Manufacturer: Langenthal in Switzerland
User: Hotel Du Rhone – Geneva, Switzerland
Distributor: M. Stieger & Cie – Berne – Lausanne
Date of bowl: 1970

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Notes: According to an article in the Houston Post dated Feb. 19, 1950, the Hotel Du Rhone in Geneva, Switzerland, was built in 1950 by Arthur Lendi, who at that time owned and operated the best hotel in Bienne, the Hotel Elite. The article goes on to state: "each of the 200 rooms will not only have 1 private bath or shower; it will also have a bidet. Over half the rooms will be combination bed-sitting rooms, furnished with studio couches and modern easy chairs. The most luxurious rooms, on the sixth (top) floor overlooking the river, will comprise the royal suite. …

"The front of the Hotel du Rhone will gleam with black and white marble shipped through the Alps from Italy. Some of the corridors inside will also be marble but they will not lead to huge ballrooms and drafty dining halls which are characteristic of most grand hotels throughout Europe. In Mr. Lendi's hotel, space will not be wasted. There will be a news-stand where guests may buy newspapers, magazines and books, a florist, men's and women's hairdressers, tea and coffee shops, and a jewelry shop where the finest Swiss watches will be on view and for sale."

The hotel's opening coincided with the arrival of the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, and it soon became clear that the hotel would set the trend for luxury and service in the city; it was the first luxury hotel built in Europe after World War II.  Standing "majestically" on the right bank of the Rhône River, it immediately attracted a crowd of celebrities, diplomats, and business leaders. Its exceptional location, at the heart of the business district, luxury shops of the Rue du Rhône, the old town and theaters, also contributed to its success.

In 1989, Rafael Hotels Ltd. purchased the hotel from its original owners, the Lendi Group, and began major renovations. Then in 2000, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group acquired the hotel, completing a major refurbishment and renaming it the Mandarin Oriental.

During its history, the hotel had a grill room named Le Neptune, and it is most likely that this bowl was used there.

White body bowl with scalloped sides in the shape of a clam shell. Near the top of the inside rim is a coin gold stripe. Under the stripe is the hotel/restaurant's logo of a coin gold trident coming out of three blue wavy stripes symbolizing water. Overlaid on the trident are the blue letters "HR."

Sources:
The Houston Post Sunday, Feb. 19, 1950 – story about the hotel's opening
Mandarin Oriental.com – history of the hotel

Contributors:
Robin Wheeler Carnill: ID and bowl photos
Ed Babcock: ID and matchbook photo
Ed Phillips: research and author