Marconi Lake View Apartment in Baveno

The house has an elevator, which mattered because my 85-year-old father struggles with stairs, and it also made getting suitcases upstairs easier. There’s gated private parking at the property. We stayed for seven days, but the Wi-Fi only worked for two before stopping completely. That pushed up our mobile phone bills, which was really annoying. Both bedrooms have air conditioning. The setting is lovely, with a magnificent lake view, a large terrace, and a wonderful garden with a pool. The terrace has a table and six chairs, but it was shaded from midday onward, so anyone wanting sun could use the garden. The apartment is rented through the second floor, while the third floor is private. This two-bedroom apartment has a double bed, presumably 160 x 180 cm, in one room and two single beds in the other. I wish I’d known the setup beforehand so I could bring suitable bedding. There were only two duvets, each about 140 x 180 cm, so bedding for those needs to be brought along too. Towels and bed linen can be rented separately or brought from home. Renting everything is probably easiest. I don’t like having to fight over a duvet in the middle of the night, and was glad I was alone this time. Otherwise it would have been an unpleasant night. There’s no bedside lamp, so bring one if you need it, and there’s no indirect lighting. The only exception was the patio light in the empty neighboring apartment, which stayed on day and night. I wanted to plug a multi-socket extension into the bedroom, but only flat plugs fit, not round ones. The kitchen is very basic, with a mini coffee maker and kettle. There is a dishwasher, but bring or buy your own tablets if you want to use it. One of my parents’ last wishes was to visit Lake Maggiore. They’re both over 80 and like sending lots of pictures of their day’s adventures. We really enjoyed the house’s location, the magnificent view, and the beautiful garden and pool. We’d definitely come back, and I’ve already recommended it to two other couples.

We stayed by the lake at the end of October, when heating was already necessary. Getting the air conditioning controls on the wall panel right was a bit tricky, since the instructions were in Italian and weren’t very intuitive. We managed to sort it out in the living room, but not in the bathroom. Some guidance about the heating system would have helped. The apartment itself is lovely, well equipped enough, and ideally placed for walking into town, with a great view of the lake. A few things cost it a star: there was just one duvet for two people, which was impractical, and each flush sent water splashing across the bathroom. In the kitchen, there was only one outlet for the toaster, coffee maker, and kettle, with no counter space. There was no whisk, and the small pots had no lids. None of this was a major issue on its own, but together it led me to take off a star.

We stayed a week and found plenty of lovely walks in the area. The view was quite nice, and the pool made for a really pleasant stay. The apartment was clean and very nice, though not especially spacious, with some pretty good amenities. I’d recommend it to someone whose needs are modest.

The apartment is well cared for and furnished with good taste, and the view across the lake and bay is breathtaking. It was easy and pleasant dealing with the agency. Highly recommended.