Grand Hotel National

Beautiful old hotel in walking distance to the major sights. Excellence service from front desk and other staff.

I recently stayed at the Grand Hotel National in Lucerne and was very disappointed with the experience. I booked through Expedia, where the property was advertised as a VIP hotel with complimentary upgrades when available. Unfortunately, the front desk refused to honor this, offering an upgrade only for an additional fee. That set the tone for the rest of the stay. The hotel itself feels extremely dated—more like it was last updated in the 1980s. While my room was clean, everything looked old and worn, far from what you would expect at a true five-star property. Instead of feeling classic or historic, it felt tired and out of touch, like stepping back in time in the worst way. Service was also lacking. There was no one to help with luggage, and no valet for parking—again, not what you’d anticipate from a supposedly luxury hotel. Overall, this was a major letdown. Between the unfulfilled VIP benefits, attempted extortion, outdated facilities, and lack of basic five-star services, I would not stay here again and cannot recommend it to others looking for a true luxury experience in Lucerne.

The service was good but the room air system seems wonky!

We had a lovely time! Beautiful hotel, great staff and great location!

Wonderful hotel. Breathtaking location on Lake Lucerne. Exceptional service and good food. We hated to leave.

Excellent location, first class service, beautiful views, breakfast seemed a little expensive, but other than that couldn’t have asked for a better stay.

Friendly staff, wonderful breakfast options. Quiet & convient location

Classic hotel, no frills, great location

From start to finish, we loved our stay at this beautiful hotel. The staff were all so incredibly welcoming and helpful, and always had a pleasant greeting. Just a few minutes walk along the lake from the train station, as well as shopping and dining options in old Lucerne, we never required transportation. The hotel itself is elegant, and very picturesque. The rooms were clean, comfortable and very quiet. Highly recommend!

Good staff and great location

Fantastic service and location!

Lake View

Fantastic hotel and very professional staff

A real mix of a review. Arrival, unloading, reception staff, room - all very pleasant. We chose to eat in one of the advertised restaurants within the hotel. The Chinese. we accessed it from outside the hotel from the garden area overlooking lake. We hadn't realised this is the only route because when the rain came on very heavily we had no way back into hotel without getting soaked as we hadn't taken jackets or umbrellas earlier. Food & staff however were both excellent. The downside of report comes when we left restaurant and eventually got to the bar we waiting by door and were acknowledged by waitressing staff making eye contact. We were then left standing for at least 5 minutes with no interaction (& we weren't the only ones that evening we noticed). We eventually went over and asked for a table but she was indicating no availability yet mist tables were empty. Supposedly being kept for other guests coming in from the attached restaurant. When we commented her response was to put out reserved signs. We pointed out we were also residents so should have some priority. A table for 2 was available and spare seats available so we asked for that which we got with a comment. We did get drink menu's, but then had to ask after long wait for order to be taken. A further long wait we got our drinks probably some 35-40 minutes after arrival. At no point did the bar become full and there were many tables that never did get occupied.

The best!!

Elegant hotel walking distance to all of Lucerne’s great sights. Lovely rooms, attentive staff. Thank you!

Very stately Hotel! Everything done impeccable. Close walking to everything. Magnificent

We could not have loved our stay here more. It was the perfect location and the staff was incredible. Will definitely be back!

We wanted to end our 9 day Rhine River cruise with a stay at an elegant hotel on Lake Lucerne. We booked 2 rooms for $485 each for one night at Grand National. When we checked in we were shown two rooms in the old part of the hotel street side with no AC. They were pretty but stuffy. I booked this hotel bc the website stated that this hotel has AC. We asked for an air conditioned room and were offered an upgrade of $158 each. We are glad we upgraded. Our rooms were facing the lake newly renovated and very luxurious. We ended on a good note and had a lovely view of the lake from the double Fr3nch doors and slept well on luxe bedding. The amenities in the room were wonderful. Chocolates waters and fresh fruit were so appreciated. Note. There was not a bellman present at arrival or departure to help with luggage. And the entry to the hotel is side facing and has steps.

We have stayed in some pretty special places but the Grand National Hotel has been right at the top of them. The staff, especially Tim Oberli in the front office, was attentive and helpful. We would definitely recommend a stay here.