Fairmont Le Montreux Palace

Das Hotel ist nahe am Bahnhof und direkt am See.
Das Hotel ist riesig, ein Mix aus klassischem old school und moderner Einrichtung.
Der Service und das Essen war top! Sowie das Frühstücksbuffet ein Traum.

I had the opportunity to stay here on a company event. I probably wouldn’t have been able to afford these accommodations if paid on my own. The negotiated company price was 455ch/​night. We had a room that overlooked the lake and mountains. Our room also had a covered patio. It was gorgeous. It was quite possibly the nicest hotel I have ever stayed. The room was quite large, had lush linens and a huge soaking bathtub.
I think my company may have skimped on the food as every meal we had that the hotel catered was sub par. I would have expected better food for such a nice place but I’m not sure the actual hotel is to blame for this.

Let me set the stage a bit…
*I’ve got 4-​years’ worth of Expedia Rewards burning a hole in my virtual pocket.
*It’s been raining in Berlin for 3 weeks, not even warm rain… cold rain. The sun, gone.
*I have to be in Zurich for work midweek.
*I need to rest and relax without the internet, and preferably outside of a big city.
*I need to see some water. Swimmable water.
All of these forces converged and resulted in a 3-​day weekend stay… at the Fairmont Montreux Palace. Montreux is about a 2.5 hour train ride (direct) from Zurich… so on the way over I took the Golden Pass Rail Line (a much longer, but much more scenic route, review to follow!) to Montreux main station, walked 4 or so blocks and found myself at the Palace. Very well located to the train station.
Expedia special was purchase 2 nights and get the 3^rd free… plus subtract my voucher and I was at a 5-​star hotel for the price of a 2 – 3 star hotel, and pretty happy! This trip was solo, so I enjoyed being pampered a bit. Even happier when Friday resulted in sunny skies and 8 uninterrupted hours poolside overlooking the Alps and Lake Geneva. BLISS I tell you, straight BLISS.
The Hotel itself is quite magnificent and quite large. It’s historical significance places it as a hospital during several world wars, but it has since been restored to its former glory and is quite a hotel specimen. Luxury in all senses of the word complete with expensive shops, expansive ballrooms, well appointed rooms and «friendly-​for-​Swiss-​people» staff.
Next time I’d definitely opt for the lake view rooms… my «mountain view» room was nice, but on the back side of the hotel overlooking a street. Certainly NOT the end of the world… but, might be worth the splurge to have a terrace overlooking the lake, for those looking to book…
Restaurants: There are several restaurants connected to this hotel. Brasserie, which is a bit more casual, and has a nice side café for a morning coffee and croissant, and then the restaurant across the street which is much nicer, has a BEAUTIFUL patio overlooking the lake and mountains and great food. Separate review again! They are all coming. There are also a few bars (one NYC themed, haha).
Spa/​Pool/​ETC: This is where I really got my money’s worth, I spent a lot of time relaxing. Reading and relaxing. So nice. The spa and pool area are accessed through the lower level of the hotel, so its actually across the street right on the lake. The spa is full service and extremely pricey… but I did enjoy the indoor and outdoor pools, manicured lawn with chairs and umbrellas, pool café, sauna and steam room and relaxing room. I enjoyed them all! The staff is quite nice and everything is well groomed and pleasant for guests. The pool of course gets quite crowded and isn’t that large… but the lawn for relaxing is huge and therefore you can have privacy and be away from the children if you so wish.
My room was nice, decent sized and had a lovely bath tub for soaking, though the jets did not work. I was able to watch the Olympics via BBC. I slept well. Things went smoothly. No complaints, I’d just opt for the lakeview rooms next time.
So why 4 stars? It’s 30 CHF for internet every day. Are we serious, people?! Come on, with a 5-​star hotel it should not cost nearly 100 CHF for internet. I opted NOT to get it, because I was on vacation… but if I were traveling and in need of it for work, travel booking etc, I’d be quite annoyed. They do have a business center available, which I did not use, so perhaps that is an option. Time to upgrade, Palace! Get some routers.
Points of interest:
*There is a nearby Coop (grocery/​convenience store) right near the train station for quick snacks, etc. The rooms have small fridges.
*Montreux itself is pretty sleepy, it seems. Scheduling a wine tour or taking the Golden Pass Rail for a short day trip, soaking in some nature, etc seems to be the way to go.
*The hotel restaurant (across the street) was the best meal I had… other options nearby seem a little lacking.
All in all a great stay and I left very relaxed… its a bit stuffy because frankly, there are a lot of rich people that stay here, but of course… I knew this. Everyone was friendly and I had a nice time enjoying the amenities and reading 4 books and getting my brain back in order.
Check travel booking engines for good deals, they have HUGE inventory so oftentimes they will run specials during off times.

Un pur bonheur. C’était juste merveilleux. Un luxe sobre, un personnel à l’écoute, un confort et une prise en charge sans failles. Rapport qualité prix indéniable, le harry’s bar (made famous by its cocktails perfectly made), la brasserie et le petit palais montrent bien que tout a été savamment pensé et que le bien-​être et l’entière satisfaction du client ont été au coeur du travail de cette maison. bravo! cela mérite même plus que 5 étoiles. N’oubliez pas de faire des photos aux côtés des statues de cire juste en face de l’hôtel (Ray, BB King, Aretha, Quincy) et celle de Freddy Mercury à 5mn. L’embarcadère pour la visite du lac léman est à 5 mn à pied.

fantastische Lage, gediegener zuvorkommender Service, schöné Zimmer und eine traumhafte Aussucht auf den Genfersee und die Savoyer-​Alpen! Absolut zu empfehlen!

Excellent:
Décoration, service confort, beauté et ambiance du lieu
Seul point négatif pour ce must:
la cuisine n’est pas à la hauteur: moyenne (steack de boeuf-​viande exceptionnelle-​servie avec un ersatz de sauce)
à part les desserts, décevant pour les fins gastronomes

Un palace avec toutes les connotations de ce mot y compris l’ambiance (les immenses couloirs feutrés) et le style architectural.
Il a été modernisé récemment; les chambres sont non seulement vastes mais bénéficient de tout le confort moderne.
L’hôtel dispose aussi d’un centre de conférences, d’un spa magnifique surplombé d’une terrasse avec une invraisemblable vue sur le lac (cf photo).
Rien à déplorer donc sauf que les occasions d’y séjourner manquent car la ville est peu animée en dehors du festival de jazz et d’événements professionnels.

As other reviewers have said both the location and the health club are outstanding at this hotel. The pool is stunning — overlooking the lake in a sort of glass rotunda. You can walk on the fenced off lawns around the pool and imagine a life where you have endless time on your hands. The food is excellent too. Rooms facing the lake get spectacular views whatever the weather.

je donne 1 cinq pour le plaisir de la terrasse de ce lieu très agréable, je n’ai pas logé, mais les qualités de ce lieu au bord du lac né sont plus à étaler, délicieux endroit!

I admit to have been here for the 2007 European Tech Tour. I really liked this hotel, one of the really grand places that have been built here at the turn of the century. Inside, I was impressed by the amenties, friendly service. The spa benefits from it’s brilliant location directly on the lake but also has a great modern architecture.