Grand Hotel Menaggio

Breakfast was included and excellent, and the room service every day was amazing. The rooms are gorgeous, WiFi was easy to use and worked great, and the location is wonderful. My husband and I visited in early September and didn’t need AC overnight. We just opened the windows a little before bed to let in the cool air, and I’m from Texas and love AC! The staff at Grand Hotel Menaggio went above and beyond. We went to the bar on Wednesday night and there was a piano player. The energy was so fun. I can’t say enough good things or recommend it enough!

We loved having drinks by the pool during the day, then seeing the pool area turn into an evening bar with live music at night. The hotel was extremely clean, breakfast was excellent, and the staff were friendly and helpful. The location is amazing, just steps from the Menaggio ferry docks, which made it easy to get around during the day. My husband and I were sad to leave. We’ll definitely be back and recommend it to friends and family!

The rooftop room was comfortable and fairly modern, but a few things interfered with a relaxing stay. High panels on the balcony blocked part of the lake view, the air conditioning was noisy and not very effective on lower settings, and the bathroom lights turned on by themselves at night and woke me. Small issues, but they did affect the experience. My ratings: location and view 10/10, rooftop room 8/10, common facilities 8/10, value for money 8/10. The hotel sits right on Lake Como, with a peaceful, romantic feel. The lobby and shared spaces are nicely set up for relaxing, whether on the terrace facing the lake or beside the open-air pool. Breakfast was fresh, varied and delicious, one of the highlights. Staff service was mixed: some were warm and welcoming, others less approachable and professional. Housekeeping really stood out for being attentive and efficient, keeping the room spotless with a smile. The breakfast team were friendly and caring too. It’s a lovely option if you want a prime location and inviting common areas. If you’re expecting modern luxury, the rooftop room may not meet those expectations.

The main hotel areas were okay, and the location was decent, though noisy beside the ferry. Still, it was steeply priced for what it offered. The crowd seemed quite old, the hotel didn’t feel luxurious, and even the WiFi was weak. It left us disappointed and brought down our Como experience. I guess you can’t believe everything on social media or in Google reviews. I’m a frequent traveller and can accept a historic or outdated hotel if it’s clean and has a good atmosphere. We booked a small room expecting no frills, but ours was disgusting: old, dirty carpet, black mold in the shower, peeling wood and wallpaper in the wardrobe, and a hair on the pillow when I pulled back the covers. I also ordered an Aperol spritz by the pool and found a long, dark hair floating on top. What’s with all the hair here? The attendant never returned to the pool, so I wasted money on a cocktail I couldn’t drink. The front desk also didn’t make the restaurant reservation I’d asked for 10 days in advance, despite confirming they had. An hour before our booked time, after we’d checked in, they called to say it was “canceled.” Later that evening, the restaurant was fully open, which was strange. At every turn, staff seemed bothered to help us. We chose this hotel during our Menaggio stay because it had glowing reviews, a 4-star rating and a decent social media presence, so I’d expected better.