Hotel Royal

We got an economy room with a side view of the lake instead of a double room with a lake view. The breakfast is bad, no drinks available if the restaurant closes after breakfast at 6:30 PM. Instead of a room of 19m2 as described, it was not even 10m2 and a bathroom of 1x2. For €371 per night, we feel really ripped off.

We stayed at this hotel when the previous owner, Mario, ran it. Then it was a cozy and very good family hotel with an excellent breakfast and where you could eat in the evening. Since about a year the hotel has changed hands and what has it changed in the negative sense!! We never saw the owner. The rooms are a bit outdated but very clean. The pool was neatly maintained but the black, plastic sun loungers are very uncomfortable. For more than 1 hour one cannot lie on it or your back is broken. Too bad they outsourced breakfast and dinner to someone else. Breakfast is downright BAD! Fruit juice that tastes like nothing, always the same cheese that tastes like plastic. If you come after 9 o'clock you have almost nothing! Nothing is replenished and the fruit lies rotten for days!! Even the yogurt has no taste. The managers are unprofessional, the lady who clears and sets the tables sighs constantly and looks sloppy. Dinner is mediocre. Nothing special! Tuesday the restaurant is closed and we were not informed in advance. So that day you can't get anything from drinks at the pool. You could get yourself some water from the fridge downstairs. We will NEVER go back.

Our group of eight stayed during the heatwave of June/July (38-40 degrees) so very grateful for the (very shallow) swimming pool (with complimentary pool beds/towels) in which to cool down. Rooms are on the small side but all with much-needed AC and a perfectly adequate bathroom and storage, and we enjoyed a lakeside view. The large beds were brand new with fantastic mattresses. Breakfast is included and offered a selection of pastries, charcuterie, eggs, yoghurt etc. Couldn’t fault the staff but particular mention to Vanna and Sophie from the hotel, and Gabrielle in the restaurant who were particularly charming and helpful. No in-room fridge but there is a 24-hour communal fridge near the restaurant entrance where water is available and guests can store perishables. We ate lunch once on the pretty hotel terrace which was possibly the best meal of our visit - amazing risotto, home-made pasta and delicious tuna ceviche. (My only minor niggle is the pool ladder which has only two high rungs making it quite difficult for those less able to get out easily.) The hotel has vastly improved since our last stay here over 15 years ago and all the best for continued success to the new owners. Unless you are particularly fit and it’s cool, I wouldn’t suggest walking from the hotel to Menaggio town. Down is relatively easy but the route back is very steep, windy and not particularly pleasant with the erratic driving but if you have a car, there’s free parking at the hotel. Taxis are available to Como, Milan etc. but expensive and scarce. Otherwise the location is just ideal: quiet, peaceful and surrounded by greenery. Highly recommend if you’re after a no-frills stay.