UPDATE: out of business in October 2013 (the owners wanted to modernize and expand the hotel, but the zoning plan did not allow this)

Beautiful, romantic lakeside manor with a wonderful park and a good, but over-priced restaurant:

This amazing lakeside manor has been renovated a short time ago. And this overhaul turned out well. Said that, this was our first stay here we, so we did not know how it looked before. There is a vast, beautiful park with a lot of mature trees. Deck chairs are scattered around the premises. And you even find here a wooden raft with a few chairs!

Apart from the rooms in the manor there is also a “stilt” guesthouse. It is hidden by treetops but nevertheless obstructs the splendid view lakes. Plus, you find here a lake house with private beach, boat and sauna. As to other amenities, we were astonished to learn that there is no swimming pool, no fitness room, no spa. This is unusual for a five-star hotel and especially so given the rather steep rates for the area. 



For our family (one teenage son) we booked an adequately sized and nicely furnished junior suite with a lakeside balcony. There was a walk-in closet and a spacious bathroom with two sinks. To our surprise, there was only a tub with a movable glass partition but no separate shower. We considered this as a bit uncommon for a hotel of this class! The public area of the hotel – in particular the bar and the salon for afternoon tea – are beautifully designed, nicely done!

The staff was eager to please although there was still room of improvement. This concerns also the hotel manager. When checking in, we were offered a glass of Prosecco at the outdoor restaurant. After having taken a seat, the manager showed up with other probably new arriving guests to whom he seemed familiar with. He took a seat at a nearby table, chatted with them and did not throw one glance at us. That casted in our view a negative light on hospitality at this house! He ought to have greeted us.

On the culinary side, there are two restaurants (both 14 points Gault Millau). As the one in a nearby building was closed (although it was supposed to be open during summer time), we decided to book a table at the one in the main house. The decor was very nice, and the lake view is hard to beat. Unfortunately, the inspection of the menu was not as favorable as the before mentioned aspects. This was because the à la carte prices were very much on the high side! Turbot (admittedly one of the best fishes) as a main course amounted to more than SFr. 70.–! We were lucky that there was also a menu where you could chose from several starters, main courses and desserts. So, we went for a 4-course-meal at 90 SFR. This was a fair price for a fine meal. I would strongly suggest that the management should re-evaluate the à la carte rates here. This because I think that you cannot ask for such high prices in a little-known area in Switzerland. 

Briefly, this is a stunning property in wonderful surroundings. Yet some aspects require reevaluation just as amenities, certain appearance/service issues  and the price level.

Date of stay: August 2010