Hotel La Palma - Stresa

10

My husband and I stayed for 5 days at Hotel La Palma in early October '09. We highly recommend it. Perfect. It is a very classy hotel with extremely attentive staff whether on reception, bar, breakfast as well as the maids and also the garden and maintenance staff. At check in we were offered an upgrade to a Lake view room with balcony instead of the room booked, a superior with side lake view balcony. I am glad we agreed to the upgrade as the modest cost was worth the outstanding view of the lake, islands and mountains. Being the only hotel with a swimming pool on the lake shore must make it a very desirable spot in August and other hot months but even so we had plenty of sightseeing to do. It is a wonderful place for anyone wanting to experience the magic of the Italian lakes. The hotel balconies are walled and like an outdoor room. They are very private, whilst affording wonderful views and are comfortably furnished. The bedroom and bathroom were both spacious and stylish. All sections of the hotel were meticulously clean and attended to. The lovely front garden overlooking the lake has a plentiful supply of very comfortable outdoor chaises, chairs and tables all under large market umbrellas and this area too is cared for and serviced. The gardens were very beautiful in full bloom and we noticed the hotel always got a lot of attention from casual passers-by due to it's glorious show of flowers and the overall presentation and attractiveness of the hotel and surrounds. The breakfasts at La Palma were excellent, with both hot and cold food available and the greatest choice and variety I have experienced anywhere and many staff to look after guests needs. A large silver urn of fresh fruit was also set out every day. The hotel is placed in a convenient spot in the middle of the lake promenade and is an easy 5 minute walk to the Ferry station and the town centre or a ten minute walk to the train station or 15 minutes to the cable car.

9.9

We stayed at La Palma for 6 nights and were very satisfied. Clean and luxurious with a fantastic view of the the lake and Isola Bella. We had no complaints and would stay there again any time.

8.9

Hotel offered to let us upgrade to a lakefront room for a fee which we chose to do. Hotel staff was very helpful, surroundings were beautiful, breakfast was good and we enjoyed our stay.

9.4

beautiful location;loved restaurants on isola pescatori;lovely drives in the hills above Stressa;stresa small but charming; not much shopping but the views over the water made up for any problems; hotel very nice; staff very helpful; concierge helpful with booking restaurants and other suggestions

10

excellent hotel . A real 4*

6.8

The restaurant's employees didn't smile,they were too strict, too rigid. Most of the customers were very old

9.6

Excellent hôtel, superbement situé, nous y retournerions sans hésiter. Un sel défaut; la petitesse de la piscine par rapport au nombre de clients. (quasi impossible d'accéder à un transat...).Petits déjeuner superbe, face au lac.

10

It was the best stay we had in a hotel. We can't forget the kindness of the staff and their efforts to make our time unforgettable. Marvelous hotel, marvelous place. Fantastic.

8.9

C'est notre troisième séjour dans cet hotel. Nous en sommes toujours satisfaits: emplacement en centre ville , qualité du service et gentillesse du personnel. Buffet copieux et varié. Chambre donnant à l'est sur un panorama sur le lac et les montagnes aux couleurs changeantes de toute beauté.Baignade possible à la piscine ou dans le lac.

5.7

We had a lake side juniorsuite. It's view was so wonderful as we expect. The only pity is towels were shorted and bathtub was not clean by the mistake. The hotel is near the boat stop,many restaurants and of cause the Lake.

9.4

Un hotel très bien situé, aux chambres spacieuses et accueillantes, tout comme le personnel de la réception qui se montre courtois et qui fournit de très bons conseils. A recommander.

9.5

Simple chic is how I would describe the hotel. The staff is friendly and shows interest in hotel guests' experiences in Stresa. A brilliant holiday!!

7.6

This was our first time in Stresa on the recommendation of a friend. In late October, when we went, the season is really wrapping up with many sites closed at the islands. It was still beautiful, though, and one benefit is that there are no crowds. La Palma, where we stayed, is very well run and the staff superbly kind and helpful. Prices are a bit steep but that's somewhat expected from such a tourist destination. We did stay at a Junior suite to have a bit of extra space and it was definitely worth it. Just as paying the extra cost for a lake-facing room.

10

La Palma is a wonderful little hotel. The staff was extremely pleasant and helpful. The room was spacious & clean and actually had a large and wonderful selection of cable TV channels - for a change. The view from the balcony was breathtaking. We had a wonderful stay at La Palma.

