Eden au Lac

For those who can afford to enter the promised land, Eden Au Lac lives up to its name. The most luxurious of velvet-thick decors, polished wood panelling, glass chandeliers and similarly smooth service create a hotel akin to paradise. Really something special.

Nestled in a gorgeous Art Nouveau building dating to 1909, it sits on the lake (ignore the traffic-busy road separating it from the water) up there with the best of Switzerland's most luxurious small hotels. Room furnishings are traditional and floral with glistening marble bathrooms, complimentary fruit and - in the case of the suites - a Nespresso coffee machine. Cocktails, aperitifs and live jazz every Thursday from October to May keep the hotel bar buzzing, while French chef Ludovic Petrle struts his culinary stuff in the Gault Millau-acclaimed restaurant. Guests with no fear of heights must not miss the view from the top of the staircase on the 5th floor or the rooftop terrace with fitness space and gym.