Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola

Our stay was March but Tripadvisor would not allow review that far, so this date is close. Yes life got busy. First the down side: 1) the main building is a little dated since it was built in 1885. 140-years pipes, rusty? Yellow water comes out. We tried to use the tubs for a special stay and there was yellow water and black particles. Maintenance said it was from a repair next door. They tried to run the hot water in our room and adjacent room for 30 minutes. But the problem persisted. They did that a second time. However it did not improve. That took more than one hour. We were tired and went to sleep without using the tub. We also booked another room in the newer section of the hotel. It also had the black particles from the faucets. The water was not as yellow, but just using the shower had black particles in the tub and sink. This time we weren’t sure if it was dirt or what? It’s was late so we didn’t call maintenance again because they just used more than one hour of the time. So we took a video and pictures. TripAdvisor doesn’t allow upload of videos but the pictures are there if interested, 2) the hotel is right next to a major road so there are some noise from motorcycles, buses and cars. So if you’re a light sleeper than you would want to consider this. 3) Most staff were very friendly but a few probably weren’t feeling well. The positives. 1) breakfast was pretty nice, very fresh bread, fruits, dairy products. The honey was a special local, so it had a nice aroma! 2) Back of the hotel there is a gondola that takes you up to the top of the Monte Bre for a very nice view. We wanted to visit Monte San Salvatore but it was being repaired. 3) close to downtown, well everything since it’s a small town. Fairly expensive for what you get.

Perfectly situated across the street from Lago di Lugano with wonderful lake views! The property is gorgeous inside and out. Breakfast was splendid! The staff were all professional and kind. The entire property felt warm and welcoming. It felt less like a hotel and more like a country club. I will choose to stay here again!

I really don’t know where to begin, this was the best hotel experience I have ever had. I’ve stayed in many 5* hotels but none can compete with the atmosphere and service of Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola. The whole time from begin to end I was made to feel like I wasn’t in a hotel at all but instead I was in my own home with better food and service! The staff are an absolute credit to the hotel, it was my girlfriend’s birthday and I had forgotten to buy her a card. Mario found me a card on a Sunday and even trimmed the edges so it would fit in the only envelope we could find. The hotel also put chocolates and bath salts in our room as a gift for her and this was very thoughtful. Nothing was too much to ask. On New Year’s Eve I realised I hadn’t packed a tie, again this was no problem, an hour later Mario had organised a selection of ties from his own collection and allowed me to borrow one. Every member of staff made my stay a dream come true but I can honestly say that Mario went the extra mile on more than one occasion The grounds are beautiful and to be honest, their website doesn’t really do the property justice. It’s a stunning place. The main sitting area with the fire place is like something out of a movie. Outside the hotel is a bus stop with busses going to the town every 15 minutes. I didn’t need to order a taxi for the entire 5 days I was there because the transport links are brilliant. The food is delicious I ate at Le Relais and had the 5 course tasting menu everything was amazing. I also ate at Arte for New Year’s Eve and it was just as brilliant. My room was the executive suite and although it’s not the cheapest I think it was fantastic value for what you get. The turndown service was very thorough the room extremely spacious with lots of attention to detail. You must try this hotel.

We came for Christmas holidays and we forgot our bag with travel documents on the train opposite. Even though we weren't residents of the hotel the receptionists Samuel and Rauo were very helpful and did the calls needed in order to find the bag.the lobby was very clean

Accommodations are singularly impressive. Masterful decor in a mansion with very polite attentive staff. The only problem I have to tell you was the quality of the breakfast food. The orange juice was from concentrate the rotsi was from a processed food vendor and the offering of breakfast meats very limited. Most importantly, the coffee tasted awful.