Swiss Diamond Hotel Lugano

We stayed at this hotel regularly for 7–8 years, once or twice a year. The spa and especially the restaurant have always been excellent — the restaurant staff consistently recognized us and were warm and welcoming. Unfortunately, this does not apply to the reception. We were never recognized. We overlooked this for years — until our last experience. We booked two rooms for January 1st about a month in advance and received written confirmation. The confirmation mentioned renovation works and accommodation in another building — which was fine. At no point was there any indication that the booking required additional confirmation. On December 31st, we suddenly received an email stating that both rooms were cancelled because we allegedly failed to confirm the reservation. No prior reminders or requests were sent. I immediately called the hotel, but was simply told that the hotel was now fully booked and nothing could be done. Very disappointing and frustrating, especially after many years of loyalty. This experience strongly suggests that long-term guests are not valued.

My family and I had a truly unpleasant experience at this hotel, which failed to meet even the most basic standards of service. We were lost just 15 minutes away from the property and requested assistance via their shuttle or a taxi—services they claim to offer to all guests. Despite informing them that we had a 30-month-old child with us, it took over two hours and six phone calls before they finally sent a taxi. This delay caused unnecessary stress and discomfort for our family. The staff were unhelpful and poorly informed. They lacked basic knowledge of the city and showed little interest in assisting guests. We even spoke with the hotel owner, who introduced him self His attitude was equally disrespectful.and he was very rude and refused to talk about the situation. The receptionist openly stated she didn’t care about what happened and continued to blame the taxi company, refusing to take any responsibility. Inside the room, the amenities were shockingly minimal for a 5-star property. Only two basic Nescafé sachets were provided—no tea bags. If you enjoy a hot drink, you’re better off bringing your own. Additionally, the hotel is isolated, with no nearby supermarkets or restaurants, except for their own, which were underwhelming.

Don’t be misled by the hotel’s online photos of the lakefront. The main building actually sits across a busy road, separated from the lake. Only 4 rooms are directly on the lake, so if you pay extra for a “lake view,” expect traffic noise and a parking lot in your line of sight. Ironically, the hotel’s parking lot has one of the best views, directly overlooking the lake. Unfortunately, there is no inviting indoor common area with a lake view for guests to enjoy. The most beautiful restaurant, which could easily serve that role, is closed most of the day—an opportunity the hotel really should rethink. This property does not live up to 5-star standards. The interiors are outdated, in need of renovation, and the carpet in my room was badly stained, which felt unacceptable at this level. The gardens and the main restaurant—heavily showcased on the website—are indeed lovely. However, guests cannot order food or snacks while sitting by the lake (apparently due to a local regulation). The restaurant with the best views serves only dinner, not breakfast. Breakfast is served on the street level with no view. During the day, snacks are limited to the bar across the road, which is dark and dated. This fell far short of the relaxing holiday atmosphere I expected at lakeside. Wellness facilities were also disappointing: the sauna was out of order, the indoor pool is tiny and hidden away in the basement, and the outdoor pool was uncomfortably cold. The one pleasant surprise was the complimentary shuttle to and from Morcote, a beautiful village where parking is very limited. Breakfast was mediocre—more in line with a 4-star property. Fresh-squeezed orange juice and Parma ham were available, but only upon request. At this price point, those should be standard offerings for all guests. Overall, given the high rates and the actual experience, this hotel does not deliver on its 5-star promise, and I cannot recommend it.

Spent 4 nights at the Swiss Diamond Hotel. It was a fantastic experience. Giorgia & Davide ( two waiters ) made our stay very comfortable and went out of there way every time we dined in the bar. The hotel, location and view is breathtaking. Would happily recommend to anyone.

We have just spent five days in Swiss|Diamond Lugano and overall we enjoyed it very much. |The views from the balconies are amazing. The tranquility and fresh air is wonderful. Beds and bedding are really nice. Breakfast is excellent with good coffee and it also offers a great variety of included options and some for purchase. Parking is free. ||For a Swiss five star hotel, a few things nevertheless surprised me;|@ Admittedly, we only tried the pool restaurant once, but we quickly decided to use the restaurants in the nearby towns and villages instead. The food was ok but very expensive considering the quality. |@ Maid / housekeeping services were not impressive. For three consecutive days we had a dead bug on the floor and only on the very last day coffee and water was replenished in our two rooms without we had to ask for it. |@ Bathrooms are spacious with all amenities. In room 324, however, we needed to ‘mop the floor’ every time after showering because the glass ’wall’ was not close enough to the side of the tub.

