Mandarin Oriental Palace, Luzern

If I had to characterize MOLZ by only 2 things this is what I would keep : a fabulous terrace view over the lake of Luzern and a fantastic Omakase dinner at the Michelin starred Minamo.

If you stay at MOLZ, you should not hesitate to book a room with a lake view. It is so beautiful. And if you can, I would even recommend one with terrace on the first floor. I have enjoyed so much seating there, looking at the lakescape while savoring a drink.
The room is well-equipped and well-furnished,
with all the necessary amenities. My only criticism would be the size of the room, too small and narrow, with a tiny bathroom.

MOLZ has 3 restaurants, of which 2 are Michelin starred. The first one is Minamo, an “8 seats at the counter” authentic Japanese restaurant. The cuisine is delicious, fresh, and refined. The chief is very friendly, he explains each and every dishes to the guests. A real fantastic experience not to miss. In the contrary, the 2* restaurant Colonnades, serving French cuisine, is disappointing. Most of the plates are too heavy, greasy or creamy, to the point that my stomach felt not comfortable that night after the dinner. And this was not my sole experience since my 3 other guests did feel the same.

Final word about the service, up to expectations for a 5* hotel, but lacking somehow a personal touch that I’ve experienced in other hotels including MO ones.

The personnel is fantastic, perfect renovation in the spirit of the original building, great view over the lake

Review for Mandarin Oriental Palace Luzern - Family Emir

Our stay at Mandarin Oriental Palace Luzern was truly memorable and reflects what great hospitality should feel like in Switzerland.

From the moment we arrived, the welcome was exceptionally warm. The team at reception unfortunately we do not recall the name was genuinely kind, attentive, and made us feel immediately comfortable. Throughout the stay, every staff member we interacted with was friendly, helpful, and clearly motivated to provide the best possible experience.

The location of the hotel is outstanding. Directly on the lake, with beautiful views and a very calm atmosphere, while still being within easy reach of the city center of Lucerne. You can walk along the lake promenade, reach the old town within minutes, or explore landmarks such as the Kapellbrücke or take excursions towards Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi.

The overall atmosphere of the hotel, especially in the evening by the lake, is very relaxed and elegant. It is a place where you can truly slow down.

The culinary experience was excellent. We tried several dishes from the menu including fish and everything we ordered was of very high quality. The consistency across the dishes was impressive.

There are also a few smaller points we would like to mention, more as suggestions:

One aspect we noticed in Switzerland in general, including here, is that terrace areas tend to close relatively early. Extending the opening hours slightly especially in the evening or even offering breakfast outside more consistently would significantly enhance the overall experience, given the beautiful lakeside setting.

At breakfast, while the quality was good, the à la carte selection felt slightly limited compared to other Mandarin Oriental properties or similar high-end hotels.

That said, these are minor observations within an otherwise very strong overall impression.

What stood out most to us was the genuine effort of the entire team. There is a clear sense that people care, try to help, and want guests to have a great stay. This makes a real difference.

We would absolutely return and it is also worth mentioning that the level of service fully justifies the tipping culture at this hotel.

Just stayed here as a very experienced Mandarin Oriental Pearl member. The hotel had some great aspects, but also some aspects that could be improved.

The upgrade to a terrace room facing the lake was incredible. The terrace was massive, had proper furniture and the views are immaculate. Might be the most beautiful terrace and view I have ever seen from a hotel room. So make yourself a facor, and book a lake view room, worth every penny.

The room was super modern. Room itself was really really good. Only downside was very narrow single beds, and the very very firm mattress. I think it did not have the same down topper their Kind beds always have.

The staff was always very friendly. However, some unfortunate hickups occured, which definitely should not happen at the very best hotels. I asked what benefits my Pearl membership would provide at dinner, they did not answer the question correctly. I then sent them pictures of what their website states as the benefits. Only after that they confirmed those benefits were accurate. However, these benefits were not provided to us at dinner, until I asked about them. And still, the waitress said I could use 1/2 of the benefits, not both, even tho the front desk and MO app had confirmed both would be included. I did not state my disagreement, as I was unsure what was correct and what not. Also at dinner, we ordered 2 tenderloins, one medium, one medium rare. Both were cooked well done. I showed mine to the waitress who appoligized and offered to make a new one. However, it took almost 40 minutes to get the new one, which was just as well done as the previous ones. I was not going to order a new one, so I accepted my faith and ate it alone, as my accompanion had already left for bed, after our very long driving day. They did not charge the fillet, which was a nice gesture. However, the bill had 1 too many cokes, but I was ready to go to bed and once again accepted my faith with the overcharge.

