Hotel Belvedere Locarno

The hotel is slightly above the town and has lovely lake views. It is very smart, clean and stylishly decorated. We had a suite and it was very clean and comfortable. Breakfast was excellent and there was plenty of food, which was regularly replenished, despite the hotel being very full over the weekend.

The reception staff were fine but not very friendly. They sit down below a big desk so you don't make eye contact as you go back and to through reception which makes them seem more remote than is helpful. The barman, when he eventually arrived in the bar, on the one night we ate in, was useless, too busy trying to make jokes instead of doing his job and actually giving you the drink you want. The waiters that night were typical hotel waiters, looking busy but doing little. The food took ages and was not brilliant. There are many lovely restaurants nearby as we soon found out. Also we were very disappointed not to be able to relax in the garden on Saturday afternoon because it was let for a wedding reception from 7pm. It would have been fine to ask hotel guests to leave at 6pm but they messed about setting up tables etc from about 3pm which was not at all relaxing for those of us who tried to sit it out. They actually had very little to do to set up and should have let their hotel guests enjoy this facility for longer. The room rates are significant so to have effectively sold the use of the garden twice that afternoon was not acceptable. Also when we left we asked the hotel to book us a taxi down into town. It isn't far and we usually walked but it was hot and we had our bags. When we arrived we had had a taxi and it cost 8 francs. The one the hotel booked charged 15 francs which is ridiculous for such a short journey. He drove like a lunatic. He might not have been one of the hotel's staff but they booked him so his service reflects on the hotel.