Inside The Most Luxurious Riverfront Retreat On The Rhine: Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois

Shimmering water vistas, enchanting emerald hills—summer in Switzerland is always a good idea. But Basel’s Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois, the lauded riverfront retreat dating back to 1681, is a bucket list must. From eye-popping Swiss scenery to its storied past and ultra-lavish suites, this 101-room Belle Epoque beaut delivers the royal treatment (even if you’re not Napoléon Bonaparte, one of its earliest esteemed guests). Here’s why you need to visit this ultra-glamorous getaway ASAP.

Right on the Rhine! The hotel’s primo locale fronting the Rhine is the ideal warm-weather spot to savor Basel’s stunning azure waters. Straight out the property’s backdoors, you can take picturesque strolls across pedestrian bridges while saxophonists play. Or wander Old Town with its charming cafes and quaint boutiques housed in old-world abodes straight out of a Swiss fairytale. Or hop a ferry and soak up the city’s laid-back vibe as locals swim by along the Rhine’s banks. When you need a respite, the hotel’s riverside terrace is a fave for the well-heeled, where faceplant-worthy international cuisine is served alongside splendorous vistas.

If these ornate walls could talk… From the Dalai Lama to Napoléon Bonaparte, Pablo Picasso to European royalty, the world’s most noteworthy have graced this centuries-old grand hotel, built on the site of a mediaeval inn. And you can feel its storied past echoing from its magnificent chandelier-clad lobby to every golden-crowned marble column, frescoed-ceiling, and regal furnishing. Grab an evening cocktail at the hotel’s bar where a pianist plays classical, lights reflect off the river through red-velvet-draped windows—and you can savor the buzz of yesteryear.

Rooms Reign Supreme. Old world opulence mixes with modern touches (hello, Bang and Olufsen TVs!) in crazy plush rooms—like the Napoleon Suite—dressed in period velvet fabrics, antiqued mirrors, gilded oil paintings, wedding-cake plastered ceilings, dark-wood furnishings, intricate parquet floors, modern marble baths, and beyond sumptuous beds. Not to mention a river-fronting balcony boasting breathtaking Rhine vistas.

Or for the ultimate royal experience, snag the jaw-dropping Rooftop Suite with a private, outdoor jacuzzi perched above heart-stopping Basel city views.

And since the borders of Germany, France, and Switzerland intersect in Basel, you couldn’t be in a more idyllic base to explore beyond. Hop on Trainline to easily plan all your getaways in one app—be it sight-seeing the Swiss Alps from Lucerne, ogling Bern’s noteworthy museums, strolling Zurich’s charming cobbled alleys, hiking Germany’s Black Forest, or experiencing France’s fairytale village of Colmar.