Hotel Simplon

Our last trip to Hotel Simplon was in 2016. When we booked this year, we were surprised that we could not book half board, as the food we had previously eaten in the restaurant was outstanding in quality , choice and presentation. This time we could only book b & b and though the breakfast choice was good, there were a few things we thought needed improvement. In particular there were large open bowls of fresh fruit salad which attracted clouds of fruit flies. Surely it would have been possible to cover them. The rooms are beautifully appointed but the first room had no bathrobes nor slippers. The hairdryer on.one level was very temperamental so that we had to climb stairs every time it chose not to work. The staircase was definitely not suitable for young children nor for anyone with mobility issues. The pool was well cared for but on.our first Saturday was packed with Italians who did not appear to be hotel guests . The staff are as friendly and helpful as ever but we felt that the guests travelling with a tour company were treated as the priority guests.

A group of five, we stayed in rooms 348 and 346, the latter a triple room overlooking the pool and Lake Maggiore. The hotel is excellent and worth every euro: outstanding service, smiling and attentive staff, and a level of cleanliness that feels almost from another era. A highlight is the charming tunnel connecting the hotel to Hotel Dino and the lake. With its Belle Époque atmosphere, the walk is an experience in itself. At the lake, there is access to a beach, and swimming in Lake Maggiore is wonderfully invigorating. Special thanks to the entire pool and bar team, And also to the 2 ladies at the Welcome desk. Check-in and out was smooth and quick. The only minor downside is the extra charge for certain services, such as the Fitness Room or €2 for an umbrella on rainy days. It feels slightly unnecessary in a hotel of this standard, although it does not detract from the overall experience. An extraordinary hotel that I would gladly return to on my next visit to Lake Maggiore.

Just returned from a Riviera holiday to Lake Maggiore & the Matterhorn Riviera chose the Simplon hotel as our base for this wonderful holiday , Right from the start the hotel is of a very high standard with marble everywhere and deep plush carpets ,the reception staff had all our keys for our tour group ready and waiting for us on arrival, Our room 424 on the 4th floor with a Lake view and balcony, was very large with a stting room ,2 bathrooms with bath and showers,2 televisions and tea / coffee kettle ,fridge and lots of storage & very comfortable beds, Breakfast was self service affair with lots of choices everything from cereal to fried & cakes & cold meats cheeses,lots of different types of coffees & teas along with fruit juices, plenty of choices , Hotel gas a sister hotel (dino) which we could use there facilities ie the massive indoor swimming pool if you didn't fancy using the Simplons outdoor pool Hotel simplon has a television lounge, a reading room,&a bar where you can get meal during the day , We didn't use the hotel for evening meals as Beveno had lots of restaurants to chose from We wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Simplon hotel it was in our opinion first class

Stayed here as part of an Italian lakes tour. Our final destination. The interior of the hotel is grand and classy. Different story in the rooms. To be fair our room was quite nice with a distant lake view from a nice terrace, but was a bit scruffy. Most of the other guests on our tour were not so lucky, but let them do their own reviews. Breakfast was ok tinned fruit is a bit gauche, best coffee of the tour though. We dined once in the evening and it was disappointing to say the least, food average to poor service incredibly bad. It’s on a very busy road which we found quite exhausting, although you can use tunnels to the very luxurious Hotel Dino Grand (a sister to the Simplon) which is closer to town. Would have given it 3.5 dots if I could.

The hotel is situated on quite a busy road, less than a 5 minute stroll down to the lake front in Baveno. Check in was straight forward, the staff very welcoming and helpful. Unfortunately our room was along z long corridor in a wing away from the main part of the hotel. There is no lift in this wing, but the porters happily delivered our suitcases to the door (and collected them again at the end of our stay). Our room was large and comfortable, with a small side view of the lake and mountains. There is an ipad giving information about the hotel, a TV (not used) and a safe, but no tea/coffee making facilities, luckily we had brought our own. The furniture was rather dated but perfectly serviceable. The bathroom presented a couple of problems, though - the shower (in the bath) leaked badly under the screen which meant we had to do a lot of mopping up each day, and the quick flush on the toilet didn't work so a bit wasteful having to do a full flush every time. Breakfasts were very good with a wide selection of cooked and cold items, cakes and pastries. We didn't eat lunch or dinner in the restaurant but the menu looked good. All in all, an enjoyable stay, but if returning I think we'd opt to upgrade to a room on a higher floor with a better view of the lake.