During 2011, I spent around 40 weeks in Lausanne on business and on one unfortunate occasion in early March I stayed at Hotel City of the Fassbind group.
Do not be mistaken, the price indeed indicates a 3 -or 4 star hotel (243 CHF without breakfast) but the hotel itself would not earn any stars from me.

First of all, just to show how misleading they are, in the reservation they stated 'Free multilingual DVD lending ', which is just not true. Not that I wanted to lend any DVDs, but if so, I could have done it for a fee. And I did not make a reservation through any travel agent or third party site, but on the hotel chain's own website.

Arriving to the hotel I already felt taken back into the 1950's. As you can see on the hotel's own picture provided, there is a sort of key-box with the room numbers where you should put your keys - you are indeed encouraged for this action as you get a keychain of one kg at least. Well, I rather took the weight from the key as there is no way I am putting my room key out there for the public.

Reception staff is very rude and does not speak a word English although I am sure he understood us. So just plainly rude.

Then you get into the elevator where you already get an idea about the cleanliness of the hotel. The whole elevator is covered in carpet which must have been there, uncleaned, for the last 50 years. It stinks accordingly.
You get out of the elevator and still have a few stairs to go down with your suitcase.

The room? As stinky as the elevator, no doubt. Same outdated carpet everywhere in the very small room, with a lot of stains. A bathroom where I felt I would rather not have a shower, it was so disgusting. I went to the public swimming pool instead which is not that far away from the hotel.

I found a beer glass in the mini-bar which was obviously used by a former guest and not been washed up by the staff - and it was left like that during my entire stay. How disgusting is that?
I bought my own beer for one night and drank it in the room (straight from the bottle ;) ), along with some chocolates. This must have given an idea for some of the staff, because a few days after I left I discovered that they charged some extra items to my credit card after I left! It took me a few emails to the management to get my money back. It is a shame that they allow themselves something like this and they just go and charge whatever they want after I left, without my authorisation or any invoices.

It is just a big laugh afterwards what you see on a plate above the hotel entrance: 4-star quality for 3-star prices. Ridiculous.

I would say never go to this hotel.

Myself and my family stayed in this hotel over Christmas 2011. The hotel has the benefit of being in the centre of town and so a great location but thats where the benefits end. I asked for extra pillows on the first night which after the third night had still not arrived.. When I asked the receptionist for the 3rd time if he could send them up he was apologetic and swore ... in French, probably thinking I couldn't understand... but they did finally arrive. Breakfast for the price is disgusting - one of the worst buffet displays I have ever seen - grey ham, dried round the edges cheese and cheap watery juices - I wouldn't give the "hot buffet" (claggy eggs and foul tasting chipolata sausages and chewy bacon) to my dog. This is all presided over by the meanest waitress who on Christmas day we christened "the Grinch who stole Swiss Christmas". We stayed 5 nights and our sheets were not changed once, or the carpet hoovered. This seems like a hotel chain which is going through a hard time - they give you 1 tea bag per person, one body wash per person, don't change glasses, no ironing facilities in room, needle and thread are on a cushion bolted to the inside of the wardrobe. Everything is just abit mean.....Its a shame as with a better management this could be a very solid hotel. Very disappointing.

Our recent stay was blighted by the poor quality service in the hotel as well as its tired interior and awful breakfast.
Our sheets were not changed once in our 4 night stay and the used glasses were not replaced in the clean. We also asked for extra pillows on several occasions which never arrived until we demanded them again on our last night.
The breakfast is very basic and the waitress incredibly rude and short with all guest seemingly. To charge CHF 20 per person is nothing other than day light robbery.
All in all, this hotel is well positioned but with no parking facilities and a tired interior with poor level of service, I will not be recommneding it as a place to stay when in Lausanne.

Bathroom was a little disgusting. Something on the toilet seat. Hair in the bath. Carpets also looked a bit nasty.