Grand Hotel Des Iles Borromees

We stayed at this gorgeous property and it was one of the most amazing stays of our lives. The breakfast buffet includes twelve different stations, the service and attentiveness from staff and the concierge was incredible, and the onsite pool/spa area, which is free to guests, is hands down the most amazing one I have ever visited. Worth the price of the stay by itself!! ||As has become our new tradition, instead of jumping straight into the festivities when we start a vacation, we took a spa day to start our time away - to relax, decompress, and get into the vacation mood. And I must say, this is by far one of the BEST spas I have ever been to! The Des Iles Spa, located inside the Grand Hotel Des Iles Borromees, includes three primary areas - the pool areas (indoors and out), the therapy/medical spa services, and the Oasis Spa - a separate area inside the pools with hot/cold therapies and rooms. The pools and Oasis Spa are open to anyone staying on the property, though reservations are required for Friday/Saturday afternoons. Inside the Oasis Spa there is a Hammam (warm steam room), a sequence of four scented mists/showers from cold to hot, Scottish Showers, which alternate hot and cold water, Turkish Bath (hot steam room), Snow Room, and Sauna (hot dry room). I also got a therapeutic massage, and the wellness relaxation area was also gorgeous. It was rainy and cold outside, and I could see snow on the mountaintops in the distance, which made it all the more cozy to be enjoying the warm water and beautiful facilities / grounds. Heaven!!! And a perfect way to begin a trip!

This is a classic grand hotel with beautiful decor and art in the true Italian style. We love Stresa and Lake Maggiore and Grand Hotel des Borromees is perfectly located and very comfortable. Staff was professional and helpful. The spa and pool side lovely although I did not have a treatment there. There is a wonderful breakfast buffet that seems to go on and on...and has everything one might want, great Americano coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice. We did have dinner with a group in the hotel dinning room once. It was fine, not perfect. And the lobby bar (Hemingway) is so lovely and fun! I will return.

I recently spent two wonderful nights at the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées & Spa in Stresa for a reunion of friends, and we could not have chosen a better place to celebrate together. From the moment we arrived, the hospitality of the Mariani family—who have been running hotels in Stresa for three generations—made us feel genuinely welcome. Their warmth and personal touch gave our stay a sense of home within the grandeur of this historic property. The hotel itself feels like stepping back in time into the golden age of travel. Every corner tells a story, from the magnificent architecture and elegant interiors to the manicured gardens overlooking the lake. My room was spacious and beautifully appointed, with breathtaking views of Lake Maggiore—a view I will not soon forget. The restaurant was a highlight in itself, serving exquisite cuisine in a refined yet relaxed atmosphere. Every meal was a delight, reflecting both the region’s rich culinary tradition and the chef’s creativity. In every respect, this was a memorable stay that blended timeless elegance, exceptional hospitality, and heartfelt warmth. The Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées & Spa is a true treasure, and I look forward to returning one day.

A magical hotel. The setting is superb, with glorious views of the lake and the Borromean islands, which lie in front of the hotel. The building itself itself is an elaborate nineteenth-century masterpiece (1863), over the top in almost every way, but the atmosphere is warm and comfortable. The bedrooms have high ceilings, though they are not very large. I had one at the front with a wonderful view of the lake. The bathroom was clean and pleasant; it worked well. The dining room is large, with full-length windows giving views of the lake; the menu was varied and the food good. There is a spa and an outstandingly attractiveH internal swimming pool.||Perhaps the best aspect of this grand hotel, though, was its staff. They were well trained and efficient, but they were also relaxed and approachable. You might expect an old hotel like this to be tinged with self-importance, but everyone was helpful and unfussily friendly.

We stayed here for four nights and never felt the need to head off exploring every day. We were too relaxed! Rooms were so comfortable. Lovely beds and linens and the bathroom had a big jacuzzi bath. Each room had a large plastic basket complete with beach towels, flip flops and robes - ideal for trips to one of the pools or the beach in summer. We spent a lot of time in the indoor and outdoor pools and loved them. Lots of loungers are available to relax on both inside and outside, plus you can make herbal tea for yourself. Breakfast was delicious with lots of high-quality options available, and the service at dinner was like a ballet. We loved the small but atmospheric Hemmingway Bar in the lobby. Though the surroundings are very ornate, the staff manage to make it feel homely at the same time. A really lovely experience.

Great location on the lake with all walking distance ...the spa sauna is very good and modern...where the rooms and hotel is very ornate with lots of history...highly recommend

This is the most elegant hotel I have ever stayed at. There's history everywhere you look, with sculptures in nooks and paintings on all the walls. Our suite was full of velvet drapery and ornate fixtures, with a large balcony overlooking the beautiful lake, and a beautifully tiled bathroom. Dinner and breakfast in the hotel's stunning restaurant was excellent. The hotel was so lovely it's overwhelming!

The Hotel is a typical Grand Hotel in the 1890’s style in front of the Lago Maggiore. Some might find the decor a bit overloaded, but in harmony with the overall, luxurous style of the hotel. We had the smallest categorie of rooms, but it was still spacious and well eqipped, with two nice windows with view on the lake. The bed was very comfortable.|Staff was welcoming and helpful. Quite a big parking and a nice park being part of the hotel.|The bar was comfy and the staff nice and professional.|The breakfast had a variety of good food to offer. And if the weather is good you can eat on the terrasse with - again - a great lake-view.

This is a beautiful property with lots of amenities. Very good co-Ed spa, our room had a spectacular view of Lake Maggiorie. It has a restaurant on property and lobby bar close to the center of town, breakfast included but very limited choices on the buffet. If you want cooked eggs it's $10 extra. For lunch and dinner we found the restaurant t to be pricey and not very good. Good gym, lots of windows and natural light, clean. I would say the big reason our review is getting a three is because almost every employee we encountered could use some training in customer service. They have a certain way of doing things at this hotel which is fine, but much better received when said with a smile, especially when the answer to your question is no. Usually in a four or five star property the staff try to accommodate guests. We didn't find that to be the case during our stay and would have enjoyed the no's and our stay there more had there been more yes's and the no's at least presented with a smile. Also the massage from the spa was not good, I paid extra for a deep tissue massage, it was like a pressure point massage not enjoyable. And the sheets and towels on property are hard and scratchy not soft as you would expect at a nice hotel such as this one. It's also strange that you cannot get two keys for your room, another no.

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 150th 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.

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

Ok, let me start off with saying, the price of this hotel is not worth it. Sure, the inside looks nice, but don't buy into it. The concierge was not helpful at all. The cleaning ladies were destructive to our property in the room. The beds weren't that comfy. The only thing that I have to say was good was the morning buffet. But for the price of this hotel, definatily not worth it!