Ripped us off on room rate . We paid in full and the next day they reduced the rate by half. Terrible. Very upset. This is not good for tourist relations in Switzerland. Left us with a bitter feeling

Stayed in May this year. It was perhaps very luxury a few years ago, but it needs a lot of work. Breakfast isn’t great, the restaurant brought out the wrong meal for my fiance - mistakes happen. But rather than offer to keep my food warm until hers was ready I was told I need to eat mine otherwise I will need to eat my dinner cold. Service generally pretty poor, not made to feel particularly welcome. Then, there was no air con in the room despite being advertised on booking.com as having air con. First night in the hotel I barely slept, 29 degrees C outside, similar inside. After a night of very little sleep I spoke to reception in the morning . I advised them that the air con did not work and that I needed air con in our room as it was very very hot. I was told the air con could not be switched on without consent from the neighbours. (Meanwhile there was aircon in reception), but because our complaint was not the first that weekend they would “look into it” We were offered a very loud mobile aircon unit for our second night as a solution. So the room was somewhat cooler, but it was like sleeping near to a Boeing 747. On exiting the hotel in expressed my disappointment with my stay, I was not prompted to ask how my stay was. I advised the property that despite having stayed in numerous 5 star hotels at a similar price point in Europe, I had been left very disappointed by this establishment. We were offered a €50 discount on a €1100 stay and that there was no possibility of a further discount, unless we agreed to come back and stay again. Safe to say I will never return to this hotel. Poor service, overpriced, really disappointing

-both receptionist Carla and Maria are poor in service and they gave false information, one of them said she does not care . -the towel heater in the bathroom of the room does not work , we were not able to dry our swimming suits.more over there was leakage from the isolating valve with black dirty water when we tried turned which cause to dirt the swimming suits and pajama. -the G.M of the hotel is manipulative ,rude, lier and he claimed he is the owner of the hotel. - the maintenance technician does not speak English at all. -the edge of the swimming pool is slippery duo to use poor smooth epoxy paint , my toddler slipped few times despite I was holding his hand in two hours only. - there was two insects next to us on the wall next to the glass while we were having our breakfast .

Had a lovely time here for 2 nights at the tail end of our trip. Sofia at the front desk was very helpful, even before arriving. She allowed us to be picked up at the Melide train station outside of the normal shuttle hours which was helpful. We were greeted nicely and had our bags taken care of and we were allowed to use the facilities because our room wasn't ready yet which was nice. The lake is lovely and you can swim in it. There are also boats for rentals, I just wish they had kayaks. Our first room was initially very low and only gave a view of the parking lot but one quick call to the front desk fixed this easily and we were moved with no trouble. The room itself was fancy and felt very royal. I had two amazing nights of sleep here as the bed was so comfortable. We also received very soft robes. The spa was great as well, I just wish some lights were working in the hammam and that the hot tub was hotter. We opted for massages and these were wonderful - there was also fruit infused water available at the spa and throughout the hotel which was refreshing. The breakfast buffet was also delicious and offered a variety of options + champagne. We did not dine at the restaurant, however as the hotel is located about 10-20 minutes walking from Morcote so we ate there most nights. It was easy to access with bus and the hotel shuttle. Overall, the hotel is a little older and not as modern as some hotels but it still felt classy and was a great stay. I am giving this 5 stars due to the service of the front desk, but I do think a couple of items could have been fixed (making sure all the lights work in the spa, the ladders to the lake were a little dingy and some screws could have been tightened). Overall, I still recommend this place to anyone going to Morcote!

Five STARS all the way from staff to accommodations, they go above and beyond to please the guests at this hotel. Amenities are 5 stars as well. The pool area is beautiful, they have two restaurants, fitness center, spa and so on. A true diamond on Lake Lugano. A live piano player at 7:00 PM in the bar, nice parking with attendance, places to park/yacht if you arrive by water. It caterers to the rich and famous and the fashion world since it is so close to Milan. If you an opportunity to stay here ENJOY!