Grand Hotel Des Iles Borromees

The hotel is absolutely beautiful & well maintained in every detail. Kudos to the gardening staff for the magnificent surroundings bathed in the scent of jasmine. Spa experience (massage & facial) was excellent. My lake view superior room was lovely, clean. I’d think twice before staying here again for 1 reason: the sub-standard food. We dined at Il Borromeo 3 times & none of our dishes were hot nor prepared as ordered. They came out of the kitchen too quickly after ordering so we gathered they were pre-made. One night we ordered Wagyu steaks, medium rare. They were thin cut, served COLD & medium well; vegetables & sauce also stone cold. Sent them back & received well done meat. Sent that back & ordered the tagliata steaks, medium rare …got medium. The cacio e pepe was lukewarm, veal without flavor. The carbonara was also lukewarm & sticky rather than creamy. Bread was hard & lacked flavor. As for the breakfast served in Il Borromeo all the various croissants were dry (so disappointing). The lone bright spot for dining is Le Bistrot — the poolside snack bar! Great food there. Other small things need work: water bottles not replaced during our 4 day stay, no mint at turndown is odd for a 5-star, CNN not working even though we reported it twice. At check in Reception did not have a record of my pre-booked spa appointment & said *I* should call the spa to confirm. (Umm, no, that’s your job, Sir.) Restaurant staff more concerned about breaking down tables than serving guests.

The staff were very friendly and accommodating. Concierge staff were very knowledgeable. We love staying at this hotel. We love the town of Stresa and would love to come back.

Amazing property!!!

We had a great time. The best 5 Star hotels do it effortlessly and this was a great example of it. Buffet breakfast was fresh and lots of choices. Amazing view from the room- worth the extra $$. Would stay here again.