Bel’Espérance — Hotel in Geneva

Nestled on a hill in Geneva you will find Hotel Bel’Espérance. I booked this hotel for a 2 night stay and I found it just lacking in so many areas. First, the main door is not open. You have to walk up a hill on the side of the building. This isn’t post anywhere so I was very confused on how to actually get inside. The hill was terrible. This normally is isn’t an issue but when you have a 50 pound suitcase it was a fight. When I got to the door there where stairs meaning I had to carry my heavy bag (this is a trend for this hotel) but into the lobby. Now, I understand Europe has smaller hotels and many of them are refurbished from old buildings. I had just stayed at an amazing boutique hotel and Paris and didn’t face any of these issues. When I finally got inside I was met by a very unique smell. It wasn’t musty but it was something along those lines. You could tell the hotel was only half cared for. The rug was not vacuumed and there was a wall of mirrors that were pretty disorienting. The office to check in is on the second floor so I had to go up a few more stairs to the tiny elevator to check in. The woman at the desk was very nice but I was shocked when she gave me an actual key. She informed me about breakfast and I went on my way. When I walked into my room I felt like I was in a prison cell! Not being dramatic but it was very tiny and very dark. There was a twin bed (with only one pillow and blanket) in the corner. Also, I know this is a stupid thing to mention but the sheets didn’t match. I mean the fitted sheet and the top sheet were two different designs. There was a small desk that had a fan and a window. The bed was fine and the room did the bare necessities but for nearly 300usd I was craving a bit more. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel to my friends and I wouldn’t book again. There are just better...

The Hotel Bel'Esperance - 3 Etoiles is a unique experience in the heart of Old Geneva. It's tucked away in a quiet neighborhood and offers reasonably priced rooms and a delicious breakfast buffet.

My room wasn't especially large, but it offered a lot of storage space, multiple outlets, an armoire, desk and chair, and a petite bathroom with the usual slippery shower. The bed was a little hard, but that was not unusual. Everything was clean and bright.

The breakfast buffet had the usual offerings, such as cold cuts, cereals, breads, yogurt, croissants, etc. It also included three types of soft cheese (such as Brie and Camembert), three types of hard cheese (such as Emmentaler and a delicious smoked cheese), an extensive selection of regular and herbal tea, and hot chocolate mix to die for. (Mix about half a packet of the cocoa mix and 3 double espressos in a large cup to get a superb cafe mocha.)

The breakfast room is also offered as a sitting room after breakfast is over, and there is also a comfortable sitting area at the entrance to the hotel on the ground floor.

The reception staff are friendly, polite, and very helpful. I was surprised to learn this hotel is operated by the Salvation Army. It's really a nice place to stay if you'd like to be downtown and you're on a budget. I'd definitely...

I found the hotel to be in an excellent location. The staff were friendly, the rooms were clean and the free travel pass was an appreciated bonus. My only issue was that both of us failed to get a good night's sleep the two nights we stayed at the hotel due to the church bells going off every 15 minutes (and for an especially long time on the hour). It was a bit of a nightmare especially as I had an interview on one of the mornings and a flight on the second morning so I needed my energy. We had to leave the window open due to the extreme heat (as there is no air conditioning) and, even if we did close the window, you could still hear the bells. Apparently, people get used to them but, unfortunately, as guests in Geneva for just two nights, we had to suffer through. I would recommend requesting a room where you can't hear the bells if you are someone who isn't used to them. Otherwise, the hotel was a...