I traveled to Geneva with my two kids and their grandfather in June 2025. After much indecision, we went with Geneva for a few reasons: it’s a simple city break with lots of flights from Amsterdam, there are some nice hotels, and it’s very easy to transfer from the airport. Geneva was also one of the last hotel crawl trips I planned with my friend when I was pregnant in 2024, which was never to be (we ended up doing Miami instead). So it was on my radar.
There are lots of nice hotels in Geneva. Perhaps one of the most well known luxury hotels is the Four Seasons. We didn’t stay there; out of budget. I also was not that impressed with the last European Four Seasons I stayed at (the Cap Ferrat in Nice). Small rooms in an older building, stuffy atmosphere, they weren’t that interested in us, etc. So after a bit of research (this was really a whirlwind choice — we booked the tickets and hotels two days before), I went with La Reserve and the Mandarin Oriental.
Why two hotels? Well, we were staying for 5 nights. That’s the perfect length for a hotel crawl. You get to experience one area of town, enjoy their breakfast and familiarise yourself with all the facilities, and then move on to the next. It keeps things fun. And, well, you know I like to collect hotel experiences. The last time I did Switzerland, we also did 5 nights but split over three towns (Zurich, Burgenstock and Lucerne). This time, it was just Geneva. Simple and easy with two kids under 4. And a granddad to help!
Staying at La Reserve Geneva with 2 kids
I have to say I loved our stay at the La Reserve Hotel & Spa Geneva. The grounds are beautiful and interesting.
The spa was spacious but also quite approachable. The only thing missing was a jacuzzi. A cafe right next to the spa is a plus. They have fitness classes — I did the yoga class, and it was good quality.
The kids club was great. They even accepted my 10-month-old, which is rare for a kids club at a hotel, and they were super accommodating and paid a lot of attention to both of them. My kids were the only ones there on the Friday; on Saturday there were maybe 6 kids total. This is the biggest break I’ve had for myself since my second baby was born, and it was almost too much time on my own!
We were able to get interconnecting rooms, and they set it up perfectly for kids with a tippee — a fun touch I’ve not seen before.
I have to say service wasn’t astounding in some areas: the one dinner we had in the main restaurant was just so-so. Service was slow, they didn’t offer to seat us outside which was much nicer, and I ordered an afternoon tea for dinner which was really meh. That surprised me. Also, the concierge didn’t give very good advice on train tickets and restaurants the day we went to the Olympic museum.
I did try my ‘luxury hotel trick’ which is to ask for a fresh ginger shot at breakfast. If they can do it, they pass. Request accepted, not an eye batted. So in general, it was all pretty fantastic.
Staying at Mandarin Oriental Geneva
We moved on to the Mandarin Oriental Geneva, which is in a more central location. It has a much more business-y feel which surprised me for a Mandarin Oriental. The building is almost brutalist (I don’t know the history of it). They were pleasant enough on check-in, and we did receive an upgrade, which we didn’t get at La Reserve.
The room was big but tired-looking. It feels old, and not in a classic way, more a shabby way. However, the room itself was super convenient. There is a walk-in wardrobe in the hallway which doubled nicely as a baby-changing table. I had to ask twice for a diaper bin but we got it in the end.
What makes this hotel a stand-out is its dining options. Japanese restaurant Sachi was great. It reminded me of Nobu. They kindly got us a spot on a Saturday night, and served us very quickly which is what we needed with two kids later in the evening. As someone who knows Japan well, I was a bit flummoxed that they were so confused by my request for some umeshu (plum wine), and they coudn’t tell me anything about what they ended up serving me.
They also have a new Ottolenghi in the building, which I didn’t get to try. My dad did, and he enjoyed it.
Day trip with kids to Lausanne from Geneva
My favourite part of the trip was our day out to Lausanne and its Olympic Museum. Wow! The whole vibe of the town is lovely, with the museum area situated right on the lake. Apparently the smallest metro in the world is here, which we took from the train station. And the train! Oh. My. God. I’ve never seen such a kid-friendly train and I don’t think I ever will again (unless we end up in Finland).
Lausanne is a lovely town and we really enjoyed walking along the lake to the museum. They had a huge playground, a lively vibe and the whole walk up to the Olympics museum through their hilly park is so exciting. We also ate lunch at the bistro at the top floor of the museum — I recommend booking if you can. The food was great. The museum itself is really engaging, and it doesn’t take too long to get through. It also has a fun kids area separately.
Cable car up to Mont Salève
An easy bus ride from the centre of Geneva, and then a short walk and fun cable car up. The views were stunning and it really felt like we had headed into the countryside. We met up with my old university friend here who now has two kids.
Geneva chocolate crawl
Geneva has been working hard to make their city a fun destination for tourists. I think they’ve succeeded. Public transport is free if you’re staying in a city hotel, and they also have other fun initiatives — like the Geneva choco pass! It’s a self-guided tour you can sign up to. You go to 9 chocolate shops after paying about €25 and each shop gives you a pretty hefty sample of amazing chocolate. The was a great way to end our trip before heading to the airport on a sugar high!
One adult ticket was more than enough for my four-year-old and me.
