Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées & SPA

Very high, upscale hotel on the the lake.

Room was a bit small.

Location quality, hotel style, staff friendliness, all great.

Wifi quality very poor. We had to change rooms on Day 1 since we were given 2 simple beds put next to one another rather than a real double bed. This was done promptly with the staff help but it was a bit surprising for a hotel of this category.

The beauty and comfort of our room exceeded my expectations! The view from the balcony window was not like any hotel view I have ever seen! It was a magical stay in this hotel! The breakfast buffet was delicious!!

The hotel/room was perfect!

This property is simply the best, beautiful room, updated bathroom, unbelievable service all with an awesome view of lake.

This hotel is gorgeous, it feels like going back in time

The only flaw was a family w young kids next door that started screaming every morning at 6 am. The parents didn’t even try to calm them down, they screamed along. I told the front desk that I came on vacation to relax and that couples shouldn’t be placed next to young children. She didn’t try to find a solution, simply said they are leaving in 2 days. Basically endure the discomfort.

The whole place is like a museum, it’s marvelous. The breakfast was good, the pool and spa are meticulously kept and very nice and the lake view I would assume spectacular on clear days. Our room and bathroom were overall small, but the bed and pillows comfortable and clean.

I have no idea why hotels do this, especially when they are not booked and during the off season as in our case. And it puzzles me because I worked for years in large hotels and we always tried to give our customers the best rooms, especially when we had availability We were given a different room type than what we had booked. So instead of double sinks and a large tub we had a small bathroom, one sink and a shower that was hiding behind the door, that was at best 3ft by 3ft. We are not large people but it is nice to start your day without having to squeeze in a tiny shower. We were told that we had been given a front room with lake view instead, but we had the lake view from everywhere, so it did not make that much of a difference to us. Please if you are going to upgrade me give me something extra, don’t take one away to give me another one. We also found the staff to be pretty inattentive at least to us, both at the reception area (you go by and no one says a hello or good morning to you) but particularly at the Hemingway Bar where we went a couple of nights . The place was not at all busy, but no one ever asked us if we wanted another drink (we did) or something else to eat. We had to chase them down to ask them. The eggs at the breakfast were the worse we had eaten in our two weeks traveling in Italy. Runny as if they were prepared with powder.

Classic grand hotel with modern spa attached in one of the most beautiful places.

The hotel lived up to its reputation--a 19th century gem of a hotel, hearkening back to a glamorous era of travel-as-educational sojourn. We loved it all, from the glamorous suites to the cocktail lounge, to the in-room dining services, to the balconies overlooking Lake Maggiore, to the gardens. The staff were exceptional, and no grand hotel achieves that status without staff of that caliber.

Loved everything.

Beautiful room in a historical building and gorgeous view of Lake Maggiore in addition to an amzing breakfast

The location and breakfast and facilities

The room is small and the always got allergy from the carpet when I went to the room. Pillows not comfortable and no kettle and coffee machine

This was an exceptional hotel, I would call it hotel-museum. Luxury hotels with great facilities, breakfast, spa (you want to go there prepared and should gave at least 2 days to stay to enjoy it). It is pricey, but you’ll definitely enjoy it.

Some of the information desk personnel could do better, though most were very pleasant and helpful.

The hotel is an icon and visually stunning. The location is tip top and there's free valet parking. The spa is amazing - we used it everyday. Make sure you book the spa at weekends and take an extra towel from your room because they have a rather silly 'one towel only' policy. We had a great lake view with a huge balcony - although the furniture on the balcony was a bit tired. Also note that the sun has left the front of the hotel by around lunchtime (in September). The hotel decor is amazing - packed full of artworks and treasures, if you're into that sort of thing. The gardens and grounds are also very impressive. There is a lovely outdoor pool, but it's not heated and by September it just wasn't warm enough to swim in.

Breakfast, included, was not really up to 5 star standard. Everything was provided but it fell a bit short quality wise. The pastries in particular were nowhere near as good as I've had in 3 star hotels in Italy. Avoid the scrambled eggs at all costs. The staff were polite but not always fully attentive (I think maybe a staff turnover issue?) There's no tea/coffee making stuff in the rooms. I guess they expect you to order it on room service but this little detail is indicative of this hotel's rather old fashioned approach.

The hotel, spa and staff are excellent. Breakfast is spectacular and delicious with many choices. I personally loved the smoked fish, Italian meats and local cheeses. All was perfection. The Hemmingway Bar is excellent and Dinner is 5 Star as well. I enjoyed the Spa pool along with the specialized showers offered. Very Clean facilities. I also had a hair Wash/Blow Dry in the Saloon that was fantastic. I arrived hours before check in and my luggage was taken care of until the room was ready. I was surprised with a Room Upgrade to a Lake View room on the 6th Floor. The room was beautiful with an awesome bathroom and shower. So fantastic to wake up watching the sunrise over the lake. The gardens are stunning. The location is perfect. Just a 10 minute walk to down town or the train station. I loved my stay and thank you to all the wonderful staff!

Loved everything.

Beautiful great location kind staff good service excellent breakfast!

Very unique, lots to look at in and outside the Hotel, lots of history

The staff is not even worth 1 Star. This is supposed to be a 5 Star Hotel but the staff is of Motel quality. The way they are unfriendly, not versed in the art of quality service at all, the quality of the food was substandard, we would never go back for a dinner. The service at the bar was disappointing, the Pool Bar service and drinks quality again substandard. The piano player-entertainer is a joke. In a 5 Star Hotel you don’t start vacuuming at 8 o’clock in the morning in the hallways, you don’t converse with each other in a loud manner. The Hotel was a grand experience but is nothing without a competent staff behind it. We would never go back or recommend it to our friends.

We loved the pool and the location. The staff and early check in was fantastic as well as the view from our room! Parking was easy and Hemingway Bar area was a lovely way to start our evening.

Excellent breakfastBeautiful hotelthe swimming pools

The beds could have been more comfortableSlightly annoying that you can no longer use the pool after check-out

Breakfast was great. The spa is wonderful as well as the outside pool.

The room we had was noisy because it was next to the staff room but we asked for another room and we changed the room with more quite one.

Magnificent hotel. Beautiful breakfast terrace and dining room.Gorgeous Hemingway bar. Fabulous indoor and outdoor pools and spa. Excellent massage.

Concierge front desk sometimes too busy

Beautiful hotel in an excellent location. Attentive staff. Good breakfast. Wonderful SPA.

The outdoor swimming pool is not convenient, one has to walk out of the hotel to get there.