Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees

Okay, let’s be honest.
This is a 5 star hotel and one of the best you can find on Lake Maggiore. Hemingway was here and some other Royals visit the place regularly. Even today.
You get what you pay for — and this is a lot. I visited the place in November (off season) and it wasn’t crowded. This is why we got one of the best rooms available — lake view, huge terrace, cozy big bed, sofas, chairs, you name it. We didn’t ask for it, but we got it. Huge compliments.
This place is pure elegance. Leave your jeans at home, take a suit. You’ll fit in much better, feel much better, look much better. Ladies take their evening dress.
For such an elegant place the personnel was quite easygoing. Italians — here they are, doing what they can do best: They make you feel welcome and at home, they show you that life needs to be enjoyed and it should!
They have enough parking spaces for your humongous Hummer vehicle, there are also some nice oldtimers in case you feel like driving through Stresa in style.
Breakfast was nice & cozy (of course elegant as well), in a room full of mirrors, making you feel like at Versailles.
Much more to be said, but you ought to go there and experience for yourself.

The Grand Hotel Des Ils Borromees was all ours on the off-​season (late October); my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay for the historic atmosphere, lake-​front property, and the quiet lull the hotel succumbed to when winter was on its way. Dining food mediocre (could have used more bio products), but the overall atmosphere, lovely. We found it equally compelling this was the hotel Ernest Hemingway stayed to write Farewell to Arms.
Emily Rose Reeder

This is a beautiful baroque hotel — if you like that sort of thing. Everything is gilded in gold and covered in mosaics. They are celebrating their 150^th year this year. While I didn’t stay there, I did visit for drinks in the lounge. They have a nice full bar and all the drinks were made well. As per the usual in Italy, ordering drinks comes with complimentary snacks — little bowls of pistachios, chips, etc. Looked over the pricing for the rooms and I’d say it’s reasonable for the area and level of the hotel.