Ostello Verbania

Pretty property. Large building, large garden with swimming pool. The room had what it needed. No more no less. Simple and efficient breakfast buffet. Close to the center on foot. The path can be complicated when it rains. Small clarification, you will have to pay an additional €1.50 per person with tourist taxes on arrival. This corresponds to registration fees for the association to which the hostel is a member (you will see you will have a form to complete upon your arrival). This is indicated on one of the Booking pages, but relatively discreetly and it is not repeated on arrival. And to answer the response I got on my Booking comment, when I talk about dishonesty, it wasn't about whether it was indicated or not, but more about forcing people.

I'd read reviews of Ostello di Verbania on this site when I was planning my trip to Italy. There were one or two which almost put me off, claiming that the rooms were not clean. I went ahead, anyway, and spent three nights in a ten bed dormitory. I found the dorm and showers to be exceptionally clean, spacious and airy. There's a nice view of the lake from the hostel, and the garden is a tranquil place to relax (unless the gardeners are there with their petrol mowers and strimmers). The location is good, and the walk back to the hostel from the centre of Verbania is pleasant, and doesn't take long at all using the cobbled path from the main road near Parco Di Villa Giulia. The reception staff member was great; very helpful and friendly, and she spoke far better English than I do Italian. Tip: Consider taking a bus for a few Euros from Piazza Antonio Gramsci in Verbania to Omegna, the vibrant little town at the Northern end of Lago d'Orta. I took a ferry from there down the lake to Orta and Isola San Giulio.

If you have the right amount of acceptance towards the basics in life, this place is really all you can wish for. It has just about the best view, quiet, and location you can get at this price. Normally, they also give a very ample breakfast. Because of corona times, this was not the case this time. But, the place never loses its spartan charm. During warmer months, you can be stuck with some kindergarten school trips happening. But if not, this place offers tranquil moments in empty dorms, that make you appreciate the place so much. Again, such a location, such a view and such a price… Unbeatable