Hotel Belvedere San Gottardo by Lvg Hotel Collection

We stayed here five years ago and had fond memories of it. This time we paid a few more euros for a lake view and it was worthwhile. Our room had two Juliet balconies off the bedroom and bathroom providing us with great views over the lake. It was small, very small. The description on the website had said 12 square metres but the photo along with it on the website shows a much larger room with three windows so I was expecting something a little bigger. The receptionists were professional and we were shown to our room. We decided to eat in the hotel’s restaurant as the menu looked okay and was €26. Big mistake! The pasta entree was good but the steak main was terrible, totally inedible. The waiter was so nice and explained, when we said it was way too overcooked, that it was precooked. He took them back to the kitchen and brought back another two but they were exactly the same. The meat was supposed to be fillet beef but it didn’t taste at all like beef - it was tough and tasteless. We didn’t eat it and the waiter was extremely apologetic. The dessert, a solid chocolate mousse, wasn’t very nice either. We’re not normally fussy but after a mouthful, we both left it. At checkout we were going to be charged the full price for the awful dinner but my husband managed to negotiate it down and we paid for just one meal. It was so disappointing as if we hadn’t eaten there we would have liked our stay so much more. The breakfast was good - it was just dinner that was disastrous.

The Grand Hotel Majestic has an absolutely stunning location on Lake Maggiore. It was a perfect for a family wedding. I stayed in a lake facing room with a king sized bed that was comfortable and clean. Breakfast consisted of fruit, cereals, scrambled eggs, Bacon and what tasted like freshly made baked goods. Omelettes and fresh juice are an extra charge. Service is only indoors so if you wish to enjoy the morning temps outside, you need to order coffee inside and take it outside with your food and cutlery. There are a few things to know as a traveler. None were problematic just worth a mention so you can plan ahead. First, there's no iron in the room nor are there any available upon request. Rather, there is a chargeable pressing service, with a with a surcharge for express service - which was super fast. I believe dresses are about 12 euro with shirts about 7. Second, there is no coffee maker in the room. The coffee at the bar and at breakfast is amazing but if you would like a cup before facing the world, this needs to be ordered. You will need to pack conditioner as shampoo, body wash, and lotion are available in the room but conditioner is not. The products provided were great but I walked to the pharmacy for conditioner - about 5 mins away. Finally, room temps are centrally controlled so if you find your room is on the warm side, you need to request a lower temperature from the reception. All in all a lovely place and would love to visit again.