The Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées looks exactly like a Lake Maggiore palace should: a cream façade on the Stresa waterfront, an Italian garden laid out in 1863, white and gold salons, and Isola Bella floating just offshore. Hemingway came to Stresa in 1918 and later wrote it into A Farewell to Arms, and today the old palace adds a large modern spa and park pools. My one-line verdict: a complete, classic grand hotel, best enjoyed slowly, with the islands as your daily outing rather than a list of sports.
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Quick facts: Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées and Spa
- Location: Corso Umberto I, on the lakefront of Stresa, Piedmont, facing Isola Bella and the other Borromean Islands.
- Rooms and suites: around 170 rooms and suites, in lake-view and garden-view categories plus junior suites and suites, among them a Hemingway Suite. Published counts vary between about 158 and 179, so ask the hotel for the current figure.
- Price level: high, generally below the top Lake Como palaces, with lake-view rooms and suites priced well above garden-view rooms.
- Season: mainly spring to autumn. The hotel has closed in winter in recent years (it was closed in January 2025), and tour operators list a three-night minimum stay in high summer. Ask the hotel for exact 2026 and 2027 dates.
- Nearest airport: Milan Malpensa, roughly 55 km, about 50 minutes to an hour by car.
- Best for: couples, spa breaks, garden and island lovers, and golfers who want a classic base near two courses.
Check prices and availability
The price gap between garden-view and lake-view rooms is significant, and summer weekends fill early. Compare categories for your dates before you commit.
A short history: 1863, the Simplon and Hemingway
The hotel opened on 21 March 1863, built by the Omarini brothers on land facing Isola Bella, which is where its name comes from. Antonio Polli designed the park, and some original trees still stand. After the Simplon tunnel opened in 1906 the hotel grew: the veranda was enlarged in 1908 and three floors were added in 1911 and 1912, giving it today’s Belle Époque silhouette. It is recognised as a Locale Storico d’Italia, a historic venue of Italy.
Ernest Hemingway came to Stresa in 1918, aged 19, while recovering from wounds received as a Red Cross volunteer on the Italian front. Stresa reappears in A Farewell to Arms (1929), where Frederic Henry and Catherine Barkley stay before rowing across the lake to Switzerland. The hotel celebrates the connection with the Hemingway Bar and a Hemingway Suite; that he slept in that very room is best treated as hotel lore.
Location and getting there
The hotel sits on the lake road a short walk from the centre of Stresa, with the islands directly in front. A small public beach area lies across the road, Stresa station is roughly 500 metres away (about a ten-minute walk), and the main boat landing in the centre of town is around 700 metres along the promenade.
- By air: Milan Malpensa is the obvious gateway, roughly 55 km and 50 minutes to an hour by car. The hotel arranges private transfers from Malpensa, Linate and Turin Caselle; ask for the current price when you book.
- By train: Stresa is on the Simplon line between Milan and Domodossola, so you can arrive without a car and walk to the hotel.
Combining lakes? Our Italy travel planner covers transfers, trains and car hire.
Rooms and suites
This is a traditional grand hotel, not a minimalist redesign. Expect thick carpets, draped fabrics, period-style furniture and marble bathrooms, many with whirlpool baths. Most rooms have a balcony or terrace, and the view is the single biggest factor in what you pay.
- Garden View rooms: about 20 m², facing the park and the hills behind the hotel. Quieter and better value, but you lose the island panorama.
- Lake View rooms: about 22 m², with the islands in front of you. These are the rooms most guests come for.
- Junior Suites Lake View: about 30 m², with a seating area and a lake-view balcony.
- Junior Suites Deluxe and Suites: the grander end, with darker wood panelling and richer fabrics, up to the Hemingway Suite. Sizes and layouts vary, so ask the hotel for floor plans.
Dining
- Il Borromeo: the white and gold dining room with arched windows over the lake, serving Mediterranean and Piedmontese cooking with local produce. In summer tables move out to the front terrace. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are offered. Long trousers are expected for men at dinner; a jacket is not compulsory.
- Le Bistrot: poolside lunches, snacks and aperitifs in the park, open in the pool season.
- Hemingway Bar: the place for a dry Martini before dinner, with a piano bar atmosphere in the evenings.
- Breakfast: an international buffet served on the lake-facing terraces in good weather, with gluten-free options.
On Michelin: I could not find a current star for Il Borromeo in the 2026 guide, so book it for setting and comfort rather than for a gastronomic pilgrimage. Half board is available.
Check rates at Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées
Spa and pools
The Des Iles SPA is the hotel’s strongest modern asset. It has been renovated and expanded to around 3,000 m² and is split into several parts:
- Oasis Pavilion SPA: an indoor and outdoor pool with hydromassage beds, sauna, Turkish bath, hammam, a snow cabin and a Kneipp path.
- Floating Pool: a sensory-deprivation pool using Epsom salts, plus a private spa for couples.
- Med and Beauty Lab: aesthetic medicine, trichology, traditional Chinese medicine and nutrition consultations, alongside massages and facials.
- Fitness: a Technogym gym with yoga and meditation sessions.
Access to the main wet areas is listed as included for hotel guests, while treatments cost extra. Children may use the spa with their parents in set daytime hours (published as 9am to 4pm); check current rules with the hotel.
Outdoors, Le Piscine nel Parco is a naturalistic pool complex in the garden, opened in 2021, with waterfalls, hydromassage beds, neck jets and a diving board. It is typically open from mid-May to mid-September, weather permitting. Note that day guests can also buy access, so on hot weekends it is livelier than the rest of the hotel.
