Anna S
It is not a secret that finding a decent accommodation in Switzerland has become is problem in recent years. The main issue is the extremely poor value for the money - no matter where you stay, you will almost invariably overpay for what you get, compared with neighboring France or Italy. Unfortunately, this place was not an exception.||||I was in Geneve once prior to this stay, only for a day trip, and absolutely loved the city; therefore, I was determined to bring my fiancé there and stay for one night in vicinity, so that we could see the city well. Previously, I drove to Geneve from Annecy - and in a hindsight, this is exactly what we should have done, but ... we got the Swiss accommodation experience, which I share here. ||||I booked this B&B due to it seeming convenience - not far from Geneve, we are with a car, so it looked reasonable and pleasant, a stand-alone country cottage with all the tranquility and spaciousness. And in reality, the spaciousness was there, together with a few other ||||good things:||||1). One cannot hear any traffic or street noise. Due to this, the sleep is undisturbed by any sounds, except a rooster next wall - a chicken coot is right behind the cottage. ||2). The cottage is large; it has an outside sitting area looking into the garden. We were only two people, but I think at least 6 people can sleep there. ||3). Parking is free.||4). It's about 20-30 minutes drive to Geneva's center.||||Not so good:||||1). NO WiFi, contrary to the advertisement. The B&B description at Booking.com said it at the time of my booking and still says: "Wi-Fi is available in public areas and is free of charge". However, there is no "public area" - it is a stand-alone cottage on the same piece of land as the proprietor (Veronique)'s house. Veronique informs point-blank on arrival that WiFi is NOT available in the entire cottage, and to use it you must get out and come closer to her house. So indeed in drizzling rain we had to approach her window although you are not invited inside. ||Thus beware - there is NO WIFI anywhere inside the cottage.||||2). There is NO advertised kitchenette - it is rather a very poorly cleaned and furnished room with a small fridge resting its rust on pieces of newspaper and a table, which goes for a "dining area". There is no sink or running water or a stove or oven, not even a microwave in the "kitchenette", to fill a coffeemaker with water you must go to the bathroom. If you plan on cooking, you wasted your money. This "dining room" also features a bed. Seriously, you won't want to dine there - this "dining room" looks dilapidated and desperate. ||3). The water in the shower is tepid, never warm (forget hot!) enough. ||4). One worn-out old towel is provided per person. ||5). The place is not well-cleaned; there were pieces of garbage in hidden places, like a well-visible plastic spoon under the bed. ||6). The place was very cold when we arrived in early September; the heating was supposed to work from the floor but it never got warm. I found a electrical radiator, very old as well but working, and close to bed it became somewhat warmer.||7). The "continental breakfast" included one bread roll per person, but at that point we had no expectations and were happy to leave.||||Alas, this whole "B&B" is just another miserable establishment completely misrepresenting itself on the Web, ending up being a rip-off in reality. Yes, it is in a garden and it is quiet, but the absence of promised/advertised features invalidates the place by any standards of the honest commercial hospitality. ||||I was astonished to find such poor service in Switzerland - which is only another proof to how wrong stereotypes can be, meaning the much-hyped stellar Swiss trade standard. ||||Our next stay was in Annecy, in L'Imperial Palace, for about the same amount. It is an hour drive, and I only regret we chose to taste this Swiss hospitality. Geneve is certainly an interesting city, but it can easily be well-explored from the nearby France, while enjoying high-quality French comfort and ambiance for the price of this unkempt hut. ||||Avoid this establishment by any means.
