Elvezia al Lago

We stayed at Elvezia al Lago for 6 nights in September 2025 - our first visit to this hotel and to Ticino. We very much enjoyed our stay and would like to visit again. Why? The location is outstanding, with the lack of road access making it a really peaceful spot, right on the lakeside. The facilities are good: we had a lovely spacious, clean, comfortable bedroom; the restaurant on the lakeside has fantastic views; the lake swimming is really enjoyable, with an adjacent garden to relax in. The food is good, with other good restaurants also available in walking distance in Gandria. But most of all the friendly welcome from the host, who seems to know and greet all the locals walking past, and who really welcomed us into what is her home.

We had a very pleasant stay at this quiet and peaceful hotel on Lake Lugano. Rosi and her assistant Karina were always cheerful and helpful. The only problem we had was transporting our suitcases on the long and steep path from the parking lot in Gandria, where our taxi driver dropped us off. The pathway from the other side of the Hotel Elvezia is much easier to navigate and takes about 10 to 15 minutes to walk. Rosie and Karina kindly transported our bags when we left. Hotel Elvezia is a wonderful place to stay for anyone looking a truly peaceful getaway.

If you are staying at the hotel get a WATER TAXI from Lugano Central 50 CHF otherwise you have at least a 20 minute walk along a steep path from Gandria East of the Hotel, or a 10-15 minute easier walk along the path from parking area at Via Cortivo west of the Hotel. Beware very few boats stop at the Dock outside the hotel just 1200 & 1400 to Lugano or 1430 or 1700 back from Lugano BUT there’s more options from the Gandria stop. (2025 summer schedule picture. ||Also note there is a Funicular from the Train Station down into the City centre Piazza Cioccaro which is just an easy 5 minute walk to the waterfront.||The location is beautiful and quiet with fantastic views.||The hotel is dated and old fashioned but clean and adorned with old oil paintings. I would class it a 2*|We had room 3 with a small extra terrace with shade. ||There’s a small garden with loungers on the side of the lake and swimming in the lake was fabulous when it was hot.||They were putting portable air conditioning units in the room when we were there. It was unusually and exceptionally hot 32c every day. ||Breakfast was acceptable but basic - Cereals, yogurt, bread, fruit, but nothing hot.||I would avoid the dinners, I would say rustic but the walk into Gandria to the Antico Restaurant was excellent.||The staff were very friendly and helpful.||This hotel could be so much better and it was obvious there were returning guests.||So in conclusion once we’d sorted out how to get there and get around we loved the location and would go back.

Only reviewing the terrace: we sat down for a coffee near the lake - after ordering we were told we can’t sit there if we don’t order food and have to move to a worse location. Not very friendly. Other people were sitting lakeside only drinking coffee. Also lots of empty tables lakeside. I don’t like to assume bad intentions but it kind of felt like we were being rushed out because we were foreigners.

Marvelous, very special, quiet place and very warm atmosphere. Staff very friendly - clean, breakfast is good but avoid other meals.

Lovely small personal hotel by Lago di Lugano. discovers the hotel last year when I walked past the hotel and it looked very charming and inviting. Now I stayed there and the hotel is adorable with very friendly, attentive and personal service. The hotel is accessible by boat or by a beautiful walk along the lake. The location of the hotel is splendid, exactly by the lake. The hotel has a lovely restaurant, terrace with sun chairs plus originally decorated rooms. The inside restaurant is uniquely decorated with paintings of Napoleon. It is a very welcoming small hotel at a fantastic quiet place.

Just take a look at the pictures. It’s amazing! I can add that there are no roads and cars anywhere nearby and the staff is incredible friendly. The hotel and the rooms are very clean and well kept. 10 mins cozy walk to Gandria with plenty of restaurants. I stayed there for 3 nights during Easter 2023 in room number 7. Highly recommended.

Stopped for lunch enroute on our walk from Lugano to Grandia - a gorgeous and quirky little restaurant with amazing views that serves a limited menu but very delicious food! Staff are lovely. Recommend stopping here on your walk or boat trip, have lunch and then walk (easy 10min walk) to Grandia.

A friend highly recommended we stay here, and she was right. This is a beautifully situated boutique hotel with nine rooms, accessible by walking a few hilly miles or taking a boat - no vehicle access. If interested, check out their website. It's accurate. The manager picked us up at a car park nearby and brought us back, all in a small outboard motor boat. (There is a ferry from Lugano that stops there too.) The staff was fabulous - welcoming, friendly, helpful, flexible, everything you could want. Our room (#5) had fabulous views out over Lake Como and the Alps. Breakfast was included, and that was terrific too. Dinner is available, but in the off season like April it's not too exciting. Figuring out how to get to their car park was a project. Google map assumes the road on the hillside above the hotel provides access - it does not. You need to find Via Riviera out of Lugano, go east, and take Via Cortivo, a very narrow road that splits off to the right. Go to the end and look for the small parking area at the boat dock underneath you. 50 metres back is the lane going down there, which is where you'll park IF they are coming to pick you up. Or take the ferry from Lugano. Hopefully those directions save you an hour of online research and much concern as you try to find someone who speaks enough English to direct you.