Nash Ville

A member of a local hotel chain, the three-star Hotel Nash Ville offers carpeted, thick-curtained rooms that scream “business hotel”—which means rates here can skyrocket during the work week. During off-season and weekends, though, you might just snag one of the hotel’s 88 plush rooms at a budget-friendly rate. Though central, this section of Paquis can seem a bit gritty to some.

Rooms are on the tighter side, but we found little fault in them. Each boasts a cushy bed, armchair, minibar, safe and satellite television with a whopping 193 channels. Rooms also have a writing desk and dresser, but frankly we didn’t find the generic furnishings particularly inspiring.

Bathrooms are also on the small side, but all have bathtubs. Their orange wooden paneling, peach tiles and flimsy curtains were unfortunate, but at least they’re clean enough. And instead of tiny bottles of spa products, wall-mounted dispensers pump out industrial strength soap. (We felt that such carelessness undermines the upscale image the hotel strives to convey.)

Downstairs, the Nash Ville’s huge airy lobby, outfitted with wooden panels and gold-colored railings, contrasts starkly with the somber, carpeted hallways. This is a business hotel all the way, with the requisite business extras like parking, Wi-Fi and breakfast, all a bit too expensive for our tastes. Décor in the common areas is decidedly ‘80s—which we hear is so in right now anyway. (Bring shoulder pads if you want to summon your inner Alexis Carrington.)

Full disclosure: There’s good Paquis and there’s bad Paquis. Every Genevois ends up in this central district for its bars, restaurants and ethnic stores, but some streets have more streetwalkers than others. The Hotel Nash Ville, we’re afraid, has many “ladies of the night” patrolling its vicinity. (On the flipside, you’ll never walk home alone...)

That said, the hotel is a perfectly decent place to stay (unless, perhaps, you’re with impressionable young ‘uns who might ask uncomfortable questions about fishnets). It’s convenient, somewhat cushy and affordable—as long as you never pay the full price.