Hotel Beau-Rivage is the oldest hotel in Geneva, operating since 1865 on Ouchy’s attractive tree-lined waterfront and still managed by the fifth generation of the founding Mayer family. Its star-studded guest list has included such luminaries as Sarah Berhnardt, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and, more recently, Sting and Catherine Deneuve. The hotel has an illustrious, sometimes-violent, history: Empress Elisabeth of Austria was stabbed near here in 1898 by anarchist Luigi Lucheni, and Czechoslovakia was signed into being here in 1918. A member of the Leading Hotels of the World, the Beau-Rivage provides its guests with 21st-century amenities and impeccable service, while retaining a unique atmosphere that's evident from the moment you step into the elegant five-story open lobby or the suites, with their wood panelling and Italian frescoes. There's a certain air of decadence here—it feels a bit like staying in a stately home. The rooms are all beautifully decorated with opulent fabrics and antique furnishings. The hotel's restaurant, Le Chat-Botté, counts among the top eateries in town.