Hôtel d’Angleterre GenevaGeneva, Switzerland

If you want to enjoy the best of Geneva - the views, the restaurants, culture, shopping and the chic lakeside lifestyle - head straight for the one and only (fashionable) Quai du Mont-Blanc. That's where we are, facing the tranquil lake and the graceful Jet d'Eau - the 140m-high symbol of Geneva's self-confidence. Beyond it lies distant mountains and Mont Blanc itself - inviting reminders that superb skiing is less than an hour away. Whether during the day, or in the evenings, the lakeside promenade comes to life. All around are the finest boutiques, jewellers, watch-makers, and cigar-sellers of Europe. Two great annual festivals take place nearby: the eclectic Geneva festival (music, comedy, dance: early August) and the Escalade 1602 (a victory celebration with parades, races, music, and chocolate: beginning of December). Everyone can find a reason to enjoy Geneva. Art lovers come for the auctions, sales theatres and galleries; shoppers, for the stylish boutiques; thrill-seekers, for the lake trips, helicopter tours, and mountain adventures; diplomats, for the Palais des Nations; and top-ranking scientists, for the world's largest atomic laboratory at CERN. In the midst of all that cosmopolitan energy stands the historic Hotel d'Angleterre, a luxurious gateway to traditional Swiss style, elegance and refinement. We're just 8 minutes from the railway station, 20 minutes from the airport, and a million miles from ordinary.