Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées: Unique Belle Époque Luxury on Lake Maggiore

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I’ve stayed in some pretty swanky places over the years, but the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées overlooking Lago Maggiore in Stresa wins the prize for the most gorgeously appointed hotel I’ve encountered as an artsy traveler. I’ve rarely seen such loving attention to detail or such dedication to showcasing the arts.

From the sumptuous lobby with its Murano glass chandeliers, marble statues and period furnishings to the themed artworks lining the corridors on each of the six floors, this grande dame on the shores of Lake Maggiore is a must-stay for anyone who travels for the arts.

And bonus for Artsy Travelers, Hemingway slept here. I joined his ghost for a glass of wine in the Hemingway Bar overlooking the lake.

On the two sparkling clear days in late October that I stayed at the hotel, the views captivated from dawn to dusk. No wonder people have been coming to the Italian Lakes for R & R since Roman times.

Disclosure: My stay at the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées, including dinner, breakfast, and a spa treatment, was hosted by the hotel. As always, opinions are my own.

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Quick Facts: Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées

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Arriving at Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées

In our jaunty red rental car, we crept down the wide switchbacks leading from the top of the hill down to Lago Maggiore shimmering in the autumn sunshine. We turned left at the lake and, moments later, drove through the imposing columned entranceway to pull up at the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées.

As expected at a luxury hotel of this calibre, the excellent service began the moment we entered the lobby when a valet cheerfully took our keys and parked the car in the free underground parking lot.

While checking in, I admired the chandeliers, the frescoed ceilings, and a reception desk straight out of a murder mystery set in the Belle Époque.

Lake View Room

Our Lake View Room was on the 4th floor and, as promised, it had an amazing view over Lago Maggiore that included all three islands: Isola dei Pescatori, Isola Bella and Isola Madre. The room itself was not large but it was well appointed, and my favourite feature was the large walk-in closet/dressing area.

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A Grand Hotel Built for Travelers

The Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées was built for tourists from day one. Construction began in 1861, the same year the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, and the hotel opened in 1863. Stresa was already a stop on the Grand Tour, and once the Orient Express began stopping here on its way north toward Switzerland, the town became a fixture for well-heeled travelers.

Why Stresa? The climate, for a start. This corner of Lake Maggiore is mild enough for palm trees, which is one reason visitors have been coming here since Roman times. Add the placid lake, the hotel’s world-class spa services, and the three Borromean Islands a short boat ride offshore, and you have an ideal location for getting away from the stresses of modern life.

Simona Salvini, who works with the hotel and welcomed Gregg and me on arrival, told me over a drink in the Hemingway Bar that the way the hotel faces the lake is considered especially calming in Chinese tradition.

A Historic Building, Lovingly Maintained

The hotel is a protected historic building, so nothing changes without the approval of Italy’s heritage authorities. The rooms are all different but share the same Belle Époque style, designed from the outset for the comfort of holiday guests.

Keeping a place like this gleaming takes work. The hotel closes for December and January every winter for maintenance. To give you an idea of the scale, it takes five people to clean a single chandelier.

Hemingway Slept Here

The hotel’s most famous guest is Ernest Hemingway, who stayed here in 1918 while recovering from wounds he received as a Red Cross ambulance driver in the First World War. He drank his martinis in the bar that now bears his name and where Simona and I met to chat about the hotel.

A decade later, Hemingway set part of A Farewell to Arms at the hotel. Frederic Henry and Catherine Barkley hide out here before rowing through the night up the lake to Switzerland. Local lore says he wrote some of those scenes here, but he wrote the novel in the late 1920s, mostly in Paris and Key West.

Today the Hemingway Suite takes up half of the first floor and hosts prime ministers and princes. It was occupied during our stay, as was every other room. Even in late October, the hotel was fully booked, which makes booking well in advance of your visit essential, particularly during peak holiday periods.

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The Real Star: Six Floors, Six Artistic Themes

Here’s what sets the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées apart from every other grand hotel I’ve stayed in. Each of its six floors has its own artistic theme, and the corridors are lined with works that bring that theme to life.

