Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LAKE MAGGIORE & AROUND
Lake Maggiore has a reputation for glamour, for the kind of grand belle époque hotels on
the lakeshore that have drawn Europe's rich and famous for a century. Many of these hotels
remain, but there are plenty of enticing midrange options to even things out a little.
Lake Maggiore West Bank
Hotel Elena€
( 0323 3 10 43;
www.hotelelena.com
; Piazza Cadorna 15, Stresa; s/d €60/85; )
Adjoining a cafe, the old-
fashioned Elena is slap-bang on Stresa's central pedestrian square. Wheelchair access is
possible, and all of Elena's comfortable rooms, with parquet floors, have a balcony, many
overlooking the square.
HOTEL
Hotel Belvedere€
( 0323 50 32 02;
www.pallanzahotels.com
; Viale Magnolie 6, Verbania Pallanza; d without/with lake view from €99/
110; )
Set in a lovely waterfront, 19th-century building right next to the Verbania Pal-
lanza boat landing, the Belvedere is a fine Lake Maggiore base. The rooms are well-sized,
come with free wi-fi, and service is at once friendly and professional. It's worth paying ex-
tra for a room with a view. It also has a couple of other hotels nearby that set a similar
standard.
HOTEL
Hotel Pironi€€
( 0323 7 06 24;
www.pironihotel.it
; Via Marconi 35, Cannobio; s €110-120, d €150-190; )
In a 15th-cen-
tury mini-monastery (later home of the noble Pironi family) high in Cannobio's cobbled
maze, Hotel Pironi is a charming choice. Behind its thick-set stone walls lurks a beautifully
restored excursion into the past, with antiques sprinkled about, frescoed vaults, exposed
timber beams, stairs climbing off in odd directions, a frescoed breakfast room and an as-
sortment of tastefully decorated rooms, some with lake views.
HOTEL
Hotel Cannobio€€€
HOTEL
