Hotel Palafitte is an architectural masterpiece that offers an uncommon experience — most of its bright, light-filled private suites, known as pavilions, stand on stilts in Lake Neuchâtel, affording stunning views of the Alps, the water below, and beyond. Ambiance is everything. This unique boutique hotel is warm and inviting any time of the year, surrounded by blue water, picturesque mountains, and glorious silence for tranquility in a spectacular location.
Just 20 minutes from the Swiss capital, Bern, Hotel Palafitte gives you easy access to the region’s attractions. As a guest here, you are also entitled to complimentary public transport in the charming town of Neuchâtel, home to Swiss watch specialty shops, a medieval old town, and several wineries for tours and wine tastings.
Hotel Palafitte features 24 contemporary Lake Pavilions and 14 Shore Pavilions spanning 732 sq ft with hardwood floors, spacious private terraces, flat-screen TVs, Nespresso machines, and Jacuzzis. The Lake Pavilions offer majestic views of the lake and the Swiss Alps and a ladder down directly into the water. Each light-filled room also has an office corner and a gorgeous bathroom with a standalone bathtub and Molton Brown toiletries.
The attentive, relaxed service here is equally alluring. The friendly staff can help arrange tours or water sports rentals, and the hotel provides beach towels in the rooms. If you are in a shore pavilion, grab your towel and walk the small path that will take you down to the lake.
The hotel’s signature restaurant is La Table de Palafitte, renowned as one of the best eateries in town. You can also dine in Le Bar and in La Terrasse and adjourn to the smoking room, with its large selection of cigars.
Dive into the lake from your private terrace, or ask the hotel to organize water skiing on the lake, or a trip on a motorboat. Try stand-up paddle boarding or fishing — the hotel staff will arrange it all for you. You can also explore the area on one of the complimentary bicycles.
Further afield, you could try hiking or a tour of the local vineyards. The Creux du Vin, the Swiss Grand Canyon, is spectacular, while the Laténium Museum, just around the corner, is the country’s largest archaeological museum. You can also take complimentary public transport in the charming town of Neuchâtel, which boasts several Swiss watch specialty shops and several wineries that offer tours and wine tastings. The Swiss capital of Bern, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is just a 20-minute drive from the hotel.
Hotel Palafitte sits in splendor over the lake at Neuchâtel, Switzerland, a charming, medieval waterfront city with an intriguing history and fascinating old town. The Swiss capital of Bern is a short drive away.
Address
Route des Gouttes-d'Or 2, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Transportation
what3words Address
Sun Aug 10 2025 03:17:52 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) by Jennifer M
Cannot recommend Palafitte enough! Added cots to a lakeside room for our 2 kids. The room was very pretty and plenty big even for the four of us, and of course the view was amazing. We swam off of the balcony and back and forth to the summer bar in the beautiful clear green water. The staff were delightful - especially August.
Sat Jun 07 2025 02:02:01 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) by _H7222LV
Watch out! My friend and I had reserved this hotel for our stay during a music festival, but the hotel just canceled our booking at the last minute when it was impossible to find anything else to book nearby. Extremely unprofessional and disappointing service.
Fri Jun 06 2025 16:33:56 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) by Reimaaa
Great view, clean and spacious rooms, quiet and quick service. I recommend. Wifi was really bad though, probably because of the very bad weather, not sure
Sun May 04 2025 05:45:12 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) by Barbara F
Wonderful welcome, great view, very friendly and attentive service, exquisite food – we’ll be back! Accueil merveilleux, vue magnifique, service très aimable et attentionné, cuisine exquise – nous reviendrons ! Wunderbarer Empfang, tolle Aussicht, sehr netter und aufmerksamer Service und exquisites Essen – wir kommen wieder
Sat Mar 22 2025 05:00:58 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) by SwizerlandRoisinDubh
Always dangerous to go back to places where you had a marvellous stay before, as expectations are set too high. It had been 3 years or so, but am I glad I listened to that little voice inside my head: we went back and enjoyed every second again. The rooms seem to have been refurbished a little and they looked even nicer than last time. It remains a unique property: beautifully located, very intimate, amazing rooms, great beds, fantastic breakfast, views to die for and simply fantastic staff: from reception to handymen. The fourlegged friends is welcome too!! The next stay will not take another 3 years!! Simply an amazing experience for people that want a unique stay!