Uncover top-rated Geneva hotels that cater to international conference attendees. Explore premium accommodations that offer convenience, networking opportunities, and luxury amenities to enhance your business travel experience.
With the Lake Geneva region’s hundreds of international organizations, universities, institutes, businesses, law firms and foundations focusing on everything from peace and security to humanitarian action, trade, science, environment and telecommunications, many who come have little idea where to look for conveniently situated hotels offering attractive deals.
All too often, hotels but also Air BnB locations, are booked weeks or months in advance or are unable to provide more than one or two nights. This makes it difficult for those taking part in workshops or conferences running more than a few days. During certain major events, particularly international exhibitions at the city’s PalExpo Convention Centre at Geneva airport, travellers are sometimes obliged to cast wide for accommodation elsewhere in Switzerland, or even nearby French cities such as Lyons and Annecy.
Furthermore, the Swiss often neglect to mention that just across the border in neighbouring France, such as the Pays de Gex or Haute Savoie often less than 10-15 minutes away depending where your meeting is, cheaper hotel options exist, many of them easily reached with public transport.
Attractively priced by Geneva standards (100-120 CHF a night), but often booked out. (There is another similarly priced Ibis hotel less than 10 minutes’ walk away). Near the airport terminal with direct buses to central Geneva, this is a very functional rather than attractive hotel but has got all you need if you just want a bed and a place to work. There is a pleasant park just opposite so convenient for exercise. Also a number of reasonably priced restaurants within a 5-10 minute walk radius.
2. Rhodania Boutique Hotel. Rue Paul-Bouchet 5, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland
Slightly more expensive (125-140 CHF) than the Ibis airport hotels, this is located just behind the Geneva railway station in Les Grottes, one of the city’s more vibrant quarters with trendy bars, cafes and restaurants, and young people. Not a bad choice if you have a major conference but want to get in touch with the city once you have finished with the day’s panels and discussions. You can reach Nations, where the UN and some of the city’s main international organizations are based, in less than 10 minutes by tram or bus. There are also several bike rental locations nearby. And if you have a train, or plane, to catch, you can be at the airport in a matter of minutes. There are two nearby parks – Parc de Cropettes and Parc Beaulieu – for runs and other exercise.
Hotels Eden and Mon Repos.
3. Hotel Eden 135 Rue de Lausanne 135, 1202 Genève, Switzerland
More expensive (150-200 CHF) but excellent locations, both hotels are ideal for the international conference crowd. Good places to be if you wish to network within walking distance of major institutions, such as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), World Trade Organization (WTO) and Campus BioTech. The Graduate Institute, UNHCR and the International Conference Centre are not far away. There are some good cafes and restaurants nearby such as My Little Cup and Le Fix (both great coffee-work locations frequented by NGO and international agency habitues) and PadThai, a modestly-priced Thai lunch hangout for locals and internationals.
4. Hotel Mon Repos, Geneva. 131 Rue de Lausanne, Geneva, 1202, Switzerland
Just next door to the Eden, you’re 10-15 minutes’ walk along the Rue de Lausanne to the railway station but also lots of other bars and restaurants, including the Mr. Pickwick pub, a popular place for expats and sports nuts with big screens to watch the football and rugby games. Plus you’re just opposite the Parc Mon Repos, a beautiful lakeside park where you can walk, run or bike to the other side. Several public swimming beaches are nearby, too, such as the UN Club (open at a charge to non-members) or Plage Reposoir to the east in the direction of Lausanne. You can also head west along the lake in the direction of the Old Town to the nearby Bain de Paquis with its restaurant and beach (great breaksfasts and fondues) or, another 20 minutes by foot, to the main Geneva Plage. You’re only a few minutes away from the Botanical Gardens with a pleasant outdoor café for lunch.
5. Auberge Communal de Carouge 39 Rue Ancienne, 1227 Carouge, Geneva, Switzerland
On the other side of Geneva in the old part of Carouge, a former Sardinian enclave, this traditional 18th century hotel owned by the local commune, makes a wonderful change from the international sector. Modestly priced at 120 CHF per night overlooking a garden, you’ve simply but pleasantly decorated rooms with bathrooms. There are great bars, restaurants and cultural events, such as jazz concerts, nearby, and you feel that you might actually be in Italy rather than Calvinist Geneva. In nice weather, you can sit outside relatively late into the night, listen to buskers or browse the Saturday open market with produce sold by Canton of Geneva farmers. You can reach the United Nations district by tram Nr 15 in under 30 minutes (20 minutes to the main railway station) but half an hour to the airport. Bike hires are available and you can do it in the same amount of time as with public transport. By taxi or car, it’s far longer if there is traffic.
6. John Knox International Centre.
An ideal location near the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO) with its imposing Soviet-style look, and other agencies such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM), this is the answer to most students, interns or budget-strapped NGOs. Named after the 16th century Scottish theologian and minister (Knox was an influential Presbyterian who worked closely with Geneva’s hardline reformist John Calvin), the Centre offers very reasonably priced single rooms from 85 CHF onwards (double rooms for 115 CHF+) plus conference support facilities. This is a great place for universities and other institutions organizing workshops but with simple food and accommodation onsite. The Centre offers reasonable long-term rental arrangements.
