I am reviewing this as a restaurant not as a hotel. We visited it in summer. The outside dinning…read morearea is situated right by the lake, so you have a lovely view to enjoy while you eat. The food was good & I thought well priced for the quality. We paid about 85EUR for dinner for two including a bottle of wine. For dinning I definitely recommend this place.

Hotel Review: L'Imperial Palace, Annecy By one who knows of…read morewhat he speaks Rising like a grand dame at the water's edge, the Hôtel Impérial Palace presides over Lake Annecy with a majesty born of another era. Behind it, the French Alps stand in silent, snow-capped reverence. The canopy of blue sky and glacial peaks frames a scene so cinematic it seems conjured by the dreams of poets and painters. Within, the facility is the pinnacle of 21st-century refinement--sleek, serene, and state-of-the-art. The rooms whisper luxury, the views beg you to linger, and the Alpine air itself feels restorative. And yet, as every seasoned traveler knows: a palace is only as noble as its stewards. And here, alas, lies the breach. I say this not as a dilettante of destinations, but as one who once stood behind the desk, donned the black tie, polished the silver, and glided through dining rooms on aching feet, determined to make guests feel not merely served--but seen. Today, such grace is in retreat. The front desk, that sacred threshold of welcome, now offers little more than perfunctory glances and programmed politeness. A smile is rare. A moment of genuine warmth, rarer still. Servers gather like birds on a wire, chirping to each other while guests--many just off planes, trains, or weary roads--await that first gesture of care. Drinks arrive, but not the cocktail napkin. Ask, and you're given a cloth dinner napkin at the bar--then later, a paper one with dinner. It's not the inconsistency that grates; it's the absence of intention. The dining service, though kind in spirit, lacks the choreography of true hospitality. Plates are stacked and swept like a late-night diner in Amarillo, not a lakeside palace in the Haute-Savoie. The staff is present, but not poised; attentive, but not artful. One feels processed, not pampered. What is missing is not competence--it is conviction. Gone is the sense that service is theater, that the guest is sovereign, that dinner by the lake is a memory in the making. The invisible ballet of old--where a server appeared just when needed and vanished just before noticed--has given way to hurried footsteps and absent eyes. And that, perhaps, is the quiet tragedy of our time. Still, the place is beautiful. Still, the setting is sublime. But until the staff embraces their role not as employees but as dreammakers, L'Imperial will remain a palace without a court. A jewel with its light dimmed.

Beautiful hotel on lake Annecy. A short and very pleasant walk to Annecy. Incredible spa…read more Despite its some major issues, I would stay here again. The spa is absolutely worth visiting. My wife and I visited a lot of spas on our honeymoon, but this was by far the best. Excellent massage and incredibly well maintained gamma and pool area. They limit the amount of people in the spa area by reservation to keep the experience pleasant and clean, so make sure you make a reservation. Staff at the spa are outstanding and highly professional. The grounds and location are beautiful. A truly magnificent building with stunning views of lake Annecy. Unfortunately, the interior is not very pleasant. A lot of the windows looking out from the dining area unnecessarily have obscured views. And there are some horrible interior design choices. The anemic, all white, lobby with a casino on its side transports you from the beautiful exterior to a soulless, congested environment. The zebra patterned hallways whose lights are kept off (they turn on from sensors that activate when you are already well into the darkness) is unpleasant. This place needs a renovation. There are also significant staffing and management issues. At breakfast we ate from the buffet, which was very good, but we wanted to order something in addition to the buffet, so we repeatedly asked for a server to take our order, and despite being told one would come, one never came. After over half an hour of waiting, we left. I asked the concierge, who it turns out is also the valet, if we needed a reservation to ride the pedal boats from vendors around the lake later that afternoon, and he was adamant that I would not and that they do not accept reservations, but as it turned out the vendors all booked out by the time we got there (and we would have gotten a reservation had we made one that morning), so we did not get to experience this seemingly-awesome experience during our trip. And when we checked out at about 8/9am we were told that the valet was not working that morning, so despite leaving our car with the valet, the front desk gave us our keys and told us to get our cars ourselves. For a hotel that carries, prices, and markets itself as a luxurious stay, these defects are all unacceptable. Finally, beware the fraudulent and criminal activity of someone within the hotel staff. We booked via Expedia. After making our reservation the hotel contacted us through their official Expedia account providing a URL to a sketchy website that they wanted me to input my information into to pay for my hotel stay. But we had already prepaid. I notified Expedia and they told me that this was a scam and to disregard it. But the "scam" came from the hotel's official Expedia page. When I messaged the hotel to let them know that whoever is operating the hotel is conducting what Expedia's fraud team called a "scam" they disregarded my message. That's a problem! All in all, I would stay here again, but only because of its incredible location and staff.

