What a wonderful haven where you can meet with your loved ones and enjoy the rare privilege of experiencing unforgettable moments.
It’s hard to know where to start when describing all the amazing things about La Réserve which surpassed our wildest dreams as a family destination. I first visited La Réserve in 2013 when Jean organised massages for me and my Mum who was visiting towards the end of my pregnancy with Jude. I was so impressed at the time and dreamt of being able to spend a night there.
8 years later and my dream came true as we were invited to spend a weekend and try out some of their family facilities.
The magic began as soon as we walked through the doors and we were all treated like royalty. The children loved the decoration of the foyer with its birds and butterflies.
We had two interconnecting rooms which gave us plenty of space, and the children's room was extra special with a really cool tent, stuffed animals and cushions and a wonderful selection of treats including jars of sweets, biscuits, macarons and chocolate Lolli-pops! Needless to say the children were already big fans.
The bedrooms were well organised and they had given us a baby bed for Elio but in fact we didn’t need it in the end as the main bed was so big, the children all wanted to sleep together. Each room had a terrace which led onto a large grassy park which meant that Jude and Alba could run around safely just outside the room. They loved watching the ducks and playing hide and seek behind the hedges.
The rooms are well equipped with delicious smelling toiletries and a mini bar stocked with complementary soft drinks which is a really good idea for families.
We opted for an early dinner and had a lovely spot on the terrace of the gorgeous Le Loti restaurant where the children were soon installed with some fantastic colouring books which included puzzles and games. There is a separate kids menu with a large number of options but the kitchen are happy to accommodate special requests and provide vegetarian meals etc for smaller diners on demand. They even prepared a special purée for Elio. The food was delicious with perfectly sized portions and very adaptable with choices of side dishes which we really appreciated.
The staff were all extremely helpful and wonderful with the children. Whilst choosing their dessert Alba asked Juliette who was looking after us if she could have a look at the dessert options and were delighted when Juliette said “yes, no problem” and led them into the kitchen to meet the team and take a look at their sweet options. They were so excited when their plates arrived with little ice cream mice with chocolate and caramel.
The children were up early and we gave them breakfast before taking them to the kids club at 9am. The kids club is free for guests of the hotel and it’s just fantastic! We hadn’t really appreciated the magnificence of this service until we saw it for ourselves.
They organise a program each week so that you can pick the activities your child might like the best. Jude and Alba basically wanted to do everything and spent the morning involved in bricolage and music before we joined them for their boat trip with the kids club. When we arrived, it turned out Jude and Alba were the only children doing the boating so Jean and I were invited to join with Elio in his pushchair. We weren’t expecting to be able to join so this was an amazing treat and Elio was soon falling sleep from the movement of the boat.
The trip took us from the private port of La Réserve to the centre of Geneva where we saw the jet and lots of boats which the children enjoyed. It was a thoroughly invigorating experience and we all felt so fortunate! The hotel offers a boat taxi service for those wanting to easily get to the centre of the city. You can pre-book and the captain will be delighted to welcome you aboard, whether at the pontoon at La Réserve, the jetty next to the Quai Fleuri, or the pier on the other side of the harbour. What a way to travel!! Down by the port, you can also borrow some of their equipment for use on the water which is a great idea in the summer months. The children can also take advantage of surfing, squash, swimming or skiing courses in partnership with the nearby Country Club Geneva.
On our way back to our room, we past the wonderful outdoor swimming pool which has its own bar and plenty of seating for all the clients of the hotel so it's really nice to know that there will always be some space for you by the pool.
We had planned to visit Geneva in the afternoon but we had to rethink as the children were really annoyed at the prospect of missing the kids club activities which included karaoke, tattoos and a cocktail workshop by the bar staff. It was so much fun for them as they had to to a taste test to guess the ingredients and then create their dreamy cocktails made of juice and sweets! We don't have any pictures as there were other children present. The fabulous staff at the kids club said they could keep Elio for an hour so Jean and I headed to the spa together. This unexpected hour of cocooning tranquility together in this beautiful place was just bliss!
The children were still buzzing with stories of their day over dinner and we had another really lovely evening, and once again, the staff were incredible and we were made to feel so comfortable with our rowdy bunch (Alba knocked over her glass twice and Elio was rather vocal...) which is always a big bonus for us and we even got to meet the chef William Weiss! He was very friendly and really took the time to talk to us and answer all our questions.
Elio was getting a bit restless so we decided to eat our dessert in the bar area. Alba was delighted to see some of the team who has been involved in the cocktail making workshop earlier in the day and she managed to swing an invitation to perch at the bar with Jude and have a go at making their own cocktails with the barman. It was lovely to see them happily sitting there chatting to people and they felt so grown up! It was hard to drag them away but we decided to go for a little walk after dinner so that the children could try the play ground "La Petite Réserve". They were delighted when we arrived to see a bouncy castle as well as really cool tree houses and plenty to climb on. Thoroughly tired out and we decided it was time to go to bed where the children were all fast asleep within minutes. Jude said it was one of his best days ever!
On Sunday morning, Jean really wanted to celebrate Father's day with a trip on the most elegant Motoscafo boat. 8 years ago we were watching this boat with so much admiration that to be there on the Sunday morning was just pure joy. You can pre-book this to make sure the boat is available at the time you require. You feel very special on this boat so it was a lovely way to end our visit.
Needless to say that all Covid measures are strictly applied and you feel very safe there.
It's hard to fully describe how amazing this weekend was for us all. Everyone we met was so kind and friendly and everyone went the extra mile to make sure that we all had a wonderful time. The attention to the children was incredible and the kids club exceeded our wildest expectations and really meant that the children had an experience of their own while Jean and I could rest and spend some time with Elio. We created some unforgettable memories so it's definitely one for your Swiss wish list.
You can watch our short video and in 30 seconds you will want to go there!
This Family Offer includes :
your arrival and departure at the time of your choice
Accommodation and breakfast for the whole family
special family welcome pack
2 bedrooms, which one is specially decorated for children
50% off a children’s room
the care of children from 6 month to 12 years old at La Petite Réserve, every day from 9am to 6pm.
soft drinks from the mini-bar
from the Junior Suite = 100 Chf of Spa credit per stay
Information
La Réserve Genève Hotel, Spa and Villa
301 route de Lausanne,
1293 Genève-Bellevue