Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola (Lugano, Switzerland) Verified Reviews | Tablet Hotels

"There’s no shortage of grande dame hotels in Switzerland, but not all offer the spectacular lakeside location of the Grand Hotel Villa Castagnolare. The hotel has sat on the shore of Lake Lugarno since 1880, when it was commissioned by a noble Russian family as their winter residence. They weren’t the only ones who had a keen eye for prime real estate, and just a few years later it was snapped up by a Swiss couple who decided to reopen the property as a guest house. It’s still family-owned now, although not by the same one, and has since grown into a complete luxury offering comprising three restaurant and two bars, a Clarins spa, a pool, a tennis court, and all of the outdoor Swiss excursions you could think of. The highlight is still the simple pleasure of sunbathing lakeside, which has now been made a tad more luxurious thanks to the hotel’s private summer terrace." - Tablet Hotels