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The hotel sector
The hotel sector in Lausanne and its long tradition of hospitality
Would you like to find a centrally located, low-priced establishment after enjoying Lausanne’s nightlife, or do you dream of spending the night in a 5-star hotel overlooking the lake? Do you need a comfortable room near to the EPFL congress centre? How about a hotel with seminar rooms with high-tech facilities? Or do you imagine a romantic weekend in a boutique hotel? With more than 7000 beds from 1 to 5-star superior spread over sixty or so establishments, the city of Lausanne allows all its guests to be put up in the best conditions, whether they are here on business or for leisure.
Associated with historic events such as the Peace of Ouchy, the Treaty of Lausanne and the Reparations Conference in 1932, the hotel industry in Lausanne enjoys an international reputation. This has grown steadily due to the diverse assets of Lausanne: its quality of care, its status as Olympic Capital hosting numerous international sporting events, its centres of research and innovation, the presence of multinationals, the wealth of cultural attractions and its ideal location as the point of departure for many excursions. Its enchanting setting has attracted leading personalities from the art and literary world such as Rousseau, Voltaire, Mozart, Goethe, Stendhal, George Sand, Victor Hugo, Stravinsky and George Simenon, and continues to seduce countless celebrities seeking serenity and well-being.
Three five-star hotels share the city: the Beau-Rivage Palace built opposite the Ouchy quays in 1861 and the Lausanne Palace & Spa constructed in 1915; both of them have prestigious award-winning restaurants run by Anne-Sophie Pic and Edgard Bovier Situated in an oasis of greenery near the port of Ouchy. Since 2015, the Royal Savoy constitute the city’s third 5-star hotel and provide 196 rooms and suites with a chic and cosmopolitan décor. The Hôtellerie Lausannoise association, the main partner of Lausanne Tourisme, underlines the philosophy of the region’s hoteliers, be they major hotel chains, family-run businesses or newcomers: the quality of hospitality and services comes first, together with team spirit at the service of guests.
In order to cater for the growing demand in business tourism in particular, hoteliers have made major investments in recent years with a view to modernising and expanding their establishments. One of these renovation projects concerns the Mövenpick Hotel. An adjoining wing built in compliance with Minergie standards has just added 72 rooms to the 265 existing ones, transforming this complex into the biggest 4-star hotel in French-speaking Switzerland.
Among the newest arrivals, we must mention the functional Etap Hotel in Bussigny (western Lausanne), the convivial LHOTEL, situated at the heart of the city’s trendy Flon district, the Agora Swiss Night (under station) with 147 rooms, the Hôtel Lavaux (in the Lavaux vineyards) with 64 rooms, the Hôtel des Inventions close to the university campus, the Chalet d’Ouchy bed & breakfast and the Discovery Hotel in Crissier.
With sustainable development being one of the central planks of policy-making in Lausanne and ecotourism becoming increasingly popular among visitors, chambre d’hôte and bed & breakfast establishments are opening on a regular basis, many of them situated in the vineyards or the neighbouring countryside. As for the Lausanne GuestHouse & Backpacker, this constitutes a model of environmental awareness by using new technologies such as the preheating of water with solar panels, complete insulation of the building envelope, a guaranteed “green” energy supply and a state-of-the-art computerised energy management system.
Finally, for those of more modest means or for aficionados of camping, the lakeside Vidy campsite (4-star) has 400 places in season, while the Pra-Collet site, situated on the edge of Jorat forest and endowed with a swimming pool, is the perfect solution for families.
The international renown of Lausanne in terms of hospitality can also be attributed to its Hotel School (EHL), a world first created in 1893. Even today the EHL still attracts students from all over the world, destined to run highly prestigious establishments. Its ambition is to consolidate its international standing as a leader in top-level management in the hospitality business by exploiting synergies between vocational and academic approaches.