The hotel is situated just outside Geneva in tranquil private grounds on the lake's right bank, with fabulous views to the mountains on the other side. It's a seven-minute train ride into the city while the hotel puts on a shuttle boat to and from its private pontoon in the summer months.
It may feel incongruous to have a Swiss hotel fashion itself like a game lodge in colonial Africa, but with so many grand old hotels offering traditional luxury in Geneva it's refreshing to find this contemporary resort with an alternative sense of style. The interior is delightful: a colour palate of dark red, purple, ochre and green, dark-wood flooring, animal-print rugs, colourful silhouettes of exotic birds on the light fittings and a large sculpture of an elephant – the resort's symbol.
Facilities are copious. Inside there are two restaurants and a bar serving cocktails, sushi and tapas. Downstairs the Nescens spa offers an indoor pool, sauna, hammam, a café serving healthy, low-calorie food, and a range of treatment options aiming to roll back the years – probably helped by the experience of spending a few relaxing days here being waited on by the attentive, friendly staff. But the real trump card of this place is its green space. An outdoor swimming pool, and an alfresco restaurant in summer: all this significantly extends the guest experience, turning it into a resort worth lingering in.