Winter in Lausanne is like a snowfall on a summer day: unexpected, exciting, and very fleeting. Winter is here; sometimes you recognize it in the morning by the frost on the flowerbeds or the thin ice on an occasional puddle in the street, by the colorful lights left in the shopfronts after the holidays and by the Christmas lamps still standing in the windows… yet at the same time, it is not here. The same languid couples saunter along the quay of L man, and a piano accordion drifts through the pink and lavender evening light.
The cold air of the last winter months smells sharply of recent holidays and of the sweet regret of their passing.
The old city, wearing the warm aroma of chocolate and of mulled wine like a cozy scarf, goes on according to its restless habits, but the streets leading to the quay of Ouchy dissipate restlessness and agitation with every step as you stroll along. And when you come down to Leman, you think about rest for your soul and body rather than about your daily routine, and a feeling of childhood ease becomes almost palpable.
What was it we all wanted in winter when we were children? What enticed us in the lights and the clinking of metal of a skating rink? Our envy of those who could dance complicated patterns on the ice? The costumes of the skaters? The inimitable and memorable smell of ice?
If you truly want to feel all of this again, the Beau-Rivage Palace is exactly the place where this reverie from the past might become reality. The main social venue for the winter is the skating rink, traditionally set up in front of the hotel. Exquisite yet cozy, it attracts children and adults alike. For those who want just to sit nearby without dancing on ice, there is a special chalet where you can enjoy a glass of mulled wine while watching your children skate.
The Beau-Rivage Palace is known for the special care it provides for its youngest guests. The little fox Bori (the hotel’s mascot) has prepared many fun games, master-classes, and activities for the winter holidays and beyond.
For example, you can ski for a whole day with a personal instructor in one of the neighboring regions such as Gstaad, Villars or Les Portes du Soleil from mid-December 2015 until mid-April 2016. To feel the Alpine slope’s steepness and the breath of Alpine winter, the price is 1250 CHF for 2 people.
This «5–star skiing» program is designed for three nights and includes full breakfast or continental breakfast in your room, a complimentary glass of champagne upon arrival, a 50-minute après-ski massage for everyone, and free access to the Cinq Mondes Spa and fitness center. Moreover, every guest will receive a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife as a gift.
In addition to the special offers available for the holidays, our guests may visit one of the wine tasting events with Thibault Panas, chief sommelier from the hotel, or a master-class on cocktail mixing.
If you are not a fan of skiing and apres-ski, we have a tempting alternative for you. If you are head-over-heels from all the emotions and impressions racing through your mind, you can top it all with this: from January 23rd to February 1st, 2016, the Beau-Rivage Palace, together with Parmigiani, a watch manufacturer, invites you on a flight through the skies, a unique opportunity to go for a voyage in a hot-air balloon. The offer includes one night in a double room, a bottle of Champagne (in the room), full breakfast or continental breakfast in the room, free access to the Cinq Mondes Spa and fitness center, a public transport map of Lausanne, one flight in a hot-air balloon over Chateau d’Oex, and lunch after the flight in a tent specially set up for this purpose, plus a special gift from Parmigiani. The program costs CHF 1440.00.
At night, when the children are already in their beds, the Beau-Rivage Palace welcomes its guests to a Cocktail Voyage to London, where the gin in the special English drink will be a key ingredient of cocktails and appetizers elegantly styled a la London and Buckingham Palace.
Day after day of this warm, almost imperceptible winter in Lausanne… the rhythmic sound of waves on the shore, the subtle smell of roasted chestnuts from street braziers, the taste of mulled wine and hot chocolate. The rustle of wrappers from late presents for the holidays, and the quiet joy of dreams coming true. The smell of cold air and ice on the skating rink.
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