The Hôtel Royal, Évian-les-Bains

In short… A grand Belle Époque hotel perched above Lac Leman—or Lake Geneva, if you prefer English—on the French side of the Alps, with something for everyone, including families traveling with children.

The surroundings… Évian-les-Bains lines the southern, French shore of Lake Geneva in the Haute-Savoie region, just over an hour by car from Geneva’s airport or 35 minutes by boat from Lausanne, Switzerland. The hotel itself sits above the town on 47 acres of private grounds studded with mature trees and manicured gardens, with the Alps rising directly behind it. These are the same peaks pictured on every bottle of the famous Evian mineral water—the spring runs directly beneath the property, making its 15-year journey from Alpine snow to the Cachat Spring in town, where visitors can drink the famed water directly from the tap for free (I’m more of a San Pellegrino fan, but I appreciated the experience nonetheless).

The backstory… The palatial Hôtel Royal has anchored the lakeside town since 1909, when it was built by the Evian company to house the European elite traveling to Évian to “take the waters.” It was named in honor of King Edward VII of England, who promised to be among its first guests. He died a year later without ever visiting, but there were plenty of royals—both literal and figurative—to follow, including Queen Elizabeth II, Greta Garbo, and Edith Piaf, among others. The hotel hosted the G8 summit in 2003 and will welcome world leaders again this June as the venue for the G7 summit. After a sweeping renovation in 2015, it was awarded the French government’s “Palace” distinction—the highest rating for luxury hotels in the country. Today, the glamour coexists with something more familial—many guests are multigenerational regulars who return each year (maybe we’ll join them!) but the sense of history and grandeur remain.

The vibe… If it were up to me, every vacation would be spent in France, wandering old villages, sipping Bordeaux and savoring each bite of cheese. The last thing I want to do is schlep across the Atlantic with my kids only to wind up at a generic resort teeming with fellow American tourists and a noisy pool. Alas, my children are at an age where they want to be entertained. Finding that balance—genuine European sophistication for the parents and fun for the kids—is a tall order. Hôtel Royal manages to strike that balance with an effortlessness that makes it all the more impressive. The atmosphere is sophisticated and international yet friendly—over our seven-night stay, we made fast friends with fellow guests from across Europe, all of whom were happy to practice their English with us over dinner or during a friendly game of padel.

The rooms… The rooms feature oak paneling, marble, and warm blue and yellow hues throughout. We stayed in a large family suite with a living room couch that morphed into twin bunk beds at night—a first for me! The space was thoughtfully designed, luxurious, and very livable for a young family—multiple balconies for morning coffee (or drying swimsuits), a large bathroom and walk-in closet, and a separate powder room by the entry.

The food and drink… The daily breakfast buffet, served indoors or on the terrace overlooking the lawn, is a proper French spread—pastries, meats, cheeses, fruit, and crepes and eggs cooked to order. Lunch and dinner are offered at several different restaurants throughout the property—all very good—and Le Bar is a chic spot for an aperitif in all weather (you can’t miss the stunning rain chandelier above the bar by interior designer François Champsaur). The best dining experience was watching the sun set over the lake from the terrace at Michelin starred Les Fresques, where Chef Patrice Vander sources his ingredients from the property’s gardens and local suppliers. The service was friendly, the food outstanding, and the quiet indulgence of a two-hour dinner without small children felt like its own kind of luxury.

The wellness… Hôtel Royal had been on my husband’s radar for years thanks to its Evian Resort Golf Course, known for hosting a major women’s international tournament every year. As a non-golfer and tired mom, I was more excited for the spa. The newly revamped 18,000-square-foot facility was designed to reflect the life cycle of Evian’s mineral water. I didn’t book any treatments, but spent plenty of time in the outdoor hydro circuit—a heated soaking pool with various jet stations surrounded by trees. Kids are welcome in parts of the spa at certain hours—mine were in complete awe of the snow room, where actual snow falls from the ceiling into a large pile.

Is it kid friendly? Very. The kids’ club ran from 9am to 4pm, and again from 7 to 10pm, when children were collected in the lobby for special evening programming tailored to their age group—think bowling, laser tag, and themed nights that had my boys racing downstairs each evening. The highly professional, multilingual staff allowed me to fully relax knowing they were in good hands. One caveat for families with picky eaters: the food at the kids’ club is decidedly French—think mushrooms on the pizza—and was a new learning experience for my “pasta with butter” children. Outside of the kids’ club, there was plenty to do as a family. We rode bikes around the hotel grounds, played tennis and padel, and swam in the infinity pool overlooking the lake. Downtown there’s mini golf, paddle boats for rent, and diving boards where locals jump into the water. The hotel’s Sports and Culture concierge pointed us toward scenic hikes and day trips—we made it to Yvoire, Chamonix, and Lake Annecy—and wish we’d had time for the Swiss side.

Be sure to… Stop at Comptoir du Léman, a small wine and cheese shop with an enviable selection of French jams, local products and snacks to enjoy on your hotel room balcony or smuggle home in your suitcase. The owner was kind enough to charge my husband’s phone after it died during a supplies run one afternoon—not a bad place to be stuck for a bit!

Parting words… The highlight of our stay fell on the national holiday L’Assomption. At 10pm, a crowd of happily exhausted children streamed back from the kids’ club and joined their parents on the terrace and lawn. The scene was pure magic: children chasing each other across the grass, parents lingering over aperitifs, and then—fireworks erupting over the lake, perfectly synchronized to an orchestral score. Afterward, guests started dancing to a live band—French children stay up late in summer—while my kids fell asleep on my lap. It was the kind of moment that crystallizes a trip in memory. And it captured exactly what Hôtel Royal does so well: a place where the children are so thoroughly entertained that they never want to leave, and where the parents are so thoroughly charmed that they don’t, either.

Date of stay… August 12-19, 2025