At the Beau-Rivage Palace Hotel, set beside Lake Geneva, with gorgeous views of the Swiss Alps, some of the busiest members of staff are the team who roll out the red carpet for stellar guests.
Set among a private lakefront park, the belle-epoque building has been a regular luxury destination for royalty and celebrities for 140 years, and its reputation for exquisite service dates back to the days of English Lords and Russian archdukes, and turn-of-the-century European socialites and celebrities. Over the years, an impressive line-up of distinguished entertainers have stayed at the exclusive 169-room property, including Hollywood legends Gary Cooper and Gregory Peck, as well as Woody Allen and Mia Farrow. Other celebrity guests have included supermodel Claudia Schiffer, and motor racing greats Ayrton Senna. Music star guests have included Tina Turner and Chris de Burgh, groups Deep Purple, and The Gypsy Kings and Diana Ross. But the real beauty of the hotel - and a growing number of Middle East travellers will vouch for this - is that you don't have to be rich and famous to get the VIP treatment. That's something that is guaranteed to all guests. "We know how to look after the biggest stars, and many have stayed here, but to us all guests are important," said the general manager, Christian Marich. In recent years, the hotel has become an increasingly popular conference and meetings venue for Middle East corporate clients. "We have a special understanding of the needs of Middle East clients ," said the hotel's Arabic consultant, Azouz Mazrouki.