The Hermitage Lake Lucerne is a luxury lakeside hotel with its own frontage on the water. It has 69 air-conditioned rooms, including Lake View Deluxe rooms and Wellbeing Panorama Suites, each with a desk, a safe and a minibar. The setting is the draw: a private beach, a sunbathing lawn, a garden and a rooftop terrace, with beachfront dining at the Beach Club and a second restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A gin-focused bar adds an evening option. The Wellness Corner offers massages and treatments, and there is a fitness room, a playground for children and an electric car charging station. In the warmer months, pedalos, kayaks and paddleboards are free for guests, and bicycles can be borrowed at no charge. It rates 4.5 stars and suits anyone who wants a holiday feel inside a city break.
Location and getting around
The hotel sits on the shore, a little outside the compact centre, rather than among the Old Town lanes. That is part of the appeal, because the lake is on the doorstep and the pace is slower, but it also means you should plan how you will reach the station and the Chapel Bridge.
Taxis and buses are the simplest options, the free bicycles are handy in good weather, and the hotel can arrange an airport shuttle for a fee. The KKL, Schloss Meggenhorn and the Bürgenstock area are all among the places people visit from here. Self parking is available for a fee, which helps if you are driving to the mountains.
Rooms and facilities
Lake-view rooms cost more and are the ones to ask for if the water is why you are coming, while the suites add space and a panorama. Breakfast is a buffet and is charged separately on many rates. The beach, the pedalos, the kayaks and the paddleboards are seasonal, so check what is open for your dates before you plan around them.
Dogs are accepted for a fee, children can stay in existing beds, and cots and rollaway beds are available for an extra charge. Express check-in is offered, and the premises are smoke free.
Who it suits
Couples, families who like to be by the water and travellers who want a lakeside holiday as much as a sightseeing trip. It is less convenient than the central hotels for early trains and late dinners in the Old Town, so it suits people who are happy to dine at the hotel on some evenings.
In summer the beach club is lively and the terrace is a favourite, while in the colder months the spa and the lake light are the draw. Check the seasonal facilities and the cancellation terms when you book.
Why stay here
- ✓69 air-conditioned rooms
- ✓Private beach and sunbathing lawn
- ✓Two restaurants and a gin bar
- ✓Rooftop terrace and garden
- ✓Spa and Wellness Corner
- ✓Fitness room
- ✓Free pedalos, kayaks and paddleboards in season
- ✓Free bicycle rental
Good questions
Is the Hermitage directly on the lake?+
Yes. It has its own lake frontage with a private beach, a sunbathing lawn and beachfront dining.
Are the lake activities free?+
Pedalos, kayaks and paddleboards are free for guests in the warmer months, so check what is open for your dates.
Is it walkable to the Old Town?+
It sits outside the compact centre, so most guests use taxis, buses or the free bicycles to reach the station and the Chapel Bridge.
