Grand Hotel Bristol

This review is based on the fact that we immediately coughed up another €180 for 3 days to avoid the horror story that is the rooms at the back of the hotel. I can only imagine the disappointment for those poor residents. This is a hotel that will wow you from the front, but let you down once you're inside. It's a beautiful old building, that's for sure. Very grand and you can imagine what this place would have been like back in the day. But now... Now it's a tired old place with hilariously quirky electrics and a feeling that you're being overcharged at every turn. Like I say, we were so outright horrified with these "rooms at the back" that I called reception and asked what they could do. They very kindly gave me some options for a lake view. €60 a day. As we were only staying for 3 days, I decided to go for it, and I really don't regret that. The views were fantastic. We were able to enjoy a drink on the balcony over the lakes. The staff were fantastic throughout to be honest. Really friendly and a nice atmosphere throughout the hotel. The breakfast buffet was also superb for us. Not a fan of buffets, but they kept things refilled regularly, and the options were a plenty. You can sit outside too, and enjoy the day... Which we did! There's a good indoor pool there, and very below-average "gym"... If you can call it that! Outdoor pool looked nice. Astroturf, which upset my wife! But the place was also riddled with things that left a sour taste. Beer was €10 for a half-litre, and tea was €5. Punchy numbers. Add to that the fact you get a small bottle of water on day one, and that's your lot. No tea/coffee facilities in the room, and it's €5 a day to hire a kettle! WHAT?!?! TV was tiny (not that it really bothered us). I suspect their electrics is straining, which is why they try and keep the wattage down. Quite often we'd press a light switch and it would turn on different lights. Most odd! It's also quite a stroll to the shops and restaurants. We don't mind a stroll, but it's a lengthy 15 minutes to get close to anything. I hope they take a hard look at things there. It needs a rethink. It's just not as grand as it thinks it is. Not right now anyway.

This is a large imposing hotel from the street with lovely gardens and pool. Unfortunately it falls apart when you enter your room. We had a tint double room at the back of the hotel - so small in fact that we had to place a chair from the room onto the balcony to be able to get into bed. Bathroom was small and very average. Breakfast in the enormous dining room had a good selection but very average quality. Many, many tour groups. We had one dinner and again just okay. Much better options available in Stresa

Just back from an excellent three nights at the hotel, excellent location with great views across the Lake and mountains. Worth having the Lake view rooms with a balcony, but excellent views from the side too overlooking the pool and distant views. A traditional hotel, with the occasional hint of ‘Fawlty Towers’ in some of the ‘rules’ and quirks, but all well intended. Food at the total wasn’t great for us, breakfast buffet had a very good range, but hot buffet was cold and each day very busy with several coach parties and a conference whilst we were there. We eat at the hotel the first evening and found the menu limiting but there is a very wide range of good restaurants within a 15 minute walk. Great location for exploring the area and Milan area.

This hotel is situation right on the lake front in a run of large, traditional hotels. Being the furthest hotel away from the town be aware this is a good 'stroll' outside to Stresa town, maybe a 20 minute walk, so if anyone has mobility issues (as my wife has) this may not be the best option. Apart from that the hotel is wonderful. Yes, you could call it faded grandeur, or unspoilt tradition. But it is a hotel on a grand scale. There is an outside (and inside) pool with a bar and loungers. A small point is the loungers may have passed their best and are not particularly comfortable in my opinion. We had a lake side balcony room. While not huge it was perfectly adequate for two people with a very comfortable bed. Another small point - the bathroom does feel dated. There is a very high bath where the shower is located which again proved difficult for my wife to get in and out of. But again this was not a major problem. We had seen some negative reviews of the breakfast at the hotel. We thought it was a fantastic buffet selection. Yes, it's continental of course, but there is everything we needed, from fresh Orange juice to a (limited) offering of fried food (Bacon, Scrambled eggs, Sausage, etc). With a vast range of breads, croissants, meats and cheese plus cakes and pastries etc. Lovely sitting outside over looking the lake at breakfast. The staff were all very friendly and efficient. Very nice bar and the drinks were not too expensive. On a side note we had never been to Stresa before and thought it the perfect place for a relatively quiet break. Lot's to do, and the Islands on the lake are beautiful places to visit. We really enjoyed our 4 night stay and will look to return as my wife's mobility problems improve. Highly recommended.