LOVED the hotels in the RS Switzerland tour

perhaps 2-star hotels are outlawed?

They are not - I stayed in one last month. (Hotel Alpha in Lucerne.)

Switzerland is a high priced, wealthy country and has high standards...I've never stayed in a bad Swiss Hotel.

Hotel stars in Europe are based on the amenities they have (e.g., elevator or not) not on general luxuriousness as in the US. But glad you had good ones.

Pat, where did you stay? It's like reading about a painting someone loves but the name of the work is kept hidden!

SWISS Hotels used by the RS Swiss tour last Sept-Oct, 2017:

Lucerne/ Luzern- Hotel Des Alpes, right on the river, with a beautiful view of the Chapel Bridge and Mt Pilatus. Some of the rooms even had Juliet balconies. For breakfast on the first floor, you could choose to eat outside on the pedestrian terrace. Great internet, bed, outlets, an elevator, and plenty of hot water. Easy walk to the train station. I would definitely stay here again!

Murren- Hotel Alpenruh. Beautiful - did I say majestic- views of the Alps and the village from the balcony. Very close to the gondola. Rustic room, which fit the magical area. Comfortable beds, elevator.

Lugano- Hotel International au Lac . Right in town and on the lake, a peak of the lake from the room. Great beds, elevator, and a tub.

Lausanne- Hotel des Voyageurs. Great location, no views, plush beds, elevator, amenities.

Bern-Hotel Allegro Kursaal Bern. Very modern, plush, comfy bed, no view; only stayed the one last night. Very un-RS like, as there's a casino on the upper floors . Staying in the Old Town is probably preferable, but this hotel was comfortable and on the tram line stop.

Hope this helps!

I took this tour last year too.

Stayed mostly at the same hotels except for Bern and I’ll add Engelberg, where we stayed at Hotel Engelberg.

Hotels were pretty nice. It was rather warm during my trip and only the hotel in Lugano had AC. Other hotels had fans at reception. Murren cooled off nicely at night.

Hotel des Voyageurs in Lausanne. My room had a bathroom with a glass wall separating it from the bedroom. There was a shade to provide privacy. Some people find it odd but I got used to it quickly.

Yes, the Hotel des Alpes in Luzern was very nice. I stayed there on my own in September 2014, and would certainly do so again.

If one is going to Switzerland and seeking a lower-end hotel experience, I recommend the Ibis Budget in Bern. It's fine for what it is, but do take the "budget" in the name seriously! You don't even get a bathroom as a separate room - just a sink in the room, a shower, and a toilet room. And the door to the toilet room doesn't go all the way to the top or bottom (sort of like a toilet stall door in the US), so while others in the room can't see you while you're using the toilet, they can definitely hear you. Then there's the "closet," which is three or four hangers on a single hook, and a small shelf above - and nothing else. I stayed there as a single and it was fine, but the room officially sleeps three (there's a bunk single bed above a double bed), and I'd hate to picture three people in that room!

Thank you, Pat. Thanks also for your descriptions as to why you liked these properties! We know Hotel Alpenruh. Wonderful!

To clarify, all of those comfortable hotels have 3 stars, except the last one has 4 stars. As Tim and Stan mentioned, Swiss hotel standards are high in all categories and factors that influence the star rating include amenities like matching furniture, all-night reception, room service, lounge/bar, etc.

Thanks for the clarification about star ratings, and I'll look closer next time. I guess I was going by Trip Advisor and Google reviews. Trip Advisor, for example, gives the Hotel Des Alpes 4/5 "circles". Either way, those were great hotels!