Selva 2

As an owner, I don’t agree with calling this building a hotel. It’s a private apartment building, and using its name that way is misleading and simply incorrect.

The balcony view was great, and the room itself was nice, with a modern kitchenette and bathroom. But the bed was already broken, so you kept sinking into the middle, and there was no indoor dining table or chairs despite the available space. The only place to sit and eat was a little wooden garden set on the balcony, and it was really uncomfortable. We also had no internet for the first three days. It was included in the booking, but we only got it after asking. The woman who gave us the keys was friendly, though she spoke only Italian, so communication was difficult. The complex pool was closed several times. It also seemed to be a public swimming pool rather than one belonging to the complex. If you want to spend the day at the beach, this probably isn’t the right area, since there aren’t really any nice beaches nearby. On the plus side, the food and ice cream were good everywhere, and the islands and botanical garden are worth a visit.

The best part was the terrace, with its great view of the lake. The apartment itself was horribly dirty, though, worse than anything we’ve experienced: the floors, bathroom, and kitchen were all dirty, and the mattress smelled incredibly bad. We were there in August. The complex was okay and fairly well located, about a 3 km walk to town, but the swimming beach was tiny and rather dingy. We preferred going to Cannero.

We were satisfied and relaxed by the end, mostly because we spent so much time outside on that huge balcony enjoying the amazing view of Lake Maggiore. The holiday apartment is lower standard, but it has some style. It looks okay at first, though on closer inspection a lot seems hastily renovated and a few things didn’t work at the start. The location near Verbania gives you a fantastic lake view. You can drive right up to the well-secured complex, which is beautifully landscaped, and each apartment has a parking space.