Hotel Pestalozzi Lugano

Hotel Pestalozzi felt like a step back into the 90s, but it was spotless and clearly well looked after. We stayed on the top floor for New Year's Eve, with a spectacular view and a front-row look at the fireworks over Lugano. The staff made the experience, with warm, professional, and genuinely helpful personal service. The food was decent and convenient, too. We loved our stay at this welcoming place with such great views.

The location and hospitality made for a great stay. My one wish was that the shared bathroom had been inside the room. Even so, it was a great experience. Thank you!

I asked ahead for a room without steps, and they arranged one for me. I noticed some other rooms did have steps, so I'm glad I checked. The staff were lovely and helped with everything I needed. The hotel sits by the park at the edge of the town center, making it a handy base for walks around Lugano, and there are a couple of car parks nearby. My only complaint was the noise from toilets flushing in rooms above and, I think, next door. It wasn't nice to hear in the middle of the night. I'd probably stay here again if I came back to Lugano.

For what we paid, I expected more. The hotel is near the beautiful lake di Lugano, within easy walking distance, and the owners keep the building in good shape. Our top-floor room had three beds; they were comfortable, and the windows kept outside noise down. The bathroom felt cramped, though, almost as if something had been taken out of it. The air-conditioning unit was old and dusty. Breakfast was okay, with ham, cheese, yogurt and jams, but little variety, and for some reason the hard-boiled eggs were cold. Parking was tricky: there are about five spaces by the hotel, and we were lucky to find two or three free. There's also an underground car park about 100 m away.