Detailed Review
Beautifully restored, the 32 rooms offer you the emotion of several centuries. Les Armures is obviously ideally located to discover the treasures of the Old Town and its picturesque pedestrian street lined by Mediaeval and Renaissance buildings. Yet it is within a 10 minutes walk from the shopping district, the lakefront promenade, the "Saint Peter's Cathedral" and the main museums.
Press Quotes
"Every visitor to Switzerland should sample at least one bubbling cauldron of cheesy stuff, and Restaurant les Armures inside the Hotel les Armures is a fondue institution. If you’re famished, order the cheese fondue with mushrooms." New York Times 07
"Try [fondue] at Geneva’s Les Armures, a venerated institution that serves up the smoothest, most flavorful rendition." Travel+Leisure 07
Independent Reviews
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"An intimate, charming boutique hotel in the heart of historic Geneva, with a restaurant, Les Armures,serving up famous fondue."
Hotel Les Armures
By Brian Johnston
You can’t fault the sense of history at Les Armures: this boutique hotel is tucked away in an old town alley opposite a set of cannon and in the shadow of the grim Calvanist cathedral. The four buildings date from the seventeenth century on thirteenth century foundations, and the cellars were once used to store the Bishop of Geneva’s wines. After its conversion into a hotel in the 1970s, many origin details were preserved, including decorative ceilings, plasterwork and chimney places. Medieval tapestries hang in the lobby. All this makes it very different from the grand nineteenth-century lakefront hotels that usually cater to five-star visitors. Count instead on rambling corridors, odd nooks and crannies, exposed beams and a certain eccentric charm. Right in the heart of the old town, Les Armures is near many of Geneva’s museums and just a brief walk down to the commercial centre and lakefront.
The rooms
There are no generalities when it comes to Les Armures’ 32 rooms: some have vaulted ceilings and exposed beams, others brick walls, and some are tucked into the loft. The furnishings come in a range of styles from heavy antiques to surprisingly modern, which adds a certain haphazard charm. In some rooms the collection clashes: blue bed-heads, orange cushions and modern furniture sit a little strangely with exposed walls, and red silk additions add a disconcertingly oriental air.
Still, you can expect decent-sized rooms, high-speed Internet access, modern bathrooms and air-conditioning, and none of the eccentric décor takes away from the quality of the furnishings and the comfort of the surrounds. In fact, the odd combination of old and new gives Les Armures a definite character sadly lacking in many of today’s hotels. In summer with the windows open you might be disturbed by carousers from old town bars – if not woken up by the tolling of the cathedral bells. If you want real quiet, ask for the two rooms that overlook a tiny inner courtyard.
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