8.2

We went for the first time to stresa and this hotel. We only regret the localisation of the swimming pool on the other side of the road.

10

1st visit. piano music in outside garden. great view. good location to town and boat docks. large clean room

7.3

l'hotel Palma est un 4* sans surprise,chambres spacieuseset tres propres.tres bonne literie. prendre absolument une chambre avec vue lac.le le lever de soleil sur le lac est magnifique. restaurant tres correct,mais évitez la carte des désserts,catastrophique! mini bar tres limite pour un 4* a noter: une petite piscine se trouve de l'autre coté de la rue. malheureusement,les animaux de cie ne sont pas les biens venus. je recomande c'est hotel pour un séjour de courte durée.

8.3

This was the first time we had stayed at Hotel La Palma and, indeed, the first time we had visited Stresa and Lake Maggiore. We were made very welcome and the hotel was clean and well organised. It is situated on the lakeside and is no more than a five minute walk from the centre of Stresa with its shops and restuarants.

9.1

We stayed in Stresa for two nights in July. What a beautiful place! We flew into Milan and took a reserved bus from the Milan airport to Stresa. The bus cost us 9 Euro each and took us right to the hotel door in about 45-50 minutes. Hotel La Palma more than met our expectations. Front desk staff were polite and efficient and spoke excellent English. After our overnight flight we were happy that our room was ready so early in the day (before noon). We stayed in a lakefront room on the 3rd floor with a balcony and beautiful view. The room was a good size and elegantly decorated, the bed was very comfortable and the bathroom was large and spotlessly clean. The hotel is conveniently located - we walked everywhere (even to the train station with all our luggage when we left Stresa - it was about a 10 minute walk, mostly uphill, but not too bad at all). We ate breakfast at the hotel on both days (included in the room price). It was a buffet that included scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, lots of different breads (a self-serve toaster is available), rolls, cold meats and cheeses, and pastries. Coffee and hot milk were delivered to our table. The dining room has a lovely view of the front garden and the lake, with a removable front window to allow the fresh air in on good weather days. The dining room is very formal, with starched white linens and uniformed servers. Not exactly a warm environment, but the food was good and service was efficient. While the dinner menu at the hotel dining room looked inviting, we opted instead on both nights to take a short walk into the heart of the town for al fresco dining. There are many restaurants to choose from and the atmosphere at these tended to be more relaxed and inviting (to us) than the formal dining room at La Palma. We really enjoyed our boat tour of the islands. We also took the cable car up to the top of the mountain - the weather was clear and bright and we had a fabulous view from the very top (a 20 t

8.3

Breakfast range and quality was poor in comparison with the overall quality of the hotel. Swimming pool across a busy main road isn't ideal and wasn't very inviting.

8.9

Great hotel in a stunning area, very near to the Borromee islands. Excellent and various breakfast. The only negative thing is about facilities: there weren't neither Turkish bath nor tennis courts there.

8.1

Room type requested and confirmed was not available on arrival. We were moved next day to room with side view of lake, again, not as expected, but a satisfactory junior suite, nevertheless. Staff were polite and helpful but slightly remote. Breakfast choice somewhat limited and evening restaurant not to our taste. We would recommend this hotel to mainly older visitors.

8.0

dinner pretty average ,brerakfasts good hotel immaculate .However stresa has some excellent restaurants and good bars and cafes

7.7

It was our first stay at La Palma and at Stresa. I was with my parents and my husband. All of us satisfied with the hotel. We liked it especially its convenience to main place of Stresa and islands, and also its charming rooms. We stayed in mountain view side, hoping lakeside view, even the mountain side were fascinating. Though a little bit higher price than we had planned, we are sure to stay at La Palma again in the near future.

9.0

It is a nice hotel, very good service, nice city, we will be back as soon as we can.

7.9

We stayed in a Double Room. It was very nice even though we did not have a view of the lake. The Sun Lounge on the roof was great with fantastic views.

8.9

La Palma is an excellent hotel, very well located, close to everythin. We were very pleased and certainly will return again.

10

the hotel is centrally placed and the staff were extremely helpful

8.8

Though La Palma has been only a single night pit stop on the trip around Lakes we enjoy the stay and will retun with pleasure on next occassion.

