Sofia gave us a warm welcome. The apartment is comfortably furnished, if traditional in style and somewhat dated. Thanks to rolling shutters on the main windows, the rooms stay pleasantly cool, even on hot days. The internet wifi was reliable and the TV has dozens of channels, in multiple languages. We were pleasantly surprised to find these included all the main BBC and ITV UK channels.
The kitchen is small but sufficient for guests wanting to make coffee and tea, use the microwave or perhaps prepare a few simple dishes. We enjoyed eating al fresco one evening. Depending on the time of year, you may or may not have an unobstructed view of the fabulous vista of the lake. We visited in late August, so the leaves on the terrace were in full bloom.
The shower was always piping hot and the water pressure always strong. Complimentary travel-size toiletries were a nice little touch. The bed was very comfortable and we had some of the most restful nights of our trip. An iron and ironing board were welcome additions.
The apartment is situated in a quiet residential neighborhood. You can hear the rumble of passing funicular cars (about every 20 minutes until after midnight) from within the apartment, but we did not find the noise disturbing.
There are a number of options for getting into the old center of Vevey - you can drive (along somewhat windy roads), take a nearby walking path downhill for 12 minutes to a bus stop that will take you into town, or continue walking directly into town for another 10 minutes. On the return journey, assuming you don’t fancy the steep climb uphill, you can take the funicular, which is directly next to the same bus stop and take it back up - the apartment is literally around the corner from the Beau-Site funicular stop.
As a delightful bonus, there is an easy 20 minute walk from the apartment to Chaplin World, Charlie Chaplin’s former house and accompanying museum. It’s a lovely stroll through the hillside vineyards and provides some wonderful photo ops. The museum and house are well worth a visit. We spent over 2.5 hours there - the exhibits are interesting and entertaining, and include the chance to see numerous excerpts from some of Chaplin’s most memorable films. (Be sure to stop at the Office de Tourisme in the center of Vevey beforehand, where you can pick up a discount coupon. we saved almost 30% off the 25 Euro per person ticket price).
All in all a peaceful and restful stay in a charming location, and at a very reasonable price for Switzerland.