Villa Orselina - Small Luxury Hotel

This hotel has the most friendly and thoughtful staff! Not only is the place magically beautiful but the amenities are fantastic. Spent a morning in the spa, indulged myself. They set up a boat rental for us and we saw the entire lake! The breakfast buffet was fab and the restaurant for dinner was 5 stars!

Villa Orselina is an SLH gem. The rooms and suites are lovely - serene decor, king sized bed, terrace with magnificent view, excellent shower, Nespresso coffee maker and lots of little extras. The spa facilities are relaxing (and massages were excellent), the pool and grounds are stunning and give many comfy places to relax in sun or shade, the fragrance of flowers everywhere is delightful, and of course there’s the incredible lake-and- mountains view and wonderful cuisine. The fitness room is well equipped, although a little crowded with equipment…but you get to work out with “the view” and can open the large window wall for fresh air. The hotel staff was so welcoming and helpful (especially with planning the next day’s activity), and everyone in the hotel and restaurant provided an exceptional level of service. There is so much to do in Ticino, while still experiencing il dolce far niente. Absolutely love it here - we have been to Villa Orselina 3 times and look forward to coming back again. (We opt for half-board and are always wowed at dinner - gourmet dining that isn’t stuffy thanks to the hospitality of the restaurant manager and staff, and the chef is excellent (well deserving of the 15 Gault Millau points).)

What a serene property perched high on a hill overlooking the beautiful Lago Maggiore! Perfect blend of tradition and modern, comfortable rooms with large terraces, excellent food, incredibly beautiful flowers everywhere and the best and friendliest staff. I wish I could have stayed longer but I’ll definitely be back, this is a hotel that feels more like home.

Beautiful hotel with panoramic views of Locarno and Lake Maggiore. The staff at the hotel are absolutely amazing, kind and efficient. The rooms are spacious, very comfortable and clean. The food is spectacular!! They have a beautiful outdoor pool and garden area that offers a real tranquil atmosphere. Easily accessible from Locarno city center by funicular but you can also walk down a beautiful nature path, which we really loved to do each day. An absolutely amazing hotel that I highly recommend!!

This hotel sits above Locarno, which is easily reached by the funicular about 100 m away. They were very nice and let us see 2 or 3 rooms to select the one we liked best. 111 was our choice, it was above the garden and private. The swimming pool at this hotel is very good, heated to just the right degrees, 28 it has full sun all day and lots of soft lounge chairs, many in secluded areas. There is a pool restaurant and it was a nice salad and sandwich we ate there. Our bathroom was very unusual with a fabulous shower with incredible water jets and pressure, but the toilet had a fan that went on every time you sat down, that was annoying. We also ate 3 times in this one other restaurant which is also the breakfast room. We were not happy with most of the meals here, except the 1st one which was the mixed fish grill. That was a generous and nice dish of 4 fish varieties. We both lost weight eating nightly meals at the hotel but as it was a heatwave it was too much trouble to go down to the town and get back so we just stayed in the hotel. We lost weight as the portions of the main course portions were SO small as to be utterly stupid..and miserable. One night we waited 1.30 hours for our mains and were so hungry can you imagine how we felt when we received a tiny bowl of spaghetti and only 4 tagatellie as they wouldn't make it a main dish for me...... Apart from the unacceptable delay we found the restaurant so uncomfortable as it had NO AIR-CONDITIONING AT ALL ANYWHERE EXCEPT IN YOUR ROOM. even there it was pathetic, number 2 was high not number 3 and no one told us, I was so confused and found out on the 3rd day after calling reception as I thought the housekeeping kept turning it down but in fact they were turning it UP, from 3 to 2! The bed was a 3 star hotel mattress and the sheets were not up to a 5 star standard. I'd never return as, it was so hot in our room and all public areas. Maybe for winter or autumn. I cannot say or agree that this is a 5 star property, believe me it isn't. Small portions of food will Not get you a Michelin Star. Glamorous views are not enough for a 4 day's stay.

A beautifully kept Hotel in gorgeous grounds with spectacular views over Locarno, Lake Maggiore and the surrounding mountains. As a small luxury Hotel this means you are never crowded out of the amenities. We especially loved a long and lazy breakfast in the sun on the restaurant terrace. All of this is enhanced by the staff who make you feel entirely welcome, it is their pleasure to serve and treat you as though you are the only guest in the Hotel. This was my fourth stay along with different members of my family since 2013 and I cannot wait to return. My thanks to you.