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Hotel Bellevue Palace Bern
Bern, Switzerland · Independent · Grand Luxury
Owned by the Swiss Confederation since 1994 and the official state guesthouse for visiting heads of state, the 1913 Bellevue Palace sits immediately beside the Federal Parliament in Bern, during World War II its bar became a clandestine meeting point for both Allied and Axis diplomats, frequented by OSS station chief Allen Dulles.
- 130 rooms
- Opened 1865
- Neighborhood: Altstadt
- Architect: Paul Lindt and Max Hoffmann
About Hotel Bellevue Palace Bern
- American spymaster Allen Dulles used the hotel as an intelligence haunt during the Second World War, while it doubled as a filming location for Le Carre's Smiley's People.
- Owned by the Swiss Confederation as the government's state guesthouse, it has hosted Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Charlie Chaplin, and Sophia Loren.
- Architect Paul Lindt died in a car accident in June 1913 near Offenburg, just months before his neoclassical Bellevue Palace opened on November 27, 1913.
History
A first Hotel Bellevue opened in Bern in 1865, but the grand hotel seen today was rebuilt after the original was torn down in 1911. Designed by the architects Paul Lindt and Max Hoffmann in a neoclassical reform style over a then-avant-garde reinforced-concrete skeleton, the new Bellevue Palace opened on 27 November 1913, modelled in part on Berlin's Hotel Adlon and home to the first American Bar in Switzerland.
Owned by the Swiss Confederation and long used as the government's state guesthouse, the Bellevue Palace has hosted figures from Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela to Charlie Chaplin and Sophia Loren, and served as an intelligence haunt for the American spymaster Allen Dulles during the Second World War. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World since 1973, it offers 130 rooms and is now operated by Michel Reybier Hospitality.
The setting
6-minute walk to Gothic Bern Minster cathedral.
Restaurants and bars
- BRASSERIE VUE — Restaurant
- NOUMI BAR & GRILL — Bar
Experiences
- Teambuilding oder Incentive (indoor oder outdoor) — Indoor or outdoor teambuilding or incentive activities arranged with professional partners; tailored offers on request.
- Kitchen Party mit dem Küchenchef — Kitchen party with the hotel's executive chef, offered as a group activity.
- Helikopterflüge — Helicopter flights offered as a group activity through professional partners.
- Aussergewöhnliche Stadtrundgänge — Unusual city walks offered as a group activity through professional partners.
Amenities
- Spa
- Sauna
- Fitness center
- Cigar lounge
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- MICHELIN Two Keys (2026)
Open Hotel Bellevue Palace Bern in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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