Fodor's Expert Review Hôtel Angleterre & Résidence

Occupying four graceful 18th- and 19th-century villas and a historic hotel near the waterfront, this small complex has been modernized without ruffling its gentility or disturbing its graceful stone arches, marble floors, or discreet gardens. It's the best of both worlds: small-hotel attentiveness plus access to the facilities of the grand Beau-Rivage Palace next door. The hotel, where Lord Byron penned "The Prisoner of Chillon," anchors the compound. A private courtyard with glass pavilion receives guests and dispenses them to quarters furnished in styles ranging from contemporary historical to garden-party floral. A meal taken on the terrace of L'Accademia, the quay-facing Italian bistro, provides a glimpse of the lakefront lifestyle.