I went with three friends the other day and we were blown away. The service was fantastic and the…read morefood and wine were excellent. I recommend the duck in crispy pastry. We sat for hours and had an aperitif in the lounge afterwards. Very friendly chef and hostess who patiently answered all our questions and showed us a lovely evening.

From the owner: Quiétude et Saveurs régionales Abrité par un charmant hameau, au sein du Parc des Beauges, l'Hôtel…read moreRestaurant Le Gay Séjour , vous convie autour d'une table de caractère, dans un décor chaleureux. Un cadre, aux airs de maison de famille élégante : rideaux orangés, jolies baies vitrées et nappages blanc soutiennent une cuisine qui se veut du terroir, déclinée selon l'humeur des produits du pays. Les convives hument la cuisine savoureuse proposée, tout en se délectant de la vue offerte en terrasse sur les alpages. A tester : les spécialités régionales du chef comme "La Truite de Savoie" ou "Les Médaillons de Boeuf". Prenez de l'altitude.

A stunning little family run hotel between Lake Annecy and Albertville... so great for a stop-over…read moreon the way to or from the Alps. The rooms are all ensuite, basic but comfortable and clean - the hotel is in a very quiet location with views of the Alps. The restaurant is the reason to stay here... great food at sensible prices with lovely calm service... France as it used to be! Now stayed here three times and will be going back this winter.

The 1903 Bistro of Auberge du Pere Bise is quite a special experience in one of the most pristine…read moresettings one can imagine. If anyone is near Annecy, this is a must see and experience kind of place. The drive to Talloires unfolds the unique and aesthetically pleasing treat one will experience on the palate and via the olfactory senses. This is a mini empire of cuisine excellence. There are two restaurants co-located, the 1903 Bistro and the actual Auberge du Pere Bise restaurant under the young Chef Jean Sulpice, both rated two stars by Michelin. There is also a bakery located at the premises and one's appetite will be thoroughly whetted with pastry chefs walking between the restaurants and bakery as you approach and enter. You will understand this is a high end affair with well heeled and attired understated folks exiting their vehicles for valet parking. The nearby pristine Lac du Annecy and surrounding mountains along with the picturesque village of Talloires complete this picture meeting your eyes before you take a step into this calm 1903 Bistro. This was my second visit to Talloires and this time I was treating my family friends to lunch for spoiling me in the Spring of this year and so often over the decades. We had a reservation and they seated us at a large round table along the curvilinear windows that look out to the curvature of Talloires along the lake and the lake itself toward the opposite shore and mountains beyond. Oh yes, this is a special experience! My appetizer was a crudite not made of vegetables, but of a long toasted bread stick for dipping in a rich and creamy seafood type sauce. Then came my entree consisting of a local fish from the Lac du Annecy called a Fera, related to salmon and trout, on a bed of vegetables with a creamy sauce spooned over the fish by the ever attentive and refined waiter appropriate for such a place. I chose a Rose from the Provence that was fruity, floral and fragrant. I believe we consumed two bottles of that elegant Rose, which paired well with everyone's selections as well as this magnificent dessert made of grapefruit meringue and sorbet. What a cap to the experience, but wait, there's more. They complimented the table with praline tartlets that sent us into orbit and let me go home with two. That bakery is no joke! You will pay for this experience at around a hundred dollars per person, but you will never forget the experience, which does not have to end upon payment. All credit cards are accepted here, particularly if you experienced many places in France not accepting Amex. You can stroll outside and enjoy a cigar waterside, which the family indulged me as I sipped on cognac and enjoyed a Siglo VI. You can stroll around the lake if you please, which I have done. If there is any shortcoming, it is the somewhat sparse servings that often come at this price point. You leave satisfied and satiated, but your appetite will soon resurrect itself. Four and a half beautifully experienced stars!

Absolutely stellar in every way. The 1903 bistro is exactly the same high 2 star Guide Michelin…read morequality as the smaller restaurant on the premises. Service is commensurate with the excellent quality of food, wine list, and experience. Do not miss this restaurant and hotel in Talloires!

This is a fantastic restaurant with consistently delicious food at reasonable prices. The service…read moreis friendly and accommodating and they offer a great range of dishes, which are presented beautifully. The quality of the fish and meat that they use is superb and they offer a choice of vegetarian dishes, which is very unusual in France, and can adapt any meal if necessary. The wine selection is good and the deserts are typically French. Children are welcome and you can eat either inside in a wooden-floored restaurant with large windows, or outside on the balcony overlooking the beautiful Talloires bay. The grounds below have a grass plage running down to the stunning lake Annecy and wonderful mountains in the background. There are also lots of mature trees that provide welcome shade in the summer. We love this place and it has remained consistently good in all the years we have eaten there.