9.0

Nice place, good location. Fairly priced for what you get. Internet kiosk was annoying; farmed out to a third party, kind of expensive. They have WiFi but I was on vacation and traveling light.

8.4

Excellent 4-star, conveniently located, competent, if not particularly friendly, service. The hotel room was exceptionally large for Europe and well-equiped with a lovely balcony and above average bath. My only complaint was that the staff were efficient and efficious--that is less than friendly or welcoming but responsive. Overall I would most definitely recommend the La Palma to anyone wishing to visit Lago Maggiore. The food in the restaurant was bland and the service only adequate.

7.1

Good: - only 4 star hotel with a swimming pool on the lake front - underground secure parking Bad: - 50 euros extra charge for a room with a lake view - horrible breakfast

8.7

La chambre avait une vue magnifique sur Isola Bella. Le repas du soir en demi-pension était copieux et varié.Nous y reviendrons avec plaisir.

10

Superb family-run hotel. Ideal location five minutes from Stresa centre, railway station and ferries. Garden and pool ideal for relaxing by the lake. Would definitely go again.

10

Bellissimo albergo. Ottima posizione. Servizio eccellente con rapporto qualità/prezzo ottimale.

10

Great setting for the hotel. Front rooms overlook the lake.We had a junior suite which exceeded our expectations. Only down side was that I thought the restaurant food was average. We had an evening meal which was mediocre and the breakfast buffet was poor considering how much we were paying. This was the only down side of the trip. Beautiful scenery!

7.9

Hotel was very nice. However, we were a bit disappointed with the half-board dinner menus. Vegetarian options were limited and on one evening the menu included scrambled egg on toast as a main course!

7.5

Lovely hotel which best feature is the lake side pool. Our room (although we were upgraded to a superior for free) smelled musty and of bad drains and the air conditioning was very ineffective. The view from our balcony however, of the lake and mountains, more than made up for this and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Stresa. The front desk staff could have been a bit more helpful at times.

10

We were very impressed with the Hotel La Palma in Stresa and would definitely go there again. The room was very well appointed, the staff were courteous, helpful and friendly. The food was excellent, as were the hotel facilities.

8.8

The hotel was fine, but the beds were not. They needed updating as there was troughs. My husband and I turned them over and upside down and remade the bed, but they had probably had this done before. Also, they charged more for the room than was quoted on this website. I should have had my paper work right there, but I didn't and so only suggested that the room quote was lower.

10

Very comfortable hotel right on the water. The room was an oasis on a hot summers' day.

9.8

The La Palma was a pleasant surprise. The room was large, the balcony overlooked the lake with wonderful views of the mountains. We had dinner at their restaurant and the food was very good as well. I would recommend La Palma for the price!

9.8

We stayed at La Palma for 1 week and found the hotel excellent. the room was very spacious - we paid extra for a lake view but it was worth it- the view was stunning.It was a great location - a short stroll into Stresa town and the harbour for the boats. The pool was right on the shore front which was very scenic. Breakfast was excellent too. The only downside was there was some noise from other rooms but you get that in most hotels these days. Would not hesitate in recommending this hotel.

8.7

Very good hotel, good location, helpful, beautiful views and secure parking. Added to a very enjoyable stay at Lake Maggiore

8.8

It was only a one-night stopover en route elsewhere but I found all the staff very helpful and the facilities as promised.

8.5

My wife and I spent a weekend at the hotel and although the weather was bad, we enjoyed our stay. Generally everything was good but we were particularly impressed with the spaciousness and general comfort of the room, not to mention the balcony with a view of the lake. The staf were efficient and friendly. The large lounge and bar areas were was also nice features. The only negative point for us was the restaurant - there was no atmosphere, probably because of the lighting and bland wall panelling. The food was good but the menu very limited and one night we were asked to take our coffee in the lounge (we insisted on staying at the table) which is not what you would expect at a 4 star hotel. Because it is slightly let down by the restaurant, we would probably try one of the neighbouring hotels next time.

10

We travelled throughout Italy this year and found this hotel to be the most comfortable, picturesque. We enjoyed everything about the hotel especially the view of the lake. It was an easy walk from the train station.

8.4

Très belle vue sur les îles depuis la chambre très spatieuse. Bon hôtel

6.1

Excellent facilities & location, but could not believe room was so noisy for a 4* needs better soundproofing.

