Fairmont Grand Hotel Geneva — Restaurant in Geneva

I expected a much better service. We were traveling around Switzerland and France with our friends and everything was perfect besides our super disappointing stay at Fairmont Grand Hotel where we planned to celebrate the New Year. Everything from our check-in to our check-out was confusing.

My friends got a much poorer room while we both paid the same cost and booked the same room category (so be careful as they are selling renovated and non-renovated rooms at the same cost). Could be a no biggy but the way the staff handled the whole situation was horrible - from the lies on the phone that the rooms were the same to the receptionist coming up and seeing the rooms weren't the same to then taking my friends to see other non-renovated rooms and then saying at the end that there are actually no more better rooms available. No compliment or compensation whatsoever after that.

Both my friends and I booked the New Year dinner, however, I was never offered an option to reserve an actual table for the dinner. And later it turned out that my friends and myself were reserved tables in a completely different locations. Again, this could have been resolved nicely but instead it took quite a lot of back and forth to figure this out with the hotel staff. We ended up celebrating the New Year together but in a lobby that was turned into the restaurant instead of the restaurant we wanted and thought we paid for.

The brunch on Jan 1st (that was also included in the New Year package) was a joke and again only due to clumsy actions of the staff who couldn't figure out the bill for the extra drinks and ended up charging us for evrything including the brunch itself.

And last but not least - is a COCKROACH in the room in 5 star hotel that charges $600 a night normal??? I don't think so. When I found it in a bathroom, I immediately contacted the operator and someone came to remove it quite fast. I also mentioned this at the reception and got absoltuley zero sentiment from the staff. The lady on the reception said she was sorry but that's about it. Like nobody cares about cockroaches that much at Fairmont. "Fascinating"

The only good thing is the location BUT, at this price point, there are much nicer hotels right next to this one. I recommend you look for...

My first time staying in a premium Fairmont hotel chain and it is as expected. The location is perfect; few minutes walk to the boat dock (for Lake Geneva Cruise to cross border to France) and the boat ferry to transport you to other side of the town. For me, the best location overlooking the famous and beautiful jet d’ eau. I was ecstatic learning about the hotel’s location to have the view from the hotel room BUT nope we got the room without the view lol! (Oh well, paying hundreds more just for the view is a bit out of our budget anyway)! Perhaps, next time we will get lucky for room upgrade with AP FHR. Very spacious lobby with good seasonal decor. I can only imagine how great it would be during Christmas season.

Service is exemplary of a premium hotel accommodation; concierge and receptionist are professional, informative, helpful and work per usual standard protocol. Staff are available as needed, provide what is necessary and allowed per their ability/power to assist you. FYI, after checking in, we step out to eat and upon return, staff accessed the room; left chocolate bar and slippers were conveniently placed at the side of the bed.

The hotel provides a complimentary travel pass that you can use for boat ferry or bus shuttle for sight seeing and all! We stayed 2 nights and I think 2 night stay (at least) will allow for complimentary travel pass. Breakfast buffet is also one of the best; delicious with numerous selection! Wait staff are courteous, attentive and fast in attending to your request. Breakfast room has good view of the Lake Geneva and Jet d’ eau. Didn’t get the chance to have good view though as we had to have our breakfast early (still dark) and leave hotel early for our itinerary.

Lesson learned, staying in a fine/premium hotel will require at least 1 full free day of no itinerary and just a staycation to enjoy the place and access/enjoy amenities (spa, pool, dining with a view, gym, etc). Because we had good experience with our first Fairmont hotel stay, I have booked 2 different Fairmont hotels for our upcoming travel this year. Stay tune for the review and how it fares with one another! I am hoping for consistent service, great room view, exceptional accommodation and one of a kind...

"I recently stayed at the Fairmont, and I must say, I was quite disappointed with my experience. Firstly, it's apparent that the hotel is in need of some updates. For instance, the telephones in the room are not wireless, which is surprising in this day and age.

Moreover, the air conditioning system was not up to par. It's not digitized and struggled to cool the room effectively, making for an uncomfortable stay, especially during hot weather.

Additionally, in a world where technology is constantly evolving, it's surprising that there were no USB charging ports for newer devices like iPhones. This oversight made it challenging to keep my gadgets charged during my stay.

What added to my disappointment was the room upgrade I had paid for. I had upgraded my room with the expectation of a better experience, but to my surprise, there was no shower box. When I requested a room with a shower box, I was informed that there was another room available but at an additional cost. I believe such a basic amenity should have been complimentary, especially since it was part of the room upgrade.

When I expressed my dissatisfaction and mentioned that I might consider changing hotels, as I had been told I would receive a room with a 'second choice,' the manager didn't even bother to speak with me. Instead, they simply said it was up to me.

Considering the price I paid, I expected more. In Geneva, I can find other hotels that offer all the facilities and amenities you would expect from a true five-star hotel. In light of my experience, I have to say that I doubt the Fairmont deserves its five-star rating; perhaps it's more in line with a four-star hotel. Additionally, the hotel's island location didn't seem to justify the premium price.

While the Fairmont has its charms, these outdated amenities, the unresolved shower issue, and the value for money concern significantly impacted my overall experience. I hope the hotel takes this feedback seriously and considers modernizing its facilities and pricing structure while also addressing customer concerns more...