotary Hotel Geneva McGallery Collection Review:
After a short flight from Edinburgh to Geneva, we walked out of the airport to blue skies and a bustle of tourists all rushing to see what the historic city had to offer. We jumped in a taxi and spent the 20-minute taxi journey to the hotel getting a feel for the local scenery, making a mental note to reserve some time for the most essential city-break activity: shopping.
When we arrived at the Rotary Hotel, we were swiftly greeted by friendly hotel staff, who helped us shift our oversized luggage up to our room and gave us tips for getting the most out of Geneva, from the best lake-side beaches to the famous chocolate tour – a Choco Pass is pretty much essential. It's also worth noting that if you book a stay at the Rotary Hotel, you'll be sent a free Geneva Public Transport card in advance, for using the bus, tram, boat, and train to the airport.
We wasted no time in exploring the city. Having left our suitcases in the room (more on that later), we walked straight over to Lake Geneva, which took us less than five minutes. The Jet d'Eau, otherwise known as the massive water fountain, is every bit as impressive as the brochures insist, spraying water 140 metres into the air at a rate of 500 litres of water per second at 200km/h. We admired the view from Bains des Pâquis, one of the many lakeside beaches within the city, with an Aperol Spritz in hand.
Before walking back to the Rotary, we squeezed in a few more local attractions, including the Reformation Wall (about 1km from the hotel), a 100m stretch of statues depicting key figures in the Protestant Reformation; the Flower Clock (750 yards from the hotel), a botanical clock made entirely of 12,000 flowers and plants that change with the seasons, and the shops, so many shops.
Our double room perfectly encapsulated the 4-star hotel's boutique feel, with quirky antique-style features, such as polished wooden dressers, velvet armchairs, chandeliers, and – my favourite – vintage ceramic table lamps with hand-painted birds and foliage. I learned after our stay that the Rotary Hotel often hosts art exhibitions featuring exhilarating works by artists from around the world. Indeed, a month after our stay, the Rotary Hotel offered a competition prize of hosting artists' work in the lobby and rooms, underscoring just how big a deal it is in the art world – not to mention how lucky guests are to experience and admire such unique decor.
On a practical level, the room was equipped with everything we needed. Namely, free WiFi, a mini bar, and a 43" flat-screen TV for those sacrosanct hours between getting back from our city adventures and preparing to leave for dinner. The en-suite bathroom indeed had a bath (a real luxury for this London renter), free toiletries, a hair dryer, and a plush bathrobe. For those who fancy getting a sweat on before using the facilities, there's also a hotel fitness centre, which, admittedly, I didn't use, but it's always nice to have the option.
Once we'd finished preening in front of the bathroom mirrors (one large wall mirror for selfies and another small magnified mirror for plucking eyebrows), we ventured out of our arty little sanctuary for dinner.
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In the heart of Geneva's Old Town, we found Les Armures Restaurant, which had been recommended to me by just about everyone who knew about my impromptu trip to the Swiss city. And I was never going to not order fondue and white wine now, was I? The restaurant is only a 15-minute walk from the Rotary Hotel, but I recommend booking in advance; shortly after we were seated, a Wimbledon-style queue soon formed.
If you prefer sticking closer to home, L'Artisan, the hotel's own restaurant, serves an array of French flavours, including signature dishes made with seasonal ingredients, as well as main courses such as Swiss Beef filet tartare, baked Mont d'Or, and pan-fried sea bass fillet.
Once back at the hotel, we settled into our beds for some rest before the footy match the next day. Despite the unholy amount of melted cheese in my body, I slept well – most likely aided by the comfy bed, lack of noise, and the curtains shutting out the early morning light.
The next day, we squeezed in some breakfast before heading to the Stade de Genève to watch England take on Italy. And as if this trip couldn't get any better? They won.
For more from Glamour UK's Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.
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