Hotel Beau-Rivage Palace Lausanne

The Beau-Rivage Palace has been on the shores ofLake Geneva since 1861, in a park that runs to the water with the Alps behindand the Jura in front. It is 40 minutes from Geneva by train, which meansinternational access without the Geneva hotel premium. Nine restaurants, a spathat occupies a separate wing, and rooms where the lake view is guaranteed ifyou ask correctly. Lausanne itself is better than Geneva for walking and worsefor shopping — which is often exactly the right trade.