Relais Villa Porta

First of all many thanks to the kind and caring staff of Villa Relais Porta. They made our stay very pleasant. We felt welcome and at home. The interns who come from different hospitality Schools in Europe were attentive and motivated to provide a good Service. And a Special thank you to the Hotel Manager for her professional and Personal touch. |The Villa parc stretching along the shore line is spectacular with Many places to sit, lie and enjoy the views of the Lake and the botanical garden . |The Buffet breakfast is the Best I have ever experienced. The variety of local products offered is impressive. The Dinner Menu is quite pricey yet all the dishes are tasty and plentiful. |The only negative is the noisy road at times. |Otherwise a perfect stay .

We stayed at Villa Porta from September 7–11 and held our wedding ceremony here on September 9. From our very first contact with Betta, Giulia, and Giulietta to our check-in with Carina and the front desk team, everything was flawless. The staff who prepared our ceremony - Supen, Sumith, Faruk, and others - went above and beyond to make it the most beautiful and memorable day of our lives. The property is absolutely stunning, with a magical lakeside ceremony location and the Limonaia dining room beyond compare. The dining experience throughout our stay, including at Food at Tiffany’s, was extraordinary - the best we had during our two weeks in Italy. Every dish reflected the same level of care, creativity, and excellence that defines Villa Porta. A special mention to Andrea, our waiter, who was funny, sharp, and made our meals even more enjoyable. What makes Villa Porta truly unique is its history. The Luz family’s story began in 1971 when Mr. Lothar from Stuttgart transformed the villa into Camin Hotel Colmegna. Over the last thirty years, his daughter Lara Luz has been the heart and leader of the property. Since 1994 she has rejuvenated the villa, restoring its original name “Villa Porta” to reflect both heritage and evolution. Knowing that the proprietress herself continues to guide the villa with such passion made our experience feel even more personal. Villa Porta exceeded every expectation, blending a rich family legacy with world-class hospitality. We cannot recommend it enough and will absolutely return.

We think that Lara and her team run one of the best hotels in Italy. There is just nothing one can complain about. We love it!! The attention to detail at all levels is exemplary - nothing is left to chance and it shows very clearly. We have been before and we certainly retrurn. Very well done to you all. D&G

Villa Porta is a magical slice of heaven. We had our wedding here and it was out of a fairytale. From start to finish, they were wonderful to work with and made sure that every detail was taken care of, which was very important as we were coming from the US. The day of, they were so attentive and ensured that everything went off without a hitch. Our guests were so impressed and enjoyed the venue so much. We would recommend this as a wedding venue again and again, and will definitely be back!!!

