Hotel Victoria

On my second stay at Hotel Victoria, the beautiful setting and the warm hospitality from the owner family Mittermair stood out again. The service is classic five star, with so much care given to the details. That kind of combination is getting rare in hospitality. It's well worth a visit, and I'll be back soon.

The beautiful view across Lake Geneva and the mountains was the one real bright spot. The hotel is listed as four star, but my stay didn't match that promise. The lobby was dark and dingy and smelled of smoke, and breakfast was limited, especially for vegetarians and vegans. Dinner was overpriced and bland, with very few vegetarian choices. There was no air conditioning in the room. They offered a fan if we got hot, which honestly made me laugh. We had to ask for an iron or coffee machine, and even then the water bottles and coffee pods weren't replenished. The sink was noisy and drained slowly. The front desk staff rarely greeted us, seemed glued to their phones, and couldn't give basic local information. When I asked about the Glion train and Roches de Naye Summit timetable, they had no idea, despite the hotel's online offer of ticketing help. We later found out ourselves that the summit was closed for construction. The website also mentions a shared coffee and tea area in the lobby, but there wasn't one. We'd stayed at true four and five star hotels in Lucerne and Interlaken, and the difference was night and day. This property has potential, but right now it doesn't deliver on its four-star promise.

The staff at Victoria Glion are highly professional and know the immediate area and surroundings extremely well. Ask them anything and they'll give you a really informative answer. The old-world property has beautiful grounds, an amazing lake view, and a superb atmosphere. It's perched high on a steep hillside, a lovely setting.

The lake and mountain panorama is breathtaking, and I could look at it endlessly. The hotel is a beautiful place, with its elegance and authenticity preserved in a warm, refined atmosphere. But I noticed the staff paid more attention to wealthier guests than to the “standard” ones. For a hotel of this standing, that felt shameful and disappointing.