10

A wonderful location and the property has fine facilities (dining room, saunas, whirlpools, sun deck, private terraces, pool). Most of all, they have a terrific staff and we had a very lovely stay at a very reasonable price. We highly recommend.

9.5

Hotel La Palma is located overlooking the most breathtaking views of Lag Maggiore. The service and accomodation was excellent. Staff were on hand day and night and the hotel offered a friendly and welcoming atmosphere to all. During our stay the temperatures were in the mid thirties so the air-conditioned rooms were extremely welcoming at the end of a busy day sightseeing.

8.1

It was overall a good stay. The only disappointments were that the "junior suites" are not suites, and the restaurant only serves a rather second rate table d'hote menu for dinner. There is no choice for those not on a FB basis.

9.9

the only thing we would have liked would have been to be able to drink our coffee outside on the lawn after breakfast, we were discouraged from that (also a second free cup of cappucino with breakfast would have been nice). aside from this, everthing was great about the hotel, satisfied with everthing, and would stay there again.

8.3

We felt the position of the hotel being on the lakeside was a definite plus. Overall we felt that the hotel was a bit too formal for us and that there was too many "older" English people staying - we prefer a mix of ages and nationalities. Restaurant was certainly too formal for us to use for dinner and at breakfast would have preferred bowls of fresh fruit salad instead of tinned fruit. Overall we were quite happy with everything and would recommend it to others with certain reservations.

8.5

The hotel rooms are lovely, and that's the most important thing about a good hotel, really. Breakfast leaves much to be desired, but is adequate for a quick pre-trek refuel. The hotel staff were very nice, all spoke decent English, French, and German, and made sure we were well taken-care-of. One downside to this hotel, given its beauty and price-point is that it still retains the outdated system of leaving the room key at the front desk. Most upscale hotels have abandoned this system because it is not safe and is very easy for criminals to play to their advantage. I was very surprised to see that La Palma still does this. Hopefully, they'll move to a card-lock system or similar sometime soon. All in all, this hotel was really lovely. I would certainly go back.

9.3

We stayed one non-weekend night in a Superior Double room. We thought the room cost was expensive but proper for the season and location. We could not have been more pleased with our room overlooking Lake Maggiore. It was a wonderful place to return to after a day of sightseeing in the beautiful Lake Maggiore region. We had a pefectly cooked, delicious steak and meal in the restaurant and enjoyed the night lights around and across the lake. Excellent 4 star hotel.

8.9

hotel very good in all respects except for noise of plumbing in the bedrooms most of the night.

9.1

The hotel was very nice, a beautiful location and more reasonably priced than others nearby. The staff was always very helpful and most desk staff spoke English quite well. They are very responsive by email and booked our shuttle from the Milano airport in advance. We also got some good restaurant recommendations. The only minor downside was that tour buses often stay here so the lobby is jammed with the tour people before evening mealtime and on arrival and then it is hard to speak to anyone. We had a great stay, were in easy walking distance of all of Stesa, the Funivia, boat tours to the island and Baveno.

10

Hotel La Palma at Stresa - has great facilites, staff and location highly recommended.

9.2

this is a lovely hotel. as requested we had a room on the fifth floor with a view of the lake and a spacious balcony. the rooms are beautifully decorated and the public areas of very high quality. the staff are pleasant and helpful. the breakfast was a little disappointing but not exceptionally so. this is quite an expensive hotel, but worth it.

9.8

This is an outstanding hotel. The staff could not have been more friendly and helpful. The restaurant was outstandingly good. I would recommend the hotel to anyone.

9.8

I had a wonderful experience. The hotel was beautiful. I had a full view of the lake from my balcony. The breakfast was in the dining room. The wait staff were in uniform and professional. It was a full breakfast. I really loved this experience. Cheryl Phillips

10

Lovely facility, sublime view of the lake and islands, attentive staff.

9.1

An excellent choice for the money in Stressa. Great location with the added plus of a beautiful swimming pool jutting right into the lake. Request a room on Floor 5 or 6 facing the lake. Balconies are good size and are filled with flowers. Don't miss a short trip to Orta San Guilio - it is well worth it!

6.6

Dining room was not wholly satisfactory - waiters were fine, but managers were inaccurate and uninterested. Internet PC was well used, but needs updating!

9.0

The first room we were assigned was not satisfactory at all. We were, however, given a much better room upon request. If we had to accept the first room, the above ratings would be substantially lower.