Admiral

“Roxanne, you don’t have to put on the red light tonight”—but your neighbors surely will. Aye, the Admiral Hotel is a business-minded three-star property that happens to reside on a street swimming with streetwalkers, day and night. But if you can overlook that fact, this 25-room establishment has a lot to offer—namely hospitality, impeccable cleanliness and a large breakfast buffet.

Most rooms are short on space, many with beds pushed to a corner. The furniture is uninspiring, chain-hotel style at best, with dated headboards and dark duvets. Amenities are on the scarce side, too, but rooms do come equipped with coffee and tea facilities and free Wi-Fi. Thick windows do a good job of blocking the noise from outside—a must, given the location.

The tiled bathrooms, equipped with showers, are crammed but spotless.

Downstairs, the Admiral’s lobby/breakfast room is small but smart, with cherry red furniture and fragrant calla lilies. (Apparently a stylish lobby and mediocre hotel rooms somehow go togethe) The included breakfast here, which the management calls “American style,” gets rave reviews for a good reason: The daily offering includes a generous spread of pastries, hams and salmon.

The Admiral’s hands-on management runs a tight ship of courteous staffers. And despite the ladies of the night (and day) outside, friendly details like fresh flowers and a generous breakfast set the Admiral apart from the other mid-range hotels in Geneva.

In addition to free Wi-Fi, the hotel offers a free Internet station.