Another issue was that the valet service forgot our car keys with them after our checkout. We had a brand new car, so we had 2 sets of keys with us. Then we had driven all the way to Zurich when they called us and informed of the accident. It was too late, we did not have time to drive back so they suugested of shipping those to us to MO Vienna, where we are staying now. That is a big mistake. However, I understand mistakes happen and they took responsibility of the mistake and found a way to manage it.

If the view from the terrace was not so stunning, I would have been quite disappointed in our experience here, but luckily the terrace and view gave us somthing to properly enjoy!

The staff were heavily understaffed at the Mozern restaurant that evening, the service was far from intimate and personalizez and attentative.

The breakfast was quite good, they had everything and everything tasted excellent.

The location is perfect, walking distance to everywhere, but still on a quiet part of the downtown.

The staff was always very friendly. Especially the doormen and the front desk and especially Emily, so happy, and genuine, offered perfect customer service.

Had the opportunity to stay here for two nights prior to a river cruise. The hotel is very pretty with a great view of the lake. The room was nice. But the staff? Unbelievable! They were ALL so incredibly attentive, accommodating and friendly. Each one couldn't do enough to ensure our stay was amazing, and they succeeded!

Booked standard room with no lake view and the room was huge! Clean and great amenities. Staff were great - extremely polite and engaging - service was excellent! Best hotel stay!

One of the top 2 or 3 hotels we’ve stayed in. An amazing location directly on the lake with stunning views, a superb staff, excellent food, and highly comfortable, functional rooms. We did not want to leave and look forward to returning.

Beautiful location, amazing staff/service. From arrival to departure; everyone was attentive, helpful, and absolutely amazing. Completely sold on this brand. From moment you arrive, staff waiting to take your bags, offer you a drink, and take you to the front desk. At the front desk, you will be greeted by the most friendly host/hostess who will check you in; take you to your room, and show you around the hotel. The rooms are clean, the amenities phenomenal, and the service great. You are situated right on the lake with stunning views, walk outside and you are on path to main city along the lake. Perfect location. Best hotel/service we have been to in a long time.

The concierge and support team more helpful to us and our family is very Happy

Beautiful hotel.
Everything was amazing!

One of favorite hotel stays ever! The hospitality, suite, food, and incredible VIEW! We loved every minute of our stay and can’t wait to return to Lucerne.

We spent 3 amazing nights here and loved every moment. From the second we arrived until we left, everything just felt easy, relaxed, and special.

Location
Super easy to get to – about a 15-minute walk from the train station, right by the lake.

Front staff
Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, from the doormen to the front desk. You feel looked after instantly. Johannes, Front Desk Manager and his team were wonderful. This is a luxurious, top hotel, but there´s a very relaxed, grounded atmosphere to it.

Food
The breakfast was lovely, something for everyone. The quality of the ingredients is superb. We ate at Mozern every night and still didn’t try everything we wanted. There are other restaurants to choose from, but this was our preference because one of us has dietary restrictions. The food is seriously good – well done and full of flavour. Highlights were the Rainbow Salad, Sweet Potato Fries, and a Swiss main (with a name we still can’t say!). Oh, and the chocolate dessert! A huge shoutout to Lucas, Fabio, and Sebastian – they made every dinner feel smooth and special. They worked so well together as a team, and it was an experience and an atmosphere we haven´t seen or felt in a while.

Spa & Gym
So good we actually used it every day (which never happens!). Really relaxing and beautifully done. Loved all the snacks and drinks in the gym and all the amenities in the sauna and steam room area.

Rooms
Probably one of the best rooms we’ve stayed in. Everything is thought through, nothing is missing. I loved the Dyson hairdryer and straightener. It was perfection!

Overall
Our stay was perfect. The breakfast and dinner were superb. Every single staff member was kind and professional, even in the small details, like staff stepping aside in the hallway until you pass. The cleaning team were superb too!

A huge thank you to Johannes, the front desk manager, who really stood out. He made us feel genuinely welcome from the start and went out of his way to ensure everything was perfect throughout our stay.

We had the best time and will 100% be back.

We were here only one night, and it was our second night in any Mandarin Oriental. We booked a Suite, with Lake View and Terrace through the AMEX Fine Hotels and Resorts program. We had them make the sofa bed up for our teen daughter.

The room was amazing; the terrace and view of the lake and mountains were amazing x 10.

We weren't in the room long but I'm told the full stable of Dyson hair appliances was pretty cool by those in my party that know this sort of thing.

We ate in the bar for dinner and loved it; the beef dumplings were a surprise hit, so we ordered a follow up serving. Breakfast wasn't spectacular. We expected more than what was delivered but it was still very good.

The hotel is a bit away from the center of the town, but it is a beautiful property with great service.