Hotel Agora, Lausanne Review

We were searching for a budget hotel of a reasonable standard close to Lausanne railway station. Happily, Hotel Agora covered those two requirements.

Only a few minutes down the hill from the station, this hotel was easy to find and a welcome relief from carrying heavy bags!

The first thing that strikes you is the unusual décor. Lots of stainless steel and very 1970s; this one is not your costly Swiss hotel. If that is what you want, then avoid the Hotel Agora.

On arrival inside, the reception staff were most helpful and explained what to see and do. As is usual in Lausanne, we were provided with a complimentary transport card which allows you to use the buses, trams and ferries, free of charge.

One great advantage for the Hotel Agora is its location. A few minutes walk away is the metro station and, if you go downhill, that takes you to Ouchy and the lake. Go up the hill and you reach the Old City in a few minutes.

Ouchy is a pleasant place to walk around and has a lot of restaurants and cafés. The Old City is where all the shopping and historical sights are. The other place to reach is the Olympic Museum, and a combination of the metro and bus will take you there, or go to Ouchy and walk along the lake’s edge.

The Hotel Agora is rated as 4-star, but we were not too sure why. The facilities were limited and basically consisted of a reception area, attached restaurants and rooms above. There are 82 rooms, all having a wide screen television. The rooms was well presented and the beds comfortable enough. There was also free Wi-Fi, which worked fine in the room.

Breakfast was a simple buffet with the normal bread, cheese, fruit juices, cereals and eggs; all very acceptable. Swiss breakfasts do not vary much and most hotels seems to offer very much the same, so this is rarely a point of difference.

Overall, the Hotel Agora is a basic hotel that you would choose where good value is important. It is not an hotel to linger in and there is no real need to do this, as Lausanne has much to offer and you will, almost certainly, prefer to be out and exploring Lausanne.

The biggest plus is the location, being so close to the station and metro.

Hotel Agora, Av. Du Rond-Point 9, CH-1006 Lausanne