When I met one of the owners on my second day, she told me that her husband personally curates the art on all six floors. The result displays a remarkable curatorial breadth and intelligence. Most of the works are reproductions of ancient pieces and old masters that have been recreated by hand by working artists. There is so much to look at.

The shame is that most guests only see their own floor, and some may not even realize the floor has a theme. The clue is above each floor’s elevator, where a sign announces the floor’s theme. Here is the sign above the fifth-floor elevator indicating the art on display is inspired by ancient Greece.

Viewing the Art

Take the elevator to the sixth floor, walk the corridor, then take the stairs down and do the same on every floor. Simona took Gregg and me on exactly this tour before dinner, and it was full of surprises.

Sixth Floor: Ancient Rome and Pompeii

This floor was hands down my favourite, perhaps because it included some of the pieces from Pompeii and ancient Rome that I recognized from museums. I’ve got a soft spot for Roman art, and while the ones on display here are not originals, their imagery captures the colourful joy of so many works from that period.

Fifth Floor: Ancient Greece

The works on the fifth floor also captivated me. The theme is Greek vases, and the attention to detail in the reproductions is amazing.

Fourth Floor: 17th-Century Military History

We stayed on the fourth floor, where the theme is military history. The first clue was the Roman breastplate sitting on a table in front of the elevator.

A feature on all floors and for every room are the wood inlaid doors, each displaying a design consisting of musical instruments. When I met one of the owners on my second day at the hotel, I was told that each door is hand crafted. As mentioned, the attention to detail at this hotel is astonishing.

Third Floor: Baroque

What’s a hotel in Italy without some space devoted to Baroque art? Beautiful plates, elaborate statues, and lots of exuberant ornamentation.

Second Floor: Venice

Simona shared that this floor is her favourite, mostly because of the incredible collection of Venetian fans. The work on this floor rewards close scrutiny, especially the details of the fans, most of which are originals.

First Floor: The Renaissance

More guests will see the first floor than any other floor apart from the floor they are staying on because it’s where the hotel’s magnificent spa is located. Fittingly enough, the theme is the Renaissance.

Here’s a young Lorenzo de’ Medici riding into Florence. You can’t get more Renaissance than that.

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The Des Iles Spa

If the art is the hotel’s surprise, the spa is its pride. At 3,000 square meters, it’s one of the largest in Italy, and it goes well beyond the usual massages and steam rooms.

This is a medical spa. Guests come for a week to reset: to lose weight, detox, rebalance, or tackle inflammation and low energy. Each program starts with a medical check-up, and the team includes three doctors and a nutritionist. Simona told me the chefs, doctors, and therapists spent a year working together to develop the programs, which blend Western medicine with traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic treatments.

Programs run from a three-night Fast Detox to seven-night stays focused on longevity (Lunga Vita or Long Life), anti-aging, and Health and Beauty, the spa’s signature weight-loss and toning program. Simona says weight-loss guests typically shed around seven pounds in a week. Prices start at about €1,500 per person for three nights and €3,300 for seven, based on a double room, all-inclusive.

My Signature Spa Treatment

I was treated to the spa’s signature massage, Lake Soul Ritual, an 80-minute treatment designed to evoke the lake itself: water, birdsong, stones, and wind.

It begins with boughs of rosemary drawn slowly across your back while warm oil drips on. It was an unusual sensation, but very pleasant. The soundtrack was a highlight: birdsong and lapping waves, far more evocative than the usual spa music.

Next came a thorough full-body massage with long strokes and good pressure, followed by hot stones (lots of hot stones). That was my favourite part. I’m not sure why hot stones work so well, but they really do absorb tension, leaving my usually tense muscles feeling soft and relaxed.

Then I turned over and the sequence repeated, with one surprise: a vigorous abdominal massage, a first for me. While unexpected, it felt good. The treatment finished with a facial massage using cold stones, which I also loved. It turns out that cold stones are just as effective as hot stones.

The massage was relaxing enough that at one point the stone placed in my left hand slipped right out and landed on the floor with an ungodly clatter. My competent masseuse was unfazed. I should imagine my dropping the stone was a testament to her skill at relaxing me.

