Intercontinental Geneva, Switzerland

For my birthday this year (back in late June...I've got some catching up to do!), we flew to Geneva for a short but sweet weekend away. Having visited once a few years ago, I was looking forward to returning to a country I only remembered positively.

Our hotel of choice: the Intercontinental Geneva.

With a beautiful, grand entrance, high ceilings and sweeping staircases, it makes a great first impression. Our room had quite the view, too:

The hotel is located a five minute walk from the nearest tram, which will take you into town in another five to ten minutes. If the weather allows, it's not too long a walk either at about half an hour. Plus you'll have a chance to stop and admire the UN square on your way.

The bar at the Intercontinental serves expertly-made drinks with giant olives and almonds to accompany your tipple, and has a very relaxed, masculine, Mad Men kind of vibe.

The pool is easy on the eye and the staff are extremely polite and attentive - each one greeted us as we passed by or bid us a pleasant day as we left.

But the best part of all has to be Sunday brunch. An all-you-can-eat buffet brunch at 85CHF per person (including soft drinks) from midday to 3pm, they serve everything from fresh lobster to mini hamburgers to duck breast, and the desserts - oh my the desserts - will leave you wishing you had room in your stomach for more. The ideal brunch spot for beautiful summer afternoons, the restaurant is set in a gorgeous garden oasis, complete with sweet little sparrows flitting around like a scene out of Snow White.

Favourite feature?

The brunch, definitely! Also, being gifted a box of chocolates for my birthday upon checkout was a nice touch.

Anything that could be improved upon?

The concierge recommended a restaurant that turned out to be quite the tourist trap with below average reviews online. Good thing we checked before we took his advice! Perhaps do your own research instead of relying on them for tips.