Hotel Palafitte – Switzerland
Featuring 40 total pavilions, 24 of which are on stilts out over Lake Neuchâtel, the Hotel Palafitte is the first and only overwater-bungalow resort in all of Europe. This is a 5-star Superior hotel with luxurious features and amenities, plus an excellent restaurant.
Each room comes equipped with its own computer and the main feature of the hotel itself appears to be a pair of high-tech meeting rooms, so this overwater bungalow resort is obviously popular with business groups and for retreats, but it’s also praised for its gorgeous location and even the honeymoon crowd seems to approve.
Location
The Hotel Palafitte is located in the town of Neuchâtel-Monruz in the northwest corner of Switzerland, overlooking Lake Neuchâtel. It’s close to Bern and Lausanne, and a bit farther from Basel and Zurich.
Rooms/villas/suites
24 Pavilions on the Lake
- Beds: 1 kingsize
- Area: 732 sq ft (68 m²)
- Wi-Fi: complimentary
- Entertainment system: Plasma screen TV, DVD, CD, Surround sound
- Room service: 24 hours
Special room features
- Shower and Jacuzzi
- Separate toilet
- Minibar and Nespresso coffee machine
- Air conditioning
- Safe
- Personal computer
- Colour printer
- Private terrace with direct access to the lake
Rates
From €580 per night
Restaurants and bars
- Le Colvert restaurant
- La Terrasse (open from May through September)
- Le Bar
Resort features
- 2 state of the art meeting rooms that hold 50 people each
Spa
There’s no spa at this hotel.
Nearby activities
- Golf
- Swimming
- Sailing
- Skiing
- Cultural activities nearby
What the reviews say
Reviews of the Hotel Palafitte are almost all excellent, which isn’t much of a surprise considering this is a 5-star superior place. Nearly all are very impressed by the luxurious furnishings as well as the setting itself.
Some complain that the walkways that lead out to the lake bungalows could use updating, and a few minor mentions of air conditioning not working right in a particular unit at one time, but overall this appears to be a first-class hotel that deserves its 5-star rating.
Getting there
The Hotel Palafitte is off the A5 Motorway, approximately 30 minutes’ drive from Bern and 45 minutes’ drive from Lausanne. The nearest major airports are Basel and Zurich.
