A historic transformation by the Oetker Collection creates Geneva’s first all-suite five-star hotel designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon, with restaurants by Michelin-Starred L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and vegetable-driven Le Jardinier by Alain Verzeroli as well as a spa by Maison Guerlain.

The historic Woodward hotel in Geneva, built in 1901

The Oetker Collection announces the opening of The Woodward, a new hotel in the heart of Geneva. Owned by Bastion Holdings, the hotel sits directly on the shores of Lake Geneva, offering panoramic views of Mont Blanc. Originally built in 1901 by French architect François Durel, in a post-Haussmann style, the palace hotel is located on Quai Wilson after having been completely transformed and carefully reimagined by world-renowned architect Pierre-Yves Rochon.

The Woodward, Geneva, in its new avatar

Beyond The Woodward’s historic façade, guests will find classic-meets-contemporary interiors, providing a stylish city sanctuary with spectacular lake and mountain views. Each of the 26 suites have been carefully curated to possess their own distinct character and individual design details with signature flourishes, including marble fireplaces and bookcases.

The chic dining area in one of the newly renovated suites at The Woodward

Twenty-one of the suites have a full lake view. The jewels in the crown are the Presidential Suite, designed in elegant ivory tones and offering panoramic lake views from every room with a private dining room and loggia, and the Royal Suite, reached by private lift, and designed to resemble a chic Parisian apartment.

Le Jardinier, NY food

World-class dining experiences will be provided by L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Le Jardinier, both recipients of Michelin stars for their New York outposts which are owned and operated by Bastion Group. After seven years as Executive Chef of L’Atelier in Taipei (one star), Chef Olivier Jean will be at the helm of the kitchens at The Woodward. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon will feature the legendary chef’s open kitchen concept, creating a theatrical dining experience for 36 guests seated around the counter, as well as two dining rooms that can be privatized. Le Jardinier, a play on the French word for ‘gardener’, by Michelin-starred chef Alain Verzeroli, will be the restaurant’s first foray into Europe following the success of its outposts in New York and Miami.

A bedroom in one of the newly renovated suites

Rooted in classic French techniques, Chef Verzeroli, who has maintained for 11 consecutive years seven stars in the Michelin guide for Joël Robuchon's three restaurants in Tokyo, is renowned for creating innovative dishes where vegetables play a starring role, many of which are vegan, and dairy and gluten-free. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the concept of embracing nature will be reflected in the dining experience with the restaurant housed within two glass-walled verandas overlooking the lake. Upping the ante on Geneva’s culinary scene, both restaurants will have a focus on using local produce and suppliers, including the high artisanal quality, Geneva-based Stettler chocolate and Geneva pastry institution Castrischer. With this in mind, the desserts will all be signed by Salvatore Martone, Robuchon disciple and Corporate Pastry Chef of Bastion Group. The Woodward will also offer two bars and a tea room, as well as a private digestif lounge, which takes the buildings history as a bank into the modern-day through the transformation of a former vault.

Another view of the living room in the suite, with a marble fireplace

In keeping with Oetker Collection’s commitment to wellbeing, the hotel’s 1,200 square metre spa will include a Wellness Institute by Maison Guerlain and a 21-metre indoor swimming pool – the longest in Geneva. There will be a state-of-the-art gym, two saunas, two steam-rooms, two Swedish baths and a jacuzzi. Guests will be able to enjoy exclusive treatments by Guerlain across six wellness suites, including one for couples and a corner dedicated to men.