
Our First Ritz-Carlton Booking
On our 6 week Central Europe trip we stayed in 13 different hotels. The hotels ranged from small local boutique hotels in tiny Czech Republic towns to large chain hotels in the suburbs of major cities. Six of the hotels were booked as part of our first Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) travel from Prague to Budapest. The other hotels were booked to meet our 2018 hotel loyalty rewards objectives. Most of the hotel experiences were generally as expected with a few small surprises. But nobody came close to delivering the customer service excellence we got on our five star Ritz-Carlton experience at Hotel De La Paix Geneva.
We experienced great customer service excellence when we stayed at Intercontinental Hotels. Our travel with other five star brands has reinforced the key things that drive customer satisfaction. Our five star Ritz-Carlton experience may have spoiled us for life!
Geneva Switzerland was the last stop on our visit to Switzerland. And our second last stop on our Central Europe trip before we headed to Milan. Since we were building nights that would ultimately be put into our Marriott loyalty numbers, we looked at the Ritz-Carlton in Geneva. We had made some compromises in accommodations on some stops along the way. Our five star Ritz-Carlton experience at Hotel De La Paix Geneva would be our treat to ourselves. And once we got there, we never wanted to leave.
Where Everybody Knows Your Name And Preferences
We arrived in Geneva by train. It was a short and easy walk to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel De La Paix. As soon as the doorman saw us coming his way, he moved to get the bags. He asked for our names. While the doorman brought our bags up, I went to reception and was greeted by name. Did the doorman have some kind of whisper microphone to pass on our names? Did my email in advance of arrival have them waiting for us? Or did they know it was us some other way?
But we never had to state our name or room number on our visit. Staff seemed to know who we were. I think that ones who knew our name discretely passed it on to whoever was dealing with us. Or said hello by name loud enough.
During the check-in process, David made an offhand comment about his love of chocolate. No sooner had he made this comment, when a giant box of chocolates appeared for us to make a selection. We also got a lovely box of local artisanal chocolates to welcome us to our room! We were not really surprised to find there was a great custom chocolate shop just off the lobby.
Our five star Ritz Carlton experience at Hotel De La Paix Geneva was an intensely personal visit through the whole stay!
Service – With And Without Asking
The room we booked was waiting for us when we arrived. We asked about an upgrade and said we would wait to check-in if there was an upgrade available. Our request was taken with a smile and after a few clicks of the keyboard, we were told an upgraded room would be available in 30 minutes. We were taken to the Living Room Restaurant and served cappuccinos and chocolates while we waited. These never showed up on our hotel bill. Such a classy and welcome way to handle a short delay.
Carmen walked us to our room. We were delighted to find that we had been upgraded to a high floor overlooking Lake Geneva. A short walk around the room showed us everything we needed to know. Carmen gave us lots of tips about things we should see and do on our stay in Geneva. She always checked in to see what we had seen on our day in Geneva.
Housekeeping staff were trained to be observant. When they saw we drank more water and coffee than the regular daily supply, double portions showed up. The room had a desk. But it also had a full set of desk supplies – paper, stickies, a stapler and a highlighter!
We called down for an extra sheet for the bed. We can never understand the European practice of not using a top sheet. When we commented that the extra sheet was because we got hot at night, someone was sent to look at the thermostat. The set point was lowered so we could get it colder. At every interaction with staff, it was clear that they listened and proactively identified our next needs.
Every night there was turndown service. It included a full refresh of linens, towels and supplies. And of course we got more chocolates! When we stay at hotels, we generally will choose the green option and not have our room serviced for our short stays. This was never an option on our five star Ritz-Carlton experience at Hotel De La Paix Geneva. They wanted us to feel pampered at every moment in our room.
Special Personalized Experiences
When we looked at services available at the hotel, we were delighted to find that they offered a wine and chocolate pairing. Of course we made sure to book that for our first day. It was the perfect start to our five star Ritz-Carlton experience at Hotel De La Paix Geneva!
We were the only ones doing it that day so we got fully personalized attention. There were 3 chocolates, one white wine and two red wines for the pairing. When David said he preferred sweet white wines, he immediately was given a glass of that. It was so good he had it again when we went for dinner at the hotel.
