4 Best Hotels in Neuchatel, Fribourg and Neuchâtel

Unique in Europe, this one-level hotel is partly built on piles on Lac de Neuchâtel, giving it unbeatable clear-day views that include the distant Alps. Located 3 km (1½ miles) from Neuchâtel's city center in outlying Monruz, this design-centric complex has 40 "pavillions," some on the shore and some over water. A wide array of room amenities even include a ladder from which occupants can descend into the lake for a swim. Many consider the hotel's restaurant, La Table de Palafitte, to be one of the best in the area. Terrace dining is spectacular here.

This thoroughly elegant, gracefully restored 19th-century hotel has a perfect perch on the lakeshore; on a clear day there's a splendid view of the Alps. The warmly lighted interior, with high ceilings and wild-cherry wood, exudes calm. Two-thirds of the spacious guest rooms have lake views, and the generous bathrooms are decked out in white marble. The sophisticated restaurant, O'terroirs, offers some of the best dining in town and a fine selection of wines, also on tap in the comfortingly low-key Véranda Bar. The B-Spa and gym complete the deluxe hotel experience.

In the pedestrian zone at the foot of the château, this delightful, entirely environmentally friendly hotel offers light, modern, spacious guest rooms with warm color schemes inspired by the spices for which they are named. Cheaper rooms are a bargain but share a bath (they have their own sinks in the room). The café and terrace offer inexpensive but good organic fare, much of which comes from their nearby farm in Montezillon.

This modest 19th-century hotel across from the train station overlooks tile rooftops, the sparkling lake, and white-capped Alps. The hotel's main building has preserved its original parquet floors and stone steps, while the annex boasts 16 new rooms that feature works by local artists. Along the pale yellow corridors, fresh flowers hide in niches in this sunny hotel. A lovely park surrounds the terrace.