Review of Hotel L’Ermitage, Montreux-Clarens, Switzerland

Small hotel in a beautiful mansion with fine gourmet restaurant:

Under new management

My husband, my teenage son and I spent two nights in this lovely ancient mansion on Lake Geneva. Nowadays, it houses a gourmet restaurant and a small hotel. Actually, L’Ermitage is more a restaurant with rooms than a hotel with a restaurant.

Having said that it is one of the few accommodations in Montreux offering not only a preferred location but also nice enough rooms. This comes as a surprise as there is much to do and see in this near Mediterranean town. Do not miss walking the stunning lakeside promenade with lots of flower gardens.

The hotel offers seven individually furnished rooms which are fairly luxurious, however in need of a makeover. The Junior Suite Standard with lake view we had was adequately sized and tastefully decorated, although a bit on the dated side. The bathroom was in a 1980s-style, the same was true for the outdoor furniture.

What makes the place special, is the restaurant at L’Ermitage. It certainly is one of the best in the Montreux area (17 points guide Gault Millau, 1 star guide Michelin). We had dinner here on both evenings and were very satisfied with the offered, although prices are steep. The cuisine is French style and rather classical. The food is impeccably prepared and the portions are not too small as this is often the case in comparable establishments. We would go back in a heartbeat!

In case you need another dining-spot for the second evening, the nearby Thai Restaurant “Maï Thaï” might be worth trying out (14 points guide Gault Millau). Unfortunately, we found about it too late …

Breakfast was fine although very French, meaning not much of a choice. Nevertheless, it was nice as we could have it on the pleasant terrace. There is also a wonderfully landscaped garden where you can have your aperitif and/or dinner. You can reach the center of Montreux in ten, fifteen minutes by foot on the mentioned lakeside promenade. This footpath is one of the most beautiful ones I have ever encountered!

All things considered, L’Ermitage is a recommended place for a short foodie stay in the Lake Geneva area.

Date of stay: June 2011