Geneva is one of Switzerland's most cosmopolitan cities, home to many international organisations such as the UN. Despite being the second largest city in the country, behind Zurich, Geneva is a small town.
Knowing where to stay in Geneva is difficult because of the expensive rates. However, neighboring Zurich also offers a range of accommodations, which can be explored on this website.
Tourism in the city is focused on museums, old buildings, nightlife and fine dining, as well as business and events tourism, which is very strong.
As Geneva is an expensive city to stay in, this post focuses on the best value-for-money hotels in Geneva for different budgets.
The post also includes tips on the best hostels and cheap hotels, as well as neighbourhoods to stay in Geneva. Check out the tips and find out where to stay in Geneva!
Hotels in the Historic Centre of Geneva
Geneva's historic centre
As the city is small, it's easy to find out which are the best neighbourhoods to stay in Geneva. The best areas or neighbourhoods to stay in Geneva are located in the city centre and can be divided into:
Historic Centre;
Des Grottes/ Saint-Gervais;
Paquis.
The Historic Centre is home to old churches, beautiful streets and typical houses. In terms of accommodation, there are few options in Geneva's Old Town and the rates are expensive in most cases.
The best accommodation in the Old Town is the Fraser Suites Genevawith flat rates starting at CHF 230 (Swiss francs). The flats are really large and well-equipped, and the quality of the accommodation is superior.
Close to the historic centre, there is also the Sagitta Swiss Quality Hotel, with good, large double rooms from CHF 175. This hotel in Geneva has classic decor and comfort, but it's not luxurious.
In our opinion, it's not worth staying in the Old Town, as the Des Grottes/ Saint-Gervais and Paquis neighbourhoods have more hotel options for a range of budgets and still have good locations, entertainment and restaurants.
Best hotels in Geneva in Des Grottes/ Saint-Gervais
View of the Rhône River and Lake Geneva
The Des Grottes/ Saint-Gervais neighbourhood is very well located, close to the train station, the Old Town and with beautiful views of the Rhône River and Lake Geneva.
Des Grottes/ Saint-Gervais is home to Geneva's most chic hotel, the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva, with rates starting at CHF 800! Classically decorated, the Four Seasons is a luxury hotel with everything from a sophisticated restaurant to French furniture.
Des Grottes/Saint-Gervais is the neighbourhood with the most hotels in Geneva, but none of them are bargains. After all, hotel rates in Switzerland are high and the neighbourhood is well located and close to everything.
Check out the hotels in Geneva in the Des Grottes/ Saint-Gervais neighbourhood that offer good prices and quality:
Hotel Lido: double room from CHF 93. The Hotel Lido is very close to the historic centre, restaurants and Lake Geneva, making it an excellent location. The hotel's accommodation is simple but average in size.
Ibis Styles Geneve Mont Blanc: double room from CHF 125. As well as its good location, this ibis Styles hotel has quality, whether it's the beautiful rooms or the friendly service. Undoubtedly one of the best chain hotels in Geneva.
Hotel Montbrillant: double room from CHF 135. The Hotel Montbrillant is also well located and has a car park, something that not all hotels in the centre have. With simple, good-sized rooms, the Hotel Montbrillant is good value for money in Geneva.
Hotel Suisse: double room from CHF 150. The Hotel Suisse is very well located, close to everything. It offers nicely decorated rooms, only the size of the rooms could be larger.
Best hotels in Geneva in Paquis
UN Palace
The Paquis neighbourhood is also home to good hotel options in Geneva.
With the efficient public transport system, staying in the Paquis is viable and doesn't get in the way of a visit, even more so with the free public transport card. The question is finding a good quality hotel at a good price.
Check out the hotels in Geneva in the Paquis neighbourhood that offer good value for money:
Edelweiss Manotel: double room with rates from CHF 145. Close to Lake Geneva, the Edelweiss Manotel stands out for its cosy rooms and location.
Warwick Geneva: double room from CHF 145. The Warwick Geneva is a well-located hotel. Its rooms are simple and discreet.
Cheap hotels in Geneva
As many hotels offer free public transport tickets in Geneva, an interesting option is to stay near Geneva Airport, which is close to the centre, just 4 kilometres away.
There are several quality chain hotels near the airport, with much better rates than in the centre of Geneva. Check out the best options below:
ibis budget Genève Aéroport: double room with rates from CHF 80. The ibis budget is a simple hotel, in keeping with the "budget" standard of this hotel chain. With its small, discreet rooms, ibis budget is a great choice for travellers just looking for a place to sleep.
NH Geneva Airport Hotel: double room from CHF 85. The NH Geneve is good value for money, as its rooms are medium-sized, discreet and the rates are good for Geneva.
Holiday Inn Express Geneva Airport: double room from CHF 90. The Holiday Inn Express is a higher quality option very close to Geneva Airport.
Nash Airport Hotel: double room from CHF 95. The Nash Airport Hotel is right next to Geneva Airport, so it's one of the main options for those staying overnight in the city.
Novotel Suites Genève Aéroport: double room from CHF 140. The Novotel Suites has very large rooms and is a really good hotel. There is a shopping centre near the hotel, as well as easy access to public transport. The ibis budget and Novotel Suites are located in the same building.
Crowne Plaza Geneva: double room from CHF 150. The Crowne Plaza is one of the best airport hotels in Geneva, offering comfortable rooms.
Where to stay in Geneva - Hostel in Geneva
City Hostel Geneva accommodation
The best hostels in Geneva are located in the Paquis district, which has a good location and easy access to the historic centre.
O City Hostel Geneva has a small double room from CHF 70 and a 4-bed dormitory bed for CHF 30. Despite being simple, like most hostels, City Hostel Geneva is a quality hostel that focuses on double rooms.
The Geneva Hostel is one of the most popular hostels in Geneva, also located in Paquis. With 65 rooms, there are quadruple and triple room options from CHF 100 per night. Dormitory beds are in larger dormitories, over 6 beds, with rates of CHF 25 per bed per day.
Map of the best hotels in Geneva
Check out the map above for the location of the Geneva hotels mentioned in the post, as well as important landmarks (yellow markers).
Another tip for staying in Geneva is to look for rooms, studios or flats on Airbnb, a website with many good options at good prices. Booking through you get R$130 credit towards your accommodation.
If you book your accommodation using the Booking links in the post or the banner on the site, you help the Digital Nomad Guide, but you don't pay a cent more for it. Thank you very much!
We hope these tips on where to stay in Geneva have helped you!
Have a good trip, Traveller!
