Hôtel des Bergues is Geneva’s very first hotel, built in 1834 along the waterfront and transformed into a Four Seasons in 2005. The rooms are wonderfully opulent in a loosely neo-classical, Louis-Philippe-inflected style, with lots of brocade and toile de Jouy in shades of Wedgwood blue and almond green. If that’s not your style, reserve one of the Loft Suites on the sixth floor that embrace a ‘contemporary Swiss chalet’ aesthetic. The lively Michelin-starred Il Lago restaurant sits on the ground floor while Japanese restaurant Izumi serves delicious sushi al fresco on the trendy rooftop. Last but certainly not least, the top floor’s Asian-inspired Spa Mont Blanc is one of the big draw cards for the hotel, which covers two floors and includes a decent-sized pool. Abigail Roch

Price: Rooms from around £1,300 per night.

Address: Quai des Bergues 33, 1201 Genève

This lakeside old-timer has seen many lives, though it has gone full circle, relinquishing its status as a swanky hotel with Como-like views from less Como-esque suites (the restrained Pierre-Yves Rochon sort that reeks of a mogul’s suburban home). The opulence is instead expressed through rich materials, from the hypnotic straw marquetry on the cupboards and sliding doors to the thick, creamy rugs warming perfect parquet floors. Head up to the sixth floor for a balcony overlooking sleepy Quai Wilson, or simply be comforted by the fact that all suites twist, in some sense, towards the lake. True to Swiss form, the hotel’s restaurants are not worth bothering to book a local haunt for, with L’Aetelier Joël Robuchon’s theatrical tasting menus delivered like little paintings to the glowy-sultry counter, and vegetable-led Le Jardinier bathed in that nostalgic Geneva light, with its more unbuttoned, brasserie character. And, as far as activities go, Le Spa Guerlain houses the most photogenic of pools – it once housed piles of cash as a bank vault – and is backed up by saunas, steam rooms and treatments where deliciously smelling Guerlain lotions and potions are lathered on with zero Swiss restraint in mind. Rosalyn Wikeley

Price: Rooms from around £1,800 per night.

Address: Quai Wilson 37, 1201 Genève

The scene sets itself the moment you step off the busy Quai du Mont-Blanc and into the marvellously theatrical lobby, with its marble checkerboard floors, Italianate columns and soaring atrium. Opened in 1865 at The Hotel de la Paix, this elegant historic property has been given a contemporary makeover that, while by no means radical, is nevertheless remarkable. With just 74 rooms, the Hotel de la Paix is on the smallish side compared to its five-star peers. Two thirds or so of the rooms have lake views and many of them also have dainty balconies. Rooms at the rear of the building face the Square du Mont-Blanc, a small park surrounded by largely residential buildings, and possess a completely different charm, intimate and enclosed. Both the Nordic-themed Fiskebar and the bistro-style Living Room Bar & Kitchen remain popular spots in Geneva. The location for the hotel could hardly be better – if you stand in the middle of the lobby and look out through the front door and across the lake, you can, weather permitting, see Mont Blanc. Steve King

Price: Rooms from around £850 per night

Address: Quai du Mont-Blanc 11, 1201 Genève, Switzerland

As part of the Tollman family’s Red Carnation Collection, Hotel d'Angleterre offers a loveable one-of-a-kind combination of English charm and Swiss elegance. Built in 1872 in a prime spot facing the lake, for many years it operated as the smallest five-star in Geneva, with just 45 rooms – until the 2021 opening of the nearby Woodward, which has a mere 26. Nevertheless, the Angleterre still feels very intimate and clubby. Guests who have spent time at other Red Carnation properties will recognise familiar Tollman design tics: the theatrically draped curtains and shimmering silk wall coverings, the quarry-depleting quantities of marble and onyx in the bathrooms, and the colourful chandeliers. The Presidential Suite – the best for lake views – has welcomed many well-known figures over the years including Michael Jackson and Mikhaïl Gorbachev. The Angleterre’s Windows restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. The afternoon tea is a particular highlight, living up to the Englishness implied by the hotel’s name, with its finger sandwiches, scones and exceptional selection of exotic teas. Abigail Roch

Price: Rooms from around £630 per night.

Address: Quai du Mont-Blanc 17, 1201 Genève