An iconic place
In the grand salon, armchairs and sofas in shimmering hues contrast with the brightness of the surroundings and enhance the early 20th-century charm with contemporary lines. Here, the beauty of the outdoors finds its way into the designs. The waters of Lake Geneva pour in their freshness, down to the blue that subtly decorates the walls and vaulted ceilings. While marble adds a mineral touch and a certain opalescence, blond oak nobly contributes to the bedrooms.
Look to the heavens and monumental frescoes are revealed; rehabilitated and revived, those by Gustave Jaulmes are dedicated to the splendors of the seasons. As for the 19th century furniture, preserved and restored for obvious reasons, it testifies to the craftsmanship and excellence of the precious woods – rosewood, mahogany, and Ceylon lemon.
A historic Palace
The Hôtel Royal has always had close ties with the art world and is home to thousands of works. Etchings and sculptures, photographs and pinhole cameras, serigraphs and beautiful objects dress the spaces and floors. Guests may come across a Marco Del Re or a Tàpies or be intrigued by pieces by Alechinsky and Christian Poncet. Art lovers and non-art lovers alike will naturally resonate with the diverse ornaments displayed by this establishment.
2024
France's Leading Hotel Suite - World Travel Awards
2023
Condé Nast Traveller Reader’s Choice
2024
France's Leading Resort - World Travel Awards
The origins of “Europe’s most beautiful hotel”
Going back to the source of the Hôtel Royal is like grasping the magnetism of Évian-les-Bains and the virtues of its incredible water, which once featured prominently in medical prescriptions. It is also greeting generations of spa-goers in search of well-being, seasoned athletes, families of regulars, and dazzled vacationers. It also brought forth the blossoming of lakeside tourism, appreciated by the aristocracy who, from the end of the 19th century, were faced with a major shortcoming: accommodation in this small commune of just a few thousand inhabitants.
"Royals" origins
Designed from the outset as the “most beautiful hotel in Europe,” the Hôtel Royal was also named in honor of King Edward VII of England. The future establishment was intended to
embrace the dandyism of this monarch, who was shaking up the codes of refinement with new accents. In taking up tuxedoes and leaving tailcoats behind, he bequeathed to the hotel a name, a certain state of mind. Inaugurated in 1909, the Hôtel Royal came alive in the wake of highsociety carefreeness and met the expectations of sovereigns; emperors, sultans and maharajas became tenants, as were Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Aga Khan III, who had their own private apartments.
A sought-after vacations destination
Stars of Hollywood’s golden age such as Rita Hayworth took the liberty of taking a rest from their lives on the other side of the Atlantic on screen and stage, or more broadly on their musical careers, like Ringo Starr, drummer from The Beatles. And since from its windows, the lake appears like a mirror held up to the heavenly vault, the Hôtel Royal has also had the pleasure of attracting avant-garde artists, writers, and poets. From Proust to Modiano, so many have graced this place with their genius, so many have been inspired by places to enrich their writing and outlook, sometimes to the point of leaving their mark between the pages of the visitors’ book.