Sport and activities
This is not a sports resort, but it is a good base for gentle sport around the lake.
Golf
As we explain in our guide to the best golf resorts and golf hotels in Italy, the hotel is the classic base for golf on the Piedmont shore of Lake Maggiore. Neither course belongs to the hotel, so ask the concierge to book tee times and a car, and check visitor handicap rules.
- Golf des Iles Borromées: an 18-hole, par 72 course of about 6,100 metres at Località Motta Rossa, Brovello-Carpugnino in the hills above Stresa, with lake views. Opening months vary between sources, so check with the club before you plan a round.
- Golf Club Alpino di Stresa: a nine-hole club at Vezzo above the town, founded in 1924, short and hilly, open roughly March to December.
Comparing lakes? See our guide to golf hotels on Lake Como.
Tennis
Several tour operator listings mention a single tennis court in the grounds, but the hotel does not promote it. Ask the hotel to confirm it before you book. Serious players should look at the best tennis courts on Lake Como.
Boats and the Borromean Islands
The real activity here. Public ferries run from the Stresa landing to Isola Bella, Isola dei Pescatori and Isola Madre, and private boat taxis wait on the promenade; Isola Bella is only a few minutes across the water. The Terre Borromeo season for the palace and gardens of Isola Bella and the botanical gardens of Isola Madre reopened on 12 March 2026 and runs into the autumn; Isola dei Pescatori, a fishing village with restaurants, is accessible all year. A private half-day boat from the concierge lets you beat the day-trip crowds.
What’s nearby
- Villa Taranto, Verbania: large botanical gardens across the Gulf of Pallanza, easily reached by boat.
- Rocca di Angera and Parco Pallavicino: a medieval fortress on the Lombard shore and a garden park with animals just outside Stresa, good with children.
- Lake Orta: the village of Orta San Giulio and its island make an easy half-day trip by car.
- Piedmont beyond the lake: if you are continuing south, read what Piedmont is actually famous for.
Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées vs the Lake Como classics
Most travellers weighing this hotel also look at Lake Como, about an hour away. Our guide to where to stay on Lake Como covers the full field.
| Hotel | Location | Standout | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées | Stresa, Lake Maggiore, about 55 km from Malpensa | 1863 palace facing Isola Bella, 3,000 m² spa, park pools, two golf courses nearby | Spa and island holidays, classic grand hotel lovers |
| Villa d’Este | Cernobbio, Lake Como | Renaissance villa and gardens, its own historic 18-hole golf club about 12 km away | Golfers and lovers of a legendary name |
| Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni | Bellagio, Lake Como | 19th-century villa on the point of Bellagio, Relais and Châteaux, refreshed pool and beach club | Couples who want a walkable village and boats in every direction |
In short: Villa d’Este is the choice if golf is central, Serbelloni if you want Bellagio on your doorstep, and the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées if you want the spa, the islands and generally gentler prices than the Como headliners.
Who it suits, and who it does not
It suits:
- Couples who enjoy period grandeur, long breakfasts and an aperitif with a view.
- Spa lovers who want a large, well-equipped wellness area without leaving a historic hotel.
- Garden and island enthusiasts, and literary travellers following Hemingway.
- Relaxed golfers happy to drive to a nearby course.
It does not suit:
- Travellers looking for contemporary design or a boutique feel: this is a big, traditional house.
- Food-focused trips: there is one main restaurant and no Michelin star that I could confirm.
- Serious tennis players or anyone wanting on-site sports academies.
Charlotte’s tip: pay for the lake, then use the morning
Take the smallest lake-view room rather than a larger garden room here, because the view of Isola Bella at breakfast is the whole point. Then take a private boat to Isola Bella as the gardens open, spend the afternoon in the Oasis Pavilion and finish with a Martini at the Hemingway Bar.
Practical tips
- Booking: expect a minimum stay of three nights in high summer (listed for mid-May to early October in 2026). Confirm whether your rate includes spa access and what half board covers.
- Best rooms to request: lake-view rooms on the upper floors with a balcony, or a lake-view junior suite. Ask to avoid rooms directly above the lake road if you are a light sleeper.
- Season: May, June and September are the sweet spot: gardens in flower (camellias and azaleas in spring), warm water in the outdoor pools and fewer day-trippers than August. The hotel has closed in winter in recent years, so ask the hotel before planning a winter stay.
- Dress: smart casual. Men should pack long trousers for dinner at Il Borromeo.
- Kids: children are welcome and enjoy the park pools; spa access for children is limited to daytime hours with a parent.
Check prices and availability
Compare garden-view rooms, lake-view rooms and junior suites for your dates on Lake Maggiore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Hemingway stay at the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées?
Hemingway visited Stresa in 1918 while recovering from his war wounds, and the town appears in A Farewell to Arms. The hotel honours him with the Hemingway Bar and a Hemingway Suite.
Is the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées open all year?
Not usually. It has closed in winter in recent years, including January 2025. Ask the hotel for exact opening dates for the season you are planning.
Is there golf near the hotel?
Yes. Golf des Iles Borromées (18 holes, par 72) at Brovello-Carpugnino and the nine-hole Golf Club Alpino di Stresa at Vezzo are both in the hills above Stresa. The concierge can book tee times.
How far is the hotel from Milan Malpensa airport?
Roughly 55 km, or about 50 minutes to an hour by car. The hotel can arrange private transfers, and Stresa also has a direct train line to Milan.
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