Many associate Geneva more with international relations than leisure travel, but I always have a wonderful time in this stylish yet understated Swiss city. Geneva isn’t just for diplomats. It has a charming historic center of steep cobbled streets, and it’s justly famous for haute horlogerie and master chocolatiers. Plus, all the kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers parading through has resulted in the construction of palatial hotels to host them. Most of Geneva’s best hostelries take advantage of the scenic grandeur of its lakeside setting, where the emblematic Jet d’Eau, a fountain whose spray soars 460 feet above the water, provides a towering focal point.

On my last visit, I stayed amid the sidewalk cafés, art galleries and antiquarian bookshops of the Old Town, forgoing a panoramic view. This time, I was eager to find out how Geneva’s newest grand hotel on the water, Auberge Collection’s The Woodward, compared with our two top-rated lakeside hotels, the Beau-Rivage and the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues.

The Woodward, Auberge Collection

Formerly managed by the estimable Oetker Hotels Group, The Woodward commands attention with its 1901 Belle Epoque façade, defined by Haussmannian proportions and intricate wrought-iron balconies. Designer Pierre-Yves Rochon crafted appropriately sumptuous interiors: The lobby-lounge showcases a stormy ceiling fresco, backlit bookshelves displaying museum-quality objets d’art and seats arranged to highlight gorgeous lake views. Yet the décor managed to feel warm and welcoming rather than imposingly formal, as did the service. It seemed as though I’d stepped into a good friend’s mansion.