We were extremely lucky: a whole week of sunshine, we found the last parking space on the property, and were given the nicest room in the house. The view of the lake and the large, venerable, palm-lined park along the shore is truly spectacular. The international staff is friendly and attentive, and the food is delicious.|But this "magnificent potential leaves us with mixed feelings," as other reviewers have noted. Being in the same industry, we perhaps pay more attention to the "moments of truth"; for almost half a thousand Euros a day, you have certain expectations. Of course, only the experts in service can master the art of arrival.|In fact, our arrival was rather sobering: no welcome drink, just a request for ID and Creditcard, our room wouldn't be ready until 3 p.m., we should simply spend the hour and a half in the park (in 38°C!), and then we would be called. When the call didn't come, we grabbed our luggage from the car. The parking lot was now a mess, with hotel and restaurant guests' vehicles parked crisscross all over the place, as apparently no one was responsible for parking and luggage.|Our double room was small but really nice: picturesque view of the lake, balcony with a parasol, comfortable mattresses, Nespresso machine, Geberit Aquaclean toilet (unfortunately, the bidet part didn't work, and the Krups needed descaling).|The breakfast buffet is exuberantly varied and promises eggs cooked to order. However, at 7 a.m., there's only one server, who's overworked with setting and clearing the table and serving coffee. Unfortunately, there are only baguettes and not the delicious paninis we so appreciate in Italy.|The "beach" is a leafy terrace overlooking the lake with loungers and permanently installed parasols, which unfortunately can't be bended off, so you're soon sizzling in the hot sun. The lake access is also poorly designed: a rusty staircase and a dangerous 5-meter-high, sun-baked ladder (see photos). The paths are only gravel and have numerous footholds. The canopies under palm trees along the shore are very pleasant and romantic.|In summer, Lake Maggiore is a beautiful place for swimming, despite the heavy boat traffic. But what do you do at other times of the year? Despite claiming to be a luxury resort, there's no pool! The only Jacuzzi is barely big enough for 6 people.|The beach bar "Brasserie" has good wines and delicious snacks, but is unfortunately understaffed, and an "aperitivo" with only stale olives and discount chips is no longer the Italian norm. Restaurant Tiffany caters to well-heeled guests who arrive at lunchtime in 30-foot yachts or Bentleys and embark on "VillaPorta's slow food journeys" with magnum bottles of Laurent-Perrier, or at least Ca dei Frati. In general, guests are constantly informed via WhatsApp about special, paid "experiences" such as yoga, Buddha dinners, aperitifs with a DJ, gentle stretches and so on. This reminded me of very early experiences at the Club Méditerranée, where you could never lie comfortably for long because animateurs would come and invite you to join them ...

Dear Father,||Forgive me for my sins, it has been many years since my last confession, but I seek your forgiveness on my over indulgence this summer. What started as a business meeting on the shores of Lake Maggiore in early July opened my eyes to the Paradise lost; like the garden of Eden, a vivid and enchanting hotel, Villa Porta, wrapped around the lake, the lush beauty of the gardens, its abundant flowers, manicured lawns, and the waterfalls, became too enchanting and lured me to stay the whole summer. ||Lord Forgive me, I have sinned.||The daily gorging on the exquisite food and fine wine, with further over indulgence on the private terraces, lake side cabanas, wallowing in the crisp clean emerald waters, and further temptation with the grilled shrimps and Rosé at the Beach Club. I could not leave the garden of Eden. No, no I was weak.||Lord Forgive Me.|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|Every aspect of Villa Porta has been carefully thought out by Lara and her family; she floats around serenely between the clients ensuring their expectations are always exceeded. German efficiency has seamless fused with the character and charm of Italian life. The enchanted shores of Lake Maggiore caressing against Villa Porta, are complimented further by the 1st Class staff who deliver a tireless service, 7 days a week, from the kitchen staff, front of house, to Jamal who runs the Beach Club - well done to you all!||For those who carry the burdens of stress, take a moment to enjoy and cherish the now, the present moment in the blessed grounds of Villa Porta. I unreservedly recommend it, be it for a business lunch, romantic break, wedding, family holiday or a moment of peace.

We had a wonderful stay as a group of a dozen persons, eating twice deliciously in the restaurant and enjoying the very nice service and most of all the beauty of the whole area, which really reminds you being in a park. In this case, the word "Ressort" really is not exaggerated. I am already looking forward to come back and spend even more time there.

I didn’t propose here. I didn’t get married here, or spend a honeymoon, or celebrate an anniversary. But i could have. I fell in love with the hotel as someone ever possibly could. From the moment I arrived, it just had the feeling that if you were with the right person, everything would fall into place. The vibe is calm, beautiful, and intimate in a way that makes you slow down and pay attention. The view, the light, the water, The way you look across the dinner table to the rest of your life. You could propose here and it would feel effortless. It's the kind of place you could come back to every year for the rest of your life and it would be a life lived with no regret. my idea of a perfect day would be to have a slow morning breakfast somewhere in the morning fog hidden among the Italian cliff side. Spend all day together on the boat exploring the Italian treasures of Lago Maggiore. Park the boat at the private dock at relais. Have dinner under the setting fire blazed sky and linger underneath the stars and candles until we need sweaters and each other.