Review: we visit Hilton Geneva, part-way through its massive transformation
Switzerland’s largest hotel, Hilton Geneva, is part way through a total, inside-and-out, transformation.
One year in, it has achieved the milestone of the complete renovation of the ‘Rive Droite’ – the right of the two monolithic blocks you see below – and invited us on a group press trip to take a look. As such, this was an ‘all expenses paid’ review, including flights.
Hilton does seem to be undertaking the renovation in a sustainable manner and also taking the opportunity to improve the environmental efficiency of the building.
The new facade has been placed over the old one, for example, generating less waste in the process and providing increased insulation.
The newly installed solar panels on the roof are now generating between 20% – 25% of the hotel’s energy. There are plans to connect to the GeniLac project which will provide both heating and cooling from Lake Geneva.
Arriving at Hilton Geneva
I’ve been to Geneva airport a few times, always heading straight for the Alps. I didn’t really know much about the city itself, specifically how compact it is.
What I did know is that this hotel is a 15 minute drive from the city centre, so I wasn’t quite ready when two minutes after boarding the Hilton shuttle bus (every 20 minutes) from the airport, we arrived at the hotel.
Reception takes up the entire right hand side of the lobby and unsurprisingly (as you can see the desk was not thronged) I was checked in quickly and efficiently.
One of the questions Reception asked is whether I had received my free Geneva Transport Card. This should be offered to you by the hotel (any hotel or tourist accommodation in Geneva) by email up to three days before you arrive.
Fill in the form and you receive your pass (digital, QR code) to use all of the public transport (trains, buses, trams and the small boats plying Lake Geneva) in the Canton of Geneva for free for the duration of your stay. I didn’t have mine and Reception sorted it.
The lobby area is large, but has been well zoned with plenty of seating ….
…. and there is a small self serve shop with snacks and essential toiletries.
Rooms at Hilton Geneva
This is my King Deluxe room, one of the 261 newly refurbished 28 square metre rooms in this side of the hotel.
The desk was a good size with a comfortable chair and all power types catered for.
They haven’t stinted on the refurbishment – all new beds, carpets and (well designed) chairs. The ‘Hilton Bed’ was extremely comfortable. The room was well lit and easily controlled.
The bathroom was immediately on the left as enter, with a frosted stripe effect on the door. This was good enough for privacy.
What wasn’t brilliant was that the frosted stripe effect is repeated on the large sliding mirrored doors of the wardrobe opposite the bathroom – it kept the aesthetic going but meant I couldn’t use it as a full length mirror.
Back to the bathroom. It was very functional with good space around the basin. The walk in shower was very well pressured with intuitive controls (you push a button!).
There are 34 suites on this side of the hotel, and I got to take a tour. Below is a King Junior Suite with Terrace which can sleep four.
As well as a walk in shower, the suite bathroom includes a bath, as you see below:
The hotel offers other larger and interconnecting suites. The full length windows and generous terraces make the newly refurbished suites on this top floor somewhere you would want to stay for more than a night on an airport stopover.
Food and drink at Hilton Geneva
A refurbished bar is on the way with the redevelopment of the left hand block of the hotel, along with a large outdoor cafe and garden area to be situated behind the connecting route between the two buildings.
However, the main restaurant, OXBO Geneva, has just opened. This is where we had dinner and breakfast.
The restaurant is to the left hand side of the reception lobby and, as befits the largest hotel in Switzerland, it’s big.
It’s a very pleasant light-filled space and the acoustics have been well managed. It’s not noisy and even in a large party – which we were for the evening meal – you can hear (this is notable for me as I am half deaf and generally struggle in a crowd!).
Breakfast is available between 5.45am and 10am on weekdays and until 10.30am on weekends. It is a buffet with an extensive selection including an eggs station.
Lunch and dinner in the restaurant are served between 12 noon and 10.30pm, with room service and a bar menu offering longer hours. There is a big emphasis on locally sourced, seasonal produce and the food was well presented and flavourful.
We had a shared dinner …. some of the dishes are below.
This is seasonal garden vegetables on focaccia with hummus:
And here …. marinated sea bass, grapefruit, radish, cucumber and samphire.
This was my main of ‘Saint Gallen pork loin ‘Grand Cru’ 200g, charlotte potato purée, tenderstem broccoli and swiss grain mustard sauce’ – also roasted garlic flakes.
To give you an idea of price, this was one of the more expensive mains at CHF 39, similar in price to the Lachs alpine salmon and Chicken supreme.
Spa and gym
While the swimming pool is in the left hand side of the hotel and will only re-open from September, the expanded Living Well Health Club & Spa fitness facilities on the lower ground floor are open now.
The gym is a huge 1,500 square metres and houses a full range of new Technogym equipment in four equipped gym areas plus studio rooms.
Classes such as yoga, pilates, circuits, stretch etc run every day of the week (only a couple at weekends) and you can also book one of four personal trainers. Classes are included in your stay.
There was also one of those machines you stand on to ascertain your ‘wellness age’, body analysis and lets you know what minerals etc you might be deficient in – free for guests but required booking. I didn’t quite find time for that ….
Sadly I also didn’t have time to experience the spa which did look (and smell) great.
Above is one of the single treatment rooms in its ambient light setting. There were also double treatment rooms, including options for Japanese Head Spa treatments as well as an array of facials, massages and manicures and pedicures.
The adjacent hair salon in the spa area offers a full range of hair dressing services.
Conclusion
Hilton Geneva is well located hotel, being a stone’s throw from the airport yet only 15 minutes into the city. The facilities opened so far are excellent and the service is warm and friendly.
The completion of the renovation in September will add a new Executive Lounge, bar, garden area and cafe and swimming pool with sauna and hot tub to the facilities described above, as well as an additional 191 rooms including 11 suites.
(There is an interim temporary Executive Lounge housed in a meeting room. It offers food in the afternoon and has an array of small tables with a chair on each side, but it’s not really somewhere you would want to hang out.)
This hotel caters to a large business market which takes about 70% of its rooms (it is adjacent to Palexpo International Exhibition & Convention Centre and handy for the UN for example). If you’re interested, it does have extensive meeting rooms and facilities – and in fact many others on the trip were from ‘meetings and conferences’ publications.
On the morning before departure I took the hotel bus back to the airport to catch the train to the city, using the free Geneva Transport Card. You don’t need to show your card – but you’d better have it ready for inspection if asked – and remember not to sit in First Class to avoid a stern ticking off.
I walked down to Lake Geneva with its crystal clear water and took one of the mouettes – small boats – to the old city on the other side.
I left feeling slightly embarrassed that I’d only ever considered Geneva a gateway to elsewhere. I hadn’t appreciated it for the fascinating medieval city that it is, nor fully thought about its role now as home to numerous international organisations.
As a conference hotel, pricing moves around a lot but expect to pay CHF 180 – CHF 200 per night (£170 – £190) when no major events are on.
Reward nights are capped at 60,000 Hilton Honors points per night which is in line with our 0.33p valuation.
You can find out more and book on the Hilton Geneva website here.