My verdict: this is a massage for the senses rather than for knots. If you want an experience built around sound, scent, and touch that suits the setting, this is it.

The Pools and Wellness Circuit

After a day on the islands, I spent a blissful hour working through the spa’s wellness circuit, a dozen or so options ranging from a traditional sauna and steam room to a hammam, a series of revitalizing showers, an ice room, and my favourite, the music pool. I floated and listened and relaxed, which is pretty much the whole point.

Upstairs, there’s also a Floating Pool so rich in Epsom salts that you bob effortlessly. The large indoor pool flows out to the open air, where there’s also a whirlpool.

In summer, three outdoor pools open in the park: one with a diving board for the athletic, one with whirlpools and waterfalls, and a naturalistic pool designed to evoke the South Seas. Le Bistrot, the pool bar, handles lunch and sunset cocktails.

If you’re a water baby, this is your place.

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Dinner and Breakfast

Simona hosted Gregg and me for dinner at Il Borromeo, the hotel’s restaurant, in a dining room sparkling with mirrors, crystal, and Murano chandeliers. In warmer weather, you can dine on the terrace overlooking the lake. Non-guests are welcome too, and the kitchen handles everything from gluten-free requests to the spa’s own low-calorie menus.

My steak was incredibly tender and flavorful, and Gregg, who wasn’t feeling 100%, was happy with a hearty bowl of minestrone. We all indulged in dessert; mine was a Bavarian cream with basil, which was excellent.

The conversation was as good as the food. Simona has a Ph.D. in English literature and a passion for art and history, so we had plenty to talk about.

Breakfast is set up as a series of market stalls, with tasty food and lots of variety. The highlight for me was the fresh honeycomb. I had generous helpings of it with my yogurt on both days we stayed at the hotel.

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The Gardens and Grounds

The gardens bloom year round, and a stroll along the paths takes you past some very old trees and plants.

A highlight is the series of four sculptures, each representing a world region: the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Africa. While Simona and I were there, Beethoven’s Ode to Joy played while the fountains did a dance. The sculptures were just as striking at night.

The grounds also make a spectacular setting for celebrations. The hotel hosts Indian weddings, with ceremonies for up to 300 guests in front of the lake, and there’s a completely soundproof disco tucked away in the basement of the hotel.

Thanks to its easy access, about 45 minutes by car from Milan Malpensa Airport (or by helicopter), the hotel also hosts international summits and royal families. Guests come from France, Italy, the United States, Russia, and well beyond.

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Who Should Stay Here

Art lovers, for sure, should make a point of staying here while visiting Lago Maggiore. Few hotels anywhere put this much thought into what hangs on their walls. It’s also a natural fit for anyone wanting a serious wellness break, and for a milestone celebration where only a grand hotel will do.

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Tips for Your Stay

• Tour every floor. Start on the sixth floor and work your way down by the stairs.
• Have a drink in the Hemingway Bar, ideally a martini, for literary reasons (I had white wine, but I’m not a gin fan).
• Save an afternoon for the spa’s wellness circuit, especially the music pool.
• Walk the lakefront after dark to see Isola Bella lit up.
• Boats to the Borromean Islands leave from the Stresa waterfront, a short walk from the hotel.
• Save time for nearby Rocca di Angera, a 13th-century fortress with original frescoes, and the botanical gardens at Villa Taranto.

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Book Your Stay

Book your stay directly with the hotel or through booking.com.

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Recommended Novels to Read Before You Go

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Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées FAQs

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Final Thoughts

The gilt, marble, and chandeliers are admittedly a lot. If you prefer sleek and modern, this is not your place. But if you also value excellent service, an almost supernatural attention to detail, and endlessly beautiful vistas, I recommend booking a few nights at the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées.

The hotel is surprisingly affordable. I’ve paid much more for a mediocre hotel room in Vancouver, London, and Amsterdam. While our first night was generously hosted, we paid only €275 for the second night, which, considering the level of luxury, was a bargain. That price even included one of the best hotel breakfast buffets I’ve ever had the privilege of browsing.

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