We love to do wine pairings. It is always interesting to see how the wine and what is paired with it changes the enjoyment of both the wine and the pairing. On our visit to Porto, Portugal we did a port wine tasting paired with chocolate. Such a perfect mix!
A floral white wine was paired with a jasmine chocolate. This was a yummy pairing. The light Pinot Noir red was paired with a saffron chocolate. Neither of us liked the saffron chocolate but both of us liked the Pinot Noir. The final pairing was a heavier Humagne Rouge red wine with a basil chocolate. It was an interesting pairing.
The other special service we wanted to try was Afternoon Tea. We have done Afternoon Tea around the world. Our last Afternoon Tea treat was at the St Regis when we visited Washington DC. The hotel did not have a regular Afternoon Tea seating. But with 24 hours notice they would put on a full Afternoon Tea experience tailored to you. We were so busy on our visit to Geneva that we never got to experience Afternoon Tea. It will stay on the list for our next visit.
Specialized personalized experiences added to the pampering on our five star Ritz-Carlton experience at Hotel De La Paix Geneva!
The Inside Of The Hotel Was Stunning
Everywhere we went in the hotel, we found style and elegance. The lobby was large with the most beautiful chandelier that went up into the open atrium.
The lobby area had an interesting living art piece called Twenty-One (by Alexandre Joy). It looked three dimensional and seemed to shimmer.
One day we wandered up through the floors of the open atrium and discovered a fascinating portrait gallery. The tapestry portraits celebrate the historical figures who played a role in attaining peace. This includes depictions of Giuseppe Garibaldi, Victor Hugo, Marie Carnot and others. The hotel was a favourite of Grace Kelly and there is a portrait of her along with a suite named after her.
The elegance of this hotel was a great part of the five star Ritz-Carlton experience at Hotel De La Paix Geneva!
Great Options To Eat At The Hotel
We have had mixed success with hotel restaurants. On our travels from Prague to Budapest we missed access to fresh seafood. When we heard that the Fiske Bar Restaurant in the hotel had both seafood and unique food dishes, we decided to eat at the hotel our first night.
My dinner started with a great salad of mixed colours, textures and flavours. David had a tasty smoked sardine dish with fermented asparagus and roasted beet. For my main I had beef and David had octopus. All dishes had unique flavours and were creatively plated.
Of course there was chocolate mousse for dessert. But that too was interesting. It came served on an iced stone platter covered with garlic gelato and served with small cubes of liquorice jellies. All of David’s favourite flavours on one dish!
We also ate at the less formal Living Room Restaurant a couple of times during our stay. We missed having the big breakfast buffet that they put on. But it was a comfortable place to sit for a cappuccino or for a light breakfast.
The service we got was impeccable throughout every restaurant experience we had at the hotel. It was clear that the service attitude we saw on our five star Ritz-Carlton experience at Hotel De La Paix Geneva permeated every part of the operations.
The View From Our Room Was Stunning
We really liked Geneva. We had so many day trips planned. But ultimately we stayed close to the city. Our mornings started with a golden sunrise. We wandered around Geneva for the day. And then returned home late in the afternoon to enjoy our great space at the Ritz-Carlton. It was great to finish our day as we sat on the patio with a drink.
The sun set. And then the lights came onto the scene in front of us. We watched the Jet D’Eau as it changed colour. And marvelled at the colourful reflections in Lake Geneva.
Every aspect of our five star Ritz-Carlton experience at Hotel De La Paix Geneva was magical. It was no wonder we never wanted to leave.
We Loved Our Five Star Ritz-Carlton Experience At Hotel De La Paix Geneva
Our five star Ritz-Carlton experience at Hotel De La Paix Geneva was a delightful way to enjoy our stop in Geneva and to finish our stay in Switzerland. It will certainly not be our last Ritz-Carlton stay this year. On our trip to China in the fall, we are staying in the Ritz-Carlton Beijing hotel – twice! We are excitedly looking at the schedule on the new Ritz-Carlton yacht. That is on our travel wish list for 2020!
What did you think of our five star Ritz-Carlton experience at Hotel De La Paix Geneva? What could have made it more memorable?
