When Sir Rocco Forte bought legendary luxury hotel Le Richemond in 2004, he opted for a radical new look for the tired and traditional grande dame of Geneva which dates back to 1863. He sold off the original art collection during the demolition party and appointed his sister Olga Polizzi to orchestrate the new opulent, contemporary interiors in conjunction with one of the world’s leading interior designers John Stefanidis.
After an 18-month overhaul, it re-opened in September 2007 with a golden lobby presided over by an Art Deco-style clock and furnished with low-slung, red chairs. The intimate bar became an instant hit with the local Genevois and Le Richemond also became the only luxury hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva to sport a proper spa.
One thing that the Le Richemond’s new management didn’t change was the signature discretion of the ever-attentive staff which has made it the luxury hotel of choice for private bankers and high-flying businessmen.
The facilities
Fulvio Pierangelini, one of the most renowned chefs in Italy, has just breathed new life into the menu at the luxury hotel’s Italian restaurant Sapori. He has given traditional Italian dishes a gourmet twist – juicy green olives are stuffed with ham, parmesan and pine kernels and deep fried calamari are served with wafer-thin slices of violet artichokes. The restaurant’s contemporary interiors and subtle mood-lighting make for a sophisticated atmosphere and many a business deal is brokered from the round banquettes upholstered in signature Rocco Forte red.
Downstairs, beside the beautifully-decorated toilets (the gents sports a black marble waterfall in place of a urinal and the ladies a lime-green sofa and harlequin-check tiles) is the state-of-the-art Technogym and the luxury hotel’s much-lauded, ethereal spa. Spanning 350m2, its corridors are clad with bamboo and the five treatment rooms, sauna and hamam and posh beauty products courtesy of Shiseido and Sothys have been a huge hit with regular guests. A personal trainer is also on call to tailor-make a workout or accompany joggers on a run round Lake Geneva.
The luxury hotel’s latest innovation is the Galerie Rachmaninoff, named after the famous Russian composer whose sketches and paintings will grace the inaugural exhibition of the art gallery. Moving forward, in 2009 the space will be dedicated to the work of local artists.
The rooms
All 107 rooms at the luxury hotel have been lavishly decorated with bathrooms clad in creamy Carrera marble, and walls upholstered in fine fabrics.
An additional floor was added to the existing Beaux Arts building during the renovation which now houses the expansive Armleder Suite, named after the original owners of Le Richemond. Art Deco antiques are elegantly mixed with contemporary designer pieces including an egg-shaped Boffi bath. A log fire keeps well-heeled guests toasty warm in the winter months and in the summer they can sun themselves in totally privacy and admire the views over Brunswick Gardens on the wrap-around terrace whose windows are clad in bullet-proof glass.
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"The grande dame of Geneva has recently had a radical, contemporary re-design courtesy of new owner Rocco Forte's sister, interior design Olga Polizzi."
