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A day by the pool
Luxury, calm and delight in complete exclusivity
Fancy a swim? As the fervent summer sun scorches the Alpine slopes, people are unfailingly drawn to the shores of Lake Geneva in search of cool relief. As for the pools, the finest of them are far from the crowds, offering an aquatic oasis…
Summer in Geneva often feels surprising, with its seaside atmosphere, cheerful bustle and sailboats fluttering through the veiled mist of the Jet d’Eau. Yet sometimes a quiet pause is welcome — the perfect chance to (re)discover, just for a day, the refinement of the city’s most beautiful establishments.
Relaxation with a view at Hotel President
In the shade of parasols beneath the languid sky, the elegant deckchairs of the Hotel President’s pool garden seem almost impatient to fulfil their purpose: to cradle anyone in Geneva for a summer of gentle disconnection. Below the terrace, the lake shimmers in quiet complicity, under the distant watch of Mont Blanc enthroned among blue-tinged clouds — a hypnotic view for this exclusive respite.
Throughout the summer, from 10 am to 6 pm, Hotel President invites outside guests to discover its beach-club atmosphere, with day access to its picturesque pool. This may be paired with a treatment at the SPA — the first in Switzerland to offer prestigious La Mer signature rituals — or accompanied by a carefully crafted cocktail at the pool bar, the Summerhouse, in a distinctly Saint-Tropez ambiance.
To accompany this sunlit, southern-inspired journey, the new menu at Rive Droite — revisited by rising star Chef Dany Khezzar — sails between the Côte d’Azur and Phoenicia, with irresistible mezés and avant-garde creativity. High-flying gastronomy is already a longtime staple here for devotees of the Sunday brunch at Bayview, the hotel’s flagship restaurant, which has held a Michelin Guide star since 2013.
The refreshing garden at the InterContinental
Discreetly concealed behind the iconic building of the InterContinental Geneva lies the city’s largest five-star hotel pool. This azure basin — nestled within the heart of a 525-m2 tropical-inspired garden — offers a true oasis of refreshment that’s only moments from the city centre. Renovated (and grandly reopened to much fanfare) in 2023, it has since become a chic retreat for lovers of sophisticated swimming.
Each guest can curate their own unique experience of the locale. From Monday to Thursday, from 4 pm to 7 pm, the Chill & Rosé special promises an afternoon of refined sunbathing, while Lunch & Swim features a signature dish of the day with Mediterranean accents, created by Chef Quentin Jacquemoud. The perfect offer for introverts seeking a luxurious moment to themselves may be a wellbeing interlude at the Spa Cinq Mondes — including a relaxing massage and a detox juice.
Friday’s Capri Afterwork, which reinvents the festive twilight atmosphere of Positano’s cliffsides, will appeal more to social butterflies — complete with Breton stripes and lemon pool floats, drifting to tunes by DJ Julien Roc. The signature cocktails are inspired by ten European capitals and are absolutely worth trying — including the Bern mocktail, which revisits the original flavours of Toblerone.
