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| WAVE Journey |
| Women's Adventures, Vacations, Experiences ~ Your Journey Starts Here! |
In Geneva, Stay Where The "Internationals" Stay ~
Article & photos by Lucy Komisar
Article & photos by Lucy Komisar
| Page 1 of 2 / Next Page |
A Woman's Directory For Travel and Life.
WAVE Journey is your one-stop online resource for women-oriented businesses and
services around the world.
WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor activities
this website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or if you are
interested in finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your number one online
resource.
WAVE Journey is your one-stop online resource for women-oriented businesses and
services around the world.
WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor activities
this website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or if you are
interested in finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your number one online
resource.
I recently attended a journalists' conference at the Geneva International
Conference Center. It's in the north part of town which is home to the
United Nations with its couple of dozen related headquarters, including
UNICEF, the Commission on Human Rights, and the World Trade
Organization, and a raft of other international centers. Visitors from around
the world pass through in large numbers to attend meetings at the UN and
the other outfits.
Conference Center. It's in the north part of town which is home to the
United Nations with its couple of dozen related headquarters, including
UNICEF, the Commission on Human Rights, and the World Trade
Organization, and a raft of other international centers. Visitors from around
the world pass through in large numbers to attend meetings at the UN and
the other outfits.
Geneva is a relatively small city and the international sector is pretty
important. So the "internationals" make up a substantial part of the
neighborhood's hotel clientele. They are repeat visitors, not one-time
tourists, and their favorite hotels have been carefully vetted. Here are two
that were recommended by the conference organizers. They were good
choices.
important. So the "internationals" make up a substantial part of the
neighborhood's hotel clientele. They are repeat visitors, not one-time
tourists, and their favorite hotels have been carefully vetted. Here are two
that were recommended by the conference organizers. They were good
choices.
The Hotel-les-Nations and the
Hotel Eden are both family-run
hotels. They offer good value,
charm, and prices cheaper than
hotels in the tourist center, which
is an easy half-hour bus or tram
ride away.
Hotel-les-Nations is on the rue du
Grand-Pré, between the
international organizations and the
central train station. After a short
ride, airport bus 5 let me off a few
Hotel Eden are both family-run
hotels. They offer good value,
charm, and prices cheaper than
hotels in the tourist center, which
is an easy half-hour bus or tram
ride away.
Hotel-les-Nations is on the rue du
Grand-Pré, between the
international organizations and the
central train station. After a short
ride, airport bus 5 let me off a few
blocks away. Going by bus downtown to the other side of the Rhône River
would take about 25 minutes, letting me off near the walk up the hill to the
Old Town.
would take about 25 minutes, letting me off near the walk up the hill to the
Old Town.
The bedroom was big enough and
had a comfortable desk. "It's family
style, you feel at home," explained
hotel director Caroline Leib. That's
just what is wanted by people who
come for a few days or a few
weeks to work or attend meetings
at the places that surround the
hotel. She said, "The European
Community is just next door, the
UN is a ten minute walk, we have
all the missions to the UN in this
area."
had a comfortable desk. "It's family
style, you feel at home," explained
hotel director Caroline Leib. That's
just what is wanted by people who
come for a few days or a few
weeks to work or attend meetings
at the places that surround the
hotel. She said, "The European
Community is just next door, the
UN is a ten minute walk, we have
all the missions to the UN in this
area."
I liked the mini-kitchen, where I could
stash cold drinks and fruit and make
morning tea before I went downstairs.
The mini-kitchen is de rigeur, because
this is a business hotel during the
week albeit a place for tourists on the
week-end. It's comfortable, and a
4-star hotel, but it's not top-tier
expensive. Here, as throughout
Geneva, the hotels routinely lack free
internet access: you buy a Swiss
telecom card by the hour or the day.
stash cold drinks and fruit and make
morning tea before I went downstairs.
The mini-kitchen is de rigeur, because
this is a business hotel during the
week albeit a place for tourists on the
week-end. It's comfortable, and a
4-star hotel, but it's not top-tier
expensive. Here, as throughout
Geneva, the hotels routinely lack free
internet access: you buy a Swiss
telecom card by the hour or the day.
On the ground floor, I enjoyed the
attractive restaurant which
features the breakfast buffet. I
liked the complimentary copies of
the International Herald Tribune
which I read while I sipped my tea
and devoured a delicious
croissant along with seasonal
fruit. I noticed the curious
attractive restaurant which
features the breakfast buffet. I
liked the complimentary copies of
the International Herald Tribune
which I read while I sipped my tea
and devoured a delicious
croissant along with seasonal
fruit. I noticed the curious
collection of glass fishes that were an art object at one window. It turned
out to be just one of a collection of art and artifacts displayed throughout
the hotel.
out to be just one of a collection of art and artifacts displayed throughout
the hotel.
Owner Philippe Guenat in 1980
started travelling the world to
learn the hotel business and, along
the way, collected objects from the
places he visited. When he
returned to Geneva and bought
this hotel ten years ago, he
brought his unusual private
collection, including old and antique
clocks, door knockers, irons, hat
and shoe moulds and bed
started travelling the world to
learn the hotel business and, along
the way, collected objects from the
places he visited. When he
returned to Geneva and bought
this hotel ten years ago, he
brought his unusual private
collection, including old and antique
clocks, door knockers, irons, hat
and shoe moulds and bed
warmers, which you can see affixed to the walls of the seven floor landings.
In the entrance hall is a bird cage carved from wood from Chiang Mai,
Thailand. Above the elevator is the coat of arms of the Guenat's family,
which in 1337 was given the title "Burghers of Geneva." It gave them the
right to sit in parliament.
In the entrance hall is a bird cage carved from wood from Chiang Mai,
Thailand. Above the elevator is the coat of arms of the Guenat's family,
which in 1337 was given the title "Burghers of Geneva." It gave them the
right to sit in parliament.
One day I ventured around to the back of
the building to see the unusual "La Poya
des Nations," a traditional painting from
central Switzerland of cows in a mountain
pasture walking up (or down) the hill. It
was painted by Swiss artist Dany
Delaperouze in 2006 and is considered the
biggest "Poya" in the world. The cows are
represented by cartons of milk. Guenat
says he is there, "driving the wagon on the
path of destiny." I guess my "destiny"
brought me there!
the building to see the unusual "La Poya
des Nations," a traditional painting from
central Switzerland of cows in a mountain
pasture walking up (or down) the hill. It
was painted by Swiss artist Dany
Delaperouze in 2006 and is considered the
biggest "Poya" in the world. The cows are
represented by cartons of milk. Guenat
says he is there, "driving the wagon on the
path of destiny." I guess my "destiny"
brought me there!
THE EDEN
To the east, and near Lake Geneva (in
French Lac Léman), I found Hotel
Eden, another very charming lodging
frequented by the internationals.
Built in 1936, it was then called The
Wilson, in honor of the U.S. president
behind the creation of the League of
Nations. The headquarters of the
League was going to be set on a
square nearby, but then the Second
World War broke out and that was the
end of the building and the square.
French Lac Léman), I found Hotel
Eden, another very charming lodging
frequented by the internationals.
Built in 1936, it was then called The
Wilson, in honor of the U.S. president
behind the creation of the League of
Nations. The headquarters of the
League was going to be set on a
square nearby, but then the Second
World War broke out and that was the
end of the building and the square.
HOTEL-LES-NATIONS