Grand Hotel Majestic

We recently stayed for 3 nights as part of our Viking river cruise pre-extension. Our Viking pre-extension was originally scheduled for Lake Como but then changed to Lake Maggiore and we feel like that was the BEST thing that could have happened! Hotel exceeded our expectations. Room was spacious and clean, large bathroom with great shower. No USB ports or US plugs so you definitely need an adapter, but that's to be expected. Short 5-10 min walk into Pallanza. We loved the outdoor lawn area and had wonderful service setting up loungers and towels for us and we enjoyed taking a chilly dip in the lake. Breakfast buffet had plenty of choices. Enjoyed a delicious and surprisingly reasonably priced dinner on site with a beautiful view of the grounds. Our favorite way to end our day was with cocktails either in the bar area or outside on the terrace expertly made by the most charming bartender, Lorenzo. Lorenzo is an asset to this hotel and made us feel special and welcome each night. We were disappointed that we didn't get to see him to thank him and say arrivederci.

Very nice hotel, very kind and professional staff at the reception, bar, restaurant and swimming pool. The room was very comfortable, clean and silent. Breakfast was quite rich, with amazing croissant, handmade cakes by the chef and very nice view on the lake.

Certainly not a 4 star superior hotel. Poor service from the moment you arrive. Passports confiscated and not told when we could collect. Room is extremely dated and whilst clean not worthy of 2 stars in terms of facilities. TV which does not show English channels. Noisy fridge. Lights not working. As we stayed in September air con was not available. Some of the Shutters for the windows didn’t open making room much warmer than necessary. Noise from the bar and terrace down below was late into the evening on our first nights stay. Breakfast was very poorly labelled (buffet style) so anyone with a food allergy would have difficulty knowing what they were eating. Only one cup of tea or coffee was offered. Cups were also dirty and no apology offered when we asked for another. food was not covered so potentially unhygienic. No kettle in the room so had to request hot water from the bar for a cup of tea. This despite a request as to why there wasn’t which was ignored by reception. Toilet continued to flush and water wasted. Unhygienic shower curtain hanging in the bath. No separate shower. So problematic for mobility issues. Separate toilet but only one bin between the 2 rooms. Stayed 2 nights but towels not changed or carpet vacuumed. No bathrobe despite website saying* they were provide. Broken safe, very small queen size bed. Don’t expect USB charging ports. Oh and no drinking water provided, yes you can drink water from the tap but they still don’t provide more than 1 small glass in the bathroom. If you mention anything to reception they say ‘you only need to ask’ but why should I expect to keep asking for the basics? I don’t want to waste my holiday asking for these things, just provide! 4 star hotels should do. Which are all of the above. Does this really sound like a 4 start hotel even for Italy?

What a fabulous hotel! If you want to experience the Italian Lakes as you’ve seen them in the films, this is the place for you. Beautiful traditional decor, sumptuous with high ceilings and views to die for. Immaculately clean and with lovely grounds, including a private beach with direct access to the water. Nothing is too much trouble for the wonderful staff. A new favourite that we will return to next year.