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The Hotel de la Paix is a fabulous hotel I often used to go there for dinner when I lived in Geneva. I love those chocolates. I remember the shop off the lobby too well.:-) It’s a charming spot to stay if you are looking for something a bit special.
Janine, We really loved the opportunity to splurge for our stop in Geneva. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix was great in every aspect. So great that you got to enjoy this when you lived in Geneva. Linda
Luxurious lodging, personal service, ultimate fine dining…all of these are always available at a Ritz-Carlton hotel. I have only been to one experience, the only one which you missed: the Afternoon Tea at Ritz-Carlton in London.
Carolina, It was our first Ritz-Carlton stay. The staff at this hotel went above and beyond. I would hope that this is the Ritz standard, but I have found that is not always the case. Often driven by the leadership. I will definitely put Afternoon Tea at the London Ritz on our travel wish plans. Linda
I love such luxurious experiences, but then who wouldn’t love it. We always save up to splurge on atleast one such hotel during our travels. Amazing portraits there. And the food scene is extremely tempting.
Indrani, We were so glad that we picked the Hotel de la Paix for our splurge on this trip. It was such a great spot to be pampered. But the great views did tempt us to leave the hotel! Unlike many hotels we have visited, the food in this hotel was superb. A great option after a busy day out wandering. Linda
I have stayed at Fairmont hotels and they were nice but this sounds AMAZING. I mean look at that box of chocolates! I never think to ask about room upgrades, I need to start doing that
Sherianne, We were delighted with the hotel and the service at the Ritz-Carlton in Geneva. We were really happy with our upgrade. A great spot for a splurge in Geneva! Linda
Wow, Hotel De La Paix Geneva sounds too good to be true! I’m really impressed with their focus on the details. To me, that is what makes a memorable experience. The view from your room looks amazing, what a perfect way to start and end the day soaking in the scenery. The cuisine at the hotel looks exceptionally creative, I’d certainly love to try the chocolate mousse. If I were to splurge on accomodation, it would be at the Hotel De La Paix Geneva.
Heather, It was indeed a great splurge at the Hotel de la Paix in Geneva. Every part of the experience was memorable. Definitely recommend this if you are looking to treat yourself in Geneva. Linda
Ritz Carlton is a brand you can expect to receive a certain level of service and consistency from no matter which of their properties you stay at around the world. We’ve stayed with Ritz Carlton on three different continents and it’s always a treat. They do a really fantastic afternoon tea also at the Ritz Carlton Berlin.
Jennifer, So glad to hear that the brand is quite consistent across the board. I have been disappointed to find that is not true for all luxury brands. I will definitely plan on Afternoon Tea at the Ritz if we get to Berlin. Thanks for the suggestion. Linda
You had me at a floral white wine and jasmine chocolate pairing! It’s lovely to find a hotel that really exemplifies that 5 star customer service. I haven’t been back to Geneva in a while, so I think I’ll look at a wee holiday to the Hotel De La Paix!
Hannah, If you and Roy ever want a splurge, I would definitely recommend the Hotel de la Paix in Geneva. It was the perfect end to our trip. The wine and chocolate pairing started our trip right. Hope you get to visit. Linda
I love everything mentioned about this hotel! Makes me want to book right now! No matter how grand the place is, it boils down to the service, and I think they did a fantastic job at this! I am also super curious about that garlic gelato!
Kirstie, I totally agree with you that service makes the most difference. And this comes from leadership and a constant focus. The Hotel de la Paix has both. All of the food we tried had a little twist. But the chocolate garlic gelato had to be tried! I hope you get to visit. Linda
Oh my gosh – the giant box of chocolates! What a welcome! Sounds like you had the best experience there. It must have felt so nice feeling so well taken care of during your stay with that amazing service 🙂
Alli, We knew we were in the right spot when we were welcomed with chocolate. And it kept showing up 🙂 We were really taken care of through our whole stay. A great splurge! Linda
The rooms, food and views look stunning and wow the staff really caters specifically to you so well. The photos are great and I’m drooling over the food pics! It looks like it would really be worth it to spend the extra money and stay there!
Dylan, I have to agree. Everything was exceptional and we did find it was worth the extra money. A great splurge if you are in Geneva! Linda