Grand Hotel Majestic

“Fantastic holiday”

It was our first time in Verbania and in this hotel and we were not disappointed. If you are looking for a quiet holiday in a romantic location, I'd really recommend it. The hotel is situated close to the centre (with mainly restaurants and cafes, not many stores) and directly on the lake in whic… more

It was our first time in Verbania and in this hotel and we were not disappointed. If you are looking for a quiet holiday in a romantic location, I'd really recommend it. The hotel is situated close to the centre (with mainly restaurants and cafes, not many stores) and directly on the lake in which one can swim (the hotel has an indoor swimming pool as well). It is a very impressive family-owned old building, truly 'majestic'. We were upgraded to a maisonette suite (5th floor) with a terrace and fantastic views on the lake and the Borromeo islands opposite the hotel. The bedroom and bathroom were situated upstairs, and the living room downstairs. What has proven rather impractical was that the wardrobes were downstairs (there are only a few shelves upstairs) and there was no mirror there. So you may be walking up and down until you are happy with your looks - you can also look at yourself in the balcony window but it's not the same. The bathroom also lacks a magnifying mirror. The hotel has one upmarket restaurant for lunch and dinner with really delicious food. Breakfast was varied but I found strange that around 15 minutes before the end of breakfast, food was not replenished and sometimes the food was being taken away even 5 minutes before the end of breakfast. And at times we had to ask the staff to bring food that was missing even earlier. Otherwise service was great throughout the whole stay. In addition, we met the hotel General Manager a few times; he was very friendly and helpful, personally making sure the guests are happy. We took two trips - to the Lake Como (Como town) by car and also to three Borromeo Islands by boat. Both trips were very interesting and the locations are worth visiting, particularly the islands. Overall a great experience although the weather was not the best - it kept changing and it was raining a couple of days but was still warm.

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“Nice hotel on the lake”

We stayed there at the end of August : The hotel is magnificent: the reception hall, the terrace and the garden with lake view are very picturesque. The room itself, with side lake view and balcony was OK. We paid for an upgrade to have a balcony but it’s not really worth it as it was on the street… more

We stayed there at the end of August : The hotel is magnificent: the reception hall, the terrace and the garden with lake view are very picturesque. The room itself, with side lake view and balcony was OK. We paid for an upgrade to have a balcony but it’s not really worth it as it was on the street side. The mattress and pillows were too firm to our taste. The pool area and water was warm , the lounge chairs in the garden were nice. We tried the massage provided at the spa which was a nice experience. The sauna would need to be renovated as the lower bench was broken and could be dangerous. The only negative point would be the parking situation : the hotel makes you pay to “privatize” the street with a plastic sign… not very sure it’s fully legal, the only advantage is that your spot is guaranteed but I honestly think that if you don’t pay you would still have a space…

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“Picturesque location, stunning grounds, excellent location and 5 star staff.”

We spent 5 amazing nights at this nostalgic, belle epoque style Italian grand hotel in July 2024. The hotel is really well located only a 5 minute walk from the shops and restaurants of Palanza but far enough to not feel "in town". The setting is stunning with beautiful lakeside grounds, ample and … more

We spent 5 amazing nights at this nostalgic, belle epoque style Italian grand hotel in July 2024. The hotel is really well located only a 5 minute walk from the shops and restaurants of Palanza but far enough to not feel "in town". The setting is stunning with beautiful lakeside grounds, ample and comfortable sunbeds that don't feel crowded even when the hotel is full and sun all day (due to its location) with picturesque sunsets. In addition to the view across the lake to Stresa, there is a spectacular view to the tiny Isola San Giovani - only a 25 metre swim from the hotel's private access to the lake via a small beach at the front of the gardens. The hotel facilities include luxury spa with indoor pool and well kitted out gym. There are so many activities accessible around the lake - boat trips to the islands and other towns, water and inland activities and the hotel has a large fleet of electric bikes to explore the well marked trails around the lake. The front desk were very helpful and thorough in understanding what we wanted to do or eat and then arranging trips and restaurants tailored to our wishes. We were lucky enough to stay in a beautiful corner suite with front and side terraces but there are panoramic views of the whole lake from all of the front facing rooms and even the partial lake view rooms have stunning views of the lake and the town due to the position of the hotel at the tip of Verbania. Meanwhile, what really set this hotel apart for us was the service-oriented culture of the staff from the front desk, to concierge, to restaurants to the lakeside staff and housekeeping. This culture is clearly led by example from the top down by the incredible hotel manager, Thomas Schmidt. He made the effort to get to know the guests when passing in the lobby and in the garden relaxing areas etc and took a real interest in them, without at any stage being overbearing or intrusive. This really made our stay for us, with Thomas even phoning the front desk on his day off as we were checking out at the end of our stay, to wish us a nice onward journey! If I had to be critical of something (if not to just show that this review is genuine), some of the older rooms are a little tired, but this is reflected in the price and I understand a refurbishment is planned for the winter 2024/25 season. We will definitely return to this picturesque and relaxing lakeside paradise.

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