ROYAL HOTEL EVIAN
Palace-Style Hotel with Lake View
This hotel is set above the town of Evian, France, on the south shore of Lake Geneva / Lac Leman, the largest lake in Western Europe. Commissioned by the Evian mineral water company in 1905, the hotel was built in honour of England’s King Edward VII.
The hotel’s ground level contains the public rooms, including two large sitting rooms which are reminiscent of a grand old English seaside resort of faded luster, the restaurant area and the spa and fitness room.
Access to the upper floors where all bedrooms are located is via a grand curving staircase off reception or one of three lifts - two in reception and one near the spa.
The terrace at the back of the property overlooks the well-maintained gardens and the lake beyond, as well as the outdoor infinity pool and adjacent jacuzzi / hot-tub. In the Summer months the terrace is a delightful place to eat, drink and take in the views of the lake and the clean air.
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Exceptional bedroom, with separate sitting room and large bathroom, with separate bath-tub and standalone shower area.
Evian bottled water bottles are replenished daily.
Turn down service.
No universal power outlets or converter that we could find.
No master light switch.
8/10
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The beds are sumptuous, and soft enough for a good level of comfort. Pillows are equally comfortable, with a choice of depths and firmness. There is some noise and light pollution.
9.0
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Efficient, quiet air conditioning.
10/10
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We put the demeanour of the staff somewhere between professional and preoccupied. The one exception we encountered was the Irish lady in the spa, who was professional, friendly and went out of her way to be of assistance.
Insufficient quantity of staff for the number of guests.
7/10
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The spa is high quality, with an indoor and a separate indoor/outdoor pool, the latter including water features although regrettably insufficiently warm. The sauna and steam room are both large and almost sufficiently hot. There is an ice room that has actual snow falling from two holes in the ceiling.
Adequate towels are provided.
8/10
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The gym is a decent size, with basic machines and free weights, and enough space for one or two yoga mats. There is a separate yoga studio.
7.0
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The selection available on the buffet is good. There is an area where the chef cooks eggs to order. There are not enough staff members to manage the number of guests. Plates were stacked up on tables instead of being collected by the over-worked staff.
7/10
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The coffee at this hotel is average.
The coffee machine in the bedrooms is the Malongo type. Nespresso pods are not compatible with these machines.
6/10
Our bedroom was a large corner suite, with separate sitting room, and a delightfully annexed library nook. Two balconies - one from the sitting room, and one from the bedroom - provided views of the pool area and of the lake. A large bathroom featured separate bathtub and walk-in shower, as well as two sinks and an armchair.
In our view, the spa constitutes one of the main attractions of the hotel, featuring two pools and all-gender-access sauna, steam and ice rooms. One of the pools is fully indoor, while the other is partly indoor and mostly outdoor - the latter contains water features such as hydromassage jets.
The fitness room is standard for a 5-star hotel, containing the usual equipment. An interesting feature, and possibly the only one of its kind in the world in a hotel gym, is a dispenser of Evian mineral water.
A fun aspect of the location is a funicular train (free of charge) that runs every 20 minutes throughout the day from nearby the hotel to and from the town of Evian. The last train back up is around 7pm, so the train can’t be used after a dinner in town – however, there is a free van service leaving from the casino a couple of times an hour, or you could walk back up the hill to assist digestion of dinner.
Personal Note
While this is undoubtedly a 5-star hotel of significant quality, with larger-than-expected beautifully appointed bedrooms and a lovely spa, I found myself being irritated by several aspects of my experience.
From the delayed check-in, to the cold water in the jacuzzi/hot-tub, to the constantly loudly-banging pool gate, to the lack of milk/creamer in the bedroom (on request, they sent up a jug and charged Euro 5), the finer details are being overlooked by a seemingly overworked staff.
Nevertheless, the hotel benefits from remnants of its yesteryear glory, an enviable location and a superior spa.
For a stay in the Lake Geneva / Lac Léman region, you might also consider the Beau Rivage Lausanne.
