In the privacy of a Victorian home

Built in 1872 by British architect Anthony Krafft, the Hôtel d’Angleterre has consistently the exquisite charms and comfort of a mansion peacefully moored on the Quai du Mont Blanc. Entirely renovated and restored with the greatest of care, barely a decade ago, this charmingly tasteful residence once again welcomes the most demanding guests: Hubert de Givenchy or Mikhail Gorbatchev, Robbie Williams, Céline Dion or the court of King Fahd… “No request is too large, no detail is too small”.

Such is the watchword of the Red Carnation Hotels group to which the Hôtel d’Angleterre now belongs. With the confidence bestowed by 130 years of experience, quality hospitality and extreme refinement are exercised at the peak of their art here. Representing the privilege of a bourgeois residence with its reasonable proportions, each of the 39 rooms and 6 luxury suites, naturally soundproofed and air-conditioned, has been endowed with a personalised decoration permeating even the smallest details.

Unique decoration, the unique reflection of a personality… Understatement and efficiency, a palette of muted Havana colours, mahogany furniture, antique etchings and leather bedhead for a businessman with an ultra-busy schedule…  A four-poster bed, a flurry of pillows and soft cushions for a loving weekend… A subtle range of blues for a Presidential Suite clad in beautiful draperies, combining a princely lounge area and a spectacular Polish bed… For its regular guests, the Hotel makes it a duty to anticipate habits and preferences, giving them the reassuring feeling of being in a home from home… the same sense of peaceful intimacy is exuded by the three salons with their original wooden flooring which can be easily adjusted to the size and nature of an event.

The same restful, natural aura of privacy in the Leopard Room & Lounge, with the cosy bar and cigar room with its African touches…
On the gastronomy side, the jovial forty-something chef, Philippe Audonnet, has been presiding over the kitchens of the Windows restaurant for six years. Trained by the best in the profession, he highlights grand culinary traditions with melodious, colourful notes drawn from secret creeks around the Mediterranean. Roast mullet fish with tapenade or lamb cannon with aubergine caviar, steamed fennel with ratatouille gravy… Delightful gourmet pleasures to be savoured while looking out over the most charming scenery one might imagine. As its name so rightly indicates, these bay windows  “opening” onto the Geneva harbour and its famous Jet d’Eau offer a vision that appears to hover in a place beyond time…

With its imposing silhouette standing out against the spectacular white spray and churning up foaming waves through the regular beating of its paddle wheels, one of the legendary steam boats operated by the CGN company moves off with a strident toot of its horn… In its wake, a flock of chattering seagulls have themselves a ball… In the background, colourful sailboats glide past the opulent Haussman style buildings topped with prestigious brand names.

Far in the distance, 70 kilometres from there, shrouded in soft mists and shimmering in the sunshine, one can make out the Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe. Inherently modest by nature, it fully reveals itself only on days when the north wind blows and gives the air a crystal-clear limpidity.

A magical revelation well worth experiencing from within the deliciously plush, hushed atmosphere of the Hôtel d’Angleterre..