Hotels in Other Swiss Cities

Good modern hotel on the lake with average restaurant. Very pleasant, raised outdoor terrace optimizes lakeside location and view. A three-star hotel with some four-star amenities. Some air-conditioned rooms. We especially like Numbers 502 and 412. Best Western (800-538-1234) quoted 185 Sfr. ($164) for a "standard" twin-bedded room in July. Their quote for a lakefront twin was 200 Sfr. ($176). A call direct to the hotel yielded July prices ranging from 163 Sfr. ($144) to 210 Sfr. ($186).

A recounting of our simple dinner in the hotel's pleasant Restaurant Le Pavois is a good indication what the dollar buys these days in Switzerland. After our bacchanal at L'Ermitage we were looking for something decidedly more downscale. The Brasserie-style Le Pavois was chosen after a brief look at the other restaurants in the town center. It seemed the most active (an empty or near-empty restaurant is a bad sign) and inviting, with a view of the harbor; high, wide windows; tile floor; recessed lighting; paneled walls; a candle on each table and cloth napkins. Entrées of èmincè de Veau Zürichoise (chopped veal in brown sauce) with Rösti, and Medallions du Porc with tagliatelli and vegetables, were satisfying enough but far from great renditions of these familiar dishes. In both, the meat was too dry. We suspect microwave or a reheat job. The mixed salad, however, with sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, corn, quartered eggs and tomatoes, topped by the "national" dressing (a creamy vinaigrette), was very good as were the tagliatelli and the carrots, turnips and zucchini served with the pork. The Rösti disappointed. Two mighty chocolate sundae, strawberry sundae-style desserts made for a strong finish. The total for two, including the desserts at 9.50 Sfr. ($8.40) apiece, but not including beverages, came to 93.5 Sfr. ($83), too much for an very ordinary meal. Three-tenths of a liter of Dôle was 9 Sfr. ($8).