Hotel Splendide Royal Lugano

Stayed here for 3 nights and had a great time. We called after getting on fast train from Zurich HB and they picked us up with no issues. It was too early to check in so we went through the process, left our luggage and went exploring. They called when our room was ready and just about time for us to return. The first room we were allocated had a weird strange smell from the bathroom, so we got another room. No fuss. The room is different than the one allocated but we were fine with the set up. Our new room was a bit tired, with scuff marks, and we faced the car park and building site (which starts at 8am). It was fine for our needs though. Breakfast was always plentiful and with lots of options. Great view of the Lake as well. The hotel staff were always very helpful, extremely polite and well used to dealing with visitors. Despite booking a return transfer back to station, we were early but then they managed to accommodate us. This hotel is within walking distance to most attractions and if not, the bus system is super, once you have worked out the bus stops!

The style and interior design is very Italian and in some parts the blend of old and faux-vintage is not very compelling. The Veranda terrace and the spa with its sun deck is a nice place to unwind. The staff at the reception were friendly and attentive. However, the staff at the restaurants were not more than correct, lacking a smile or providing a real feel of hospitality. The main drawback was communication. Upon check-in there was no information regarding room upgrade given (as Leaders Club Member this is one of the benefit). When I asked, they double checked and an upgrade was made possible. In the room there was a nice bottle of Champagne as a token of appreciation. There was another misunderstanding in regard of check-out, but the problem could be solved on the spot. Overall it was a decent stay, but it did not leave an extraordinary impression.

Such a beautiful hotel on the water in a fabulous location! Rooms were very regal and clean. Our rooms had balconies with water views. Bathrooms very big. Hotel staff were very nice. Breakfast was delicious. There is a lobby bar that closes early but also a bar with open rooftop on 1st floor. If you go right out of hotel it’s a quick walk to the docks for boat ride pick up or ferry. Go out hotel and left and it’s a quick 1/2 mile gorgeous walk along the water to get into old town with all the shops and restaurants. It’s worth walking further to the gardens too which are very beautiful. I highly recommend this hotel.

Hotel sent complimentary taxi to train station at agreed time to collect us. A nice touch except they forgot to tell the taxi driver they were picking up the charge so I had to go with him to the reception to get this sorted which wasn’t a problem but a small embarrassment not needed. Once that was done we had a pleasant welcome and were pretty quickly in our lovely room with a terrace and excellent view of the lake. After quite a long wait and two phone calls to reception we finally got our luggage (about 30 mins later) which wasn’t a problem a little disappointing. We had pre booked a table in La Veranda restaurant the first evening and requested a front line lake view which was excellent. Lots of room on the table, great service as expected from a hotel of this standard and excellent food. Overall a really enjoyable experience finished off with a nightcap in the comfortable Belle Epoque Bar in the lobby area. The second evening after a pre dinner drink in the bar we ate more casually in the La Piazetta outdoor restaurant overlooking the lake. A delicious pizza and drinks and a very enjoyable experience on a warm summer’s evening. We decided to round off the evening in the Belle Epoque around 9.00 pm but the waiter advised they were closing early and we would have to go back to La Piazetta for our after dinner drink. That turned out to be a mistake as we had a very long wait and had to give a couple of reminders for our order then wrong drinks arrived and had to be changed. The following morning we had booked the free shuttle to the station which worked very well. We did enjoy our stay overall, the room was very comfortable and quiet and generally the staff were pleasant and helpful but fell short of expectations with the points mentioned which do make the difference between a very good and a excellent experience.

A 5 star hotel that certainly lives up to its reputation. Location, staff, dining all what you would expect (and paying a premium for...)