Palace de Menthon

The calm atmosphere made the stay feel like a trip to another era, and the elegant rooms added to that feeling. The views over Lake Annecy were breathtaking. A magical place that made the whole visit memorable.

Breakfast was delicious, and housekeeping did a great job keeping our huge family room clean and tidy. It exceeded our expectations, with amazing panoramic views. The heated pool was beautiful and quite large, though its surface felt a little rough. The pool amenities were great too. The only snag was the main car gate. You have to call reception to open it, but the intercom is hard to reach and its button doesn't respond very well.

We had a relaxing vacation here, and the staff were always lovely. They all speak English fluently, which I really appreciated. The rooms were clean and tidy, and the bed was comfortable. I tend to be picky about a five-star hotel, though, and there are a few things I would have liked to be better. The pool access was awkward. You have to go outside and downstairs, then pass through the dining area in your robe, which got some odd looks. We only went once during our December stay. Maybe it wouldn't be as uncomfortable in summer. Easier access would be nice. The Wi-Fi was around 10 Mbps when I tested it. It worked okay at times, but got quite bad in the evenings, with YouTube and Netflix stuttering often. The TV only has French channels, with no Netflix or YouTube, so it was just wall furniture for us. Bring your own tablet or laptop if you want to watch Netflix. I would've liked slightly bigger rooms, though I guess that's a limitation of an older building. Some nights we could hear people getting up early and other sounds around us, especially at night. The walls aren't that thin, but I like complete silence at home, so I may be more sensitive to noise.

We had a great weekend break on the shores of Lake Annecy, and the location and hotel were first class. The breakfast buffet was excellent, though the hot food had run out on Sunday, and the evening bar menu was limited. In December, both the room and pool felt a little cold. Still, well worth it.