Buse stops for the Nr 8 from WHO link to the other side of town, or the Nr 60 to the railway station and neighbouring France depending on which direction, both a short walk away. You can see – and hear – the main airport runway from the Centre (the noise is not too bothersome) but reckon on at least a 20 minute-hike to reach the main terminal if you wish to walk. Otherwise, there is the nearby Nr 5 bus. There is a lot of nearby greenery, so you’ve got great for jogging with a physical exercise park just off the Pregny town hall down the road. Our advice, too, is rent bikes if you really wish to be mobile, particularly in the summer if you wish to swim or visit the Swiss and French countryside. There are a couple of good, but not necessarily cheap, restaurants nearby, such as the Restaurant La Fontaine. More accessible for students are the Cuisine Lab and the Médecins sans Frontières International cafeteria, about a 10-minute walk just opposite the World Council of Churches at the Ecumenical Centre building.
7. Hotel Les Nations, Route du Grand-Pré 62, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland
A functional, modern business hotel with not the greatest character, but lots of red and purple albeit not particularly romantic. At 122-180 CHF, it serves its purpose and is conveniently located with bus and tram nearby. Plus you are only a few steps from the European Union Geneva headquarters and the International Conference Centre. The hotel, however, has good meeting areas plus quite a few restarants and cafes within walking distance. It’s greatest asset, perhaps, is Charly O’Neill’s Irish pub opposite with good food, friendly staff and outdoor seating, nice to sit out when warm. It’s a 10-minute walk to the Palais des Nations, a bit longer to the railway station, plus a spacious nearby park for jogging. The hotel has parking at 25 CHF a night.
As with the Swiss northeastern city of Basel, Geneva Airport has both a Swiss and a French side. Regardless, departing or arriving on the Swiss side makes the most sense. The French sector can only be reached from the outside by car. Buses and pedestrians not allowed, so the best is to leave or enter from the Swiss side of the airport. Switzerland is part of Schengen and open to all EU nationals and countries not required to apply for visas such as US, Canadian and Australian citizens. For those requiring Schengen visas, you can can come and go between Geneva and France as you please, but the border police still has the right to check your ID.
With nearly 112,000 cross border commuters, it’s as if neighbouring France were part of Geneva anyway. Only 4.5 km of the Canton of Geneva touches the rest of Switzerland, while 111 km border French territory. However, hotels and restaurants as well as many shops and supermarkets remain significantly cheaper on the French side. So it’s worth exploring for accommodation across the border with most hotels offering far better value than their Swiss counterparts. You can also find less expensive French hotels available on the southern side of Geneva in towns in direction of the Mont Blanc, such as Annemasse, Thonon and Evian. Just make sure travel time, particularly during heavy travel times, make sense. Reaching the UN side of Geneva from the other side of the lake by car can take ages during rush hour, but there is a fast metro that takes you straight to the main station with a stop at Secheron near the Botanical Garden, WMO and the Palais des Nations.
Bus connections to the Pays de Gex, which used to be terrible, are now good with direct links from the airport, United Nations and Cornavin main railway station to small towns such as Ferney (10 minutes), Gex (35 minutes), St Genis and Thoiry (25-40 minutes). You can reach the French spa town of Divonne by a combination of train to the Swiss lakeside town of Coppet and then crossborder bus. There are some good bike paths, but the French still have much to do to make cycling safe and convenient. You can check for all bus, tram and bus timetables and prices on Geneva’s TPG website, the city’s not easily navigable and often confusing public transport link. Good luck!
8. Residence La Reserve. 1 Avenue du Jura, 01210 Ferney-Voltaire, France.
At 77-110 Euros a night, this is far cheaper than many hotels in Geneva and even closer to key conference or exhibition events (10-20 minutes). With additional apartments and family rooms, it is a good place to stay, particularly for consultants or people who need to spend more than a few days in Geneva. The hotel offers comfortable rooms as well as an outdoor swimming pool lending the place a resort flavour. You have free car parking plus regular direct buses virtually outside the front door for the airport, the UN and Geneva main station. The nearby town centre has shops, cafes and restaurants, plus a bustling Saturday market. There is good jogging with easy access to the countryside. You can grab the Nr 60 bus to Gex for serious hiking in the nearby Jura maintains.
9. Hotel de France, 1 Rue de Geneve, 01210 Ferney-Voltaire
In the middle of Ferney’s small Old Town, this is a simple but comfortable 18th century hotel that could not be better situated next to various cafes, restaurants, banks and even a book shop, plus overlooking the main market street. Rooms are hard to get as it is a much sought after place. Unfortunately, while the hotel remains open, it’s restaurant is closed. However, its former owner, who recently bought it back, hopes to relaunch the restaurant.
10. Le Grand Hôtel – Domaine De Divonne. Avenue Des Thermes, 01220 Divonne-les-Bains, France.
This old style and extremely comfortable hotel is located in the centre of Divonne-Les-Bains, a former Roman spa town, with direct access to the countryside, shops, cafes and restaurants as well as a golf course. It is wonderfully located 20 minute’s drive by car to Geneva and the airport with relatively good bus and train services via Coppet. You should check the hotel website as they often offer surprisingly good deals for as little as 112 Euros a night for two. For someone wanting to get away from conferences in Geneva, particularly if you’re stuck on a weekend, then this is a great place with lots of outdoor activities, such as hiking and biking. Well-known musicians playing at the nearby summer Paleo Festival are often put up here. In July and August, Divonne is highly popular with the Dubai and Saudi crowd, so it’s often hard to find accommodation. However, Divonne offers a good dozen other modestly priced hotels.
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