Geneva Switzerland top hotel

Auberge Port Gitana is a lovely boutique hotel, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman to the French) just minutes from Geneva City Center, or GVA airport. We loved staying here after our ski trip to explore the Swiss Alps. Just one to two hours to many Swiss and French ski resorts, including Portes Du Soleil, Verbier, Anzere, Crans Montana and many more, even Chamonix. In fact, you can see stunning Mont Blanc from the shores of this scenic hotel.

Port Gitana has the perfect location just outside busier Geneva city center, on the Lake, and only 4 miles, 10 minutes drive, to GVA Geneva airport. Bellevue, the quaint lakeside locale of Port Gitana, is perfectly name for its “beautiful view,” and its history –when Port was a playground for the elite in the 1870s, through the 1920-30s. See the fascinating history below…

The views from our Port Gitana lakeside room were spectacular, of Lake Geneva, and the Alps including towering snowcapped Mont Blanc in the distance. With just 18 rooms and suites, the hotel’s vibe is elegant, but cozy, with natural wood and stone, and inviting white linen bedding. The highlight has to be the lakefront balcony, where you can sit for hours and watch the ferry and boats pass, see people stroll along the lake park boulevard, and view the ever-changing alpenglow on surrounding Swiss and French peaks. Locals were actually swimming (for our entertainment) in the Lake during our February stay, from the rock breakwater out front. I imagine Lake Geneva is quite cold, always!

A flat screen TV, plus a mini-bar coffee station, and the most sumptuous king bed, made our lakeside retreat feel more like a home-away-from-home. Our stone tile bathroom was elegant, spacious enough with a wonderful walk-in shower, robes, and thoughtful bath amenities. I loved the wooden toothbrush, Swiss-made with accompanying Swiss toothpaste! The soap and lotions are Italian – CAMIL. Can I just say here that many European hotels don’t offer soap or shampoo, just a one-product-does-all body wash, so having lovely shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, and more, feels luxurious!

A bountiful breakfast is served in Port Gitana’s lakeview restaurant, early (starting at 6:30am) for those departing for Geneva airport, or you can have your breakfast delivered as room service, to enjoy on your balcony. A full menu of cooked-to-order eggs is available, plus specialty coffees. My favorite was the Tower of Treats, with yogurts and fruits, fresh pastries and croissant, meats and cheese, served in a most artful, edible display!

Evenings, Port Gitana restaurant serves local perch fish fresh out of the lake, or Tomahawk Pork Cordon Bleu for two. A three course menu du jour is also available and seasonal. Chef Julien works in an open-viewing organized kitchen, and its soon obvious why he has an impressive resume from France to Hong Kong to the USA. With over 600 wines, Port Gitana will satisfy any oenophile, or the curious not-quite-wine-connoisseur. In fact, the Hotel often hosts wine events, featuring Swiss wines and international tastings, in their chic bar and outdoor patio space on the Lake.

As for the history of Port Gitana, in 1870 Julie de Rothschild acquired this land and created a private port and marina for her boats, most notably her private steamer yacht “Gitana” hence the hotel name. Bellevue became very popular among the elitists of the day. Later Port Gitana became a performance hall.

Fast forward to 2019, when the property was in disrepair, an architectural competition was held for a winning plan for refurbishment. The modern minimalist proposal: “Chat Blanc, Chat Blanc” is the mod chic design you see today, with culinary managed by the Gourmet Brother of Geneva restaurant success and EPOPCA Collection hotels.

We loved our stay at Port Gitana hotel in Bellevue on our trip to ski Switzerland, it’s the perfect place near the airport, near so many ski resorts, and fun day trips. On our way from The Swiss Valais Wallis ski region, we enjoyed the Swiss Riviera lakefront towns of Montreux and Veyvey, visiting an amazing castle – Chateau de Chillon (on the eastern side of the lake – see several castle photos below), passing wineries on the Swiss Grand Cru Wine Tour, and the massive Nestle chocolate headquarters, ending with a panoramic lakeview lunch at Toute un Monde in Lavaux amid vineyards, before reaching Port Gitana. We’ll be back!