See below for the negatives - everything else was fine.

Unfortunately there was a strong bad smell coming from the bathroom in the evening. I assume that the tubes are old and plugged, but maybe a bit of clearing out of those old tubes would help to clean out blockages and eliminate at least some of the smell. At breakfast, it would be nice if the bowl of "fresh" fruit was o n l y fresh fruit, without adding canned ones with its sugar water for filling. The elevator button lights inside the elevator and on the 4th floor didn't work, an electrician should look at them. Some of the towels are getting too thin and should be replaced by new ones.

Our stay was perfect ...the hotel is a lovely hotel full of character and with an immediate warmth and homely feel. We had a room for 3 so our son could join us . The beds were very comfortable and everything spotlessly clean. The room had a view onto the lake with a small balcony and it was amazing seeing this every morning.. magic with the lights at night. Despite this very quiet . Breakfast was plentiful and excellent and dinner too...The set menu changed every evening and was very good indeed The entire staff made it all so special. We were greeted so warmly every evening and we all loved every moment of our stay. We will certainly return..a memorable stay thank you to everyone at the hotel for making it so wonderful

Nothing!

The check-in was easy and the staff very welcoming and helpful. We hired a car drove to the hotel, so we could park for free at their sister hotel just along the road. Very easy. The room had great views, although we did notice that the water pipes were very noisy when our neighbours had showers. A minor issue, but worth pointing out. The swimming pool they mention is again at the sister property, which is a beautiful hotel with lovely facilities and less than five minutes walk along the road. The hotel is very well located and within an easy walk to the jetties where boats and water taxis pick up. The town of Stresa literally on your doorstep.

As mentioned, the noisy water pipes were a little irritating, leading us to put earplugs in when we slept. Other than that, no other complaints.

Our stay at Hotel Milan Speranza Au Lac was lovely experience. The room in which we stayed was fantastic, with a breathtaking view of the lake. The breakfast offered by the hotel was excellent, with plenty of choices to cater to various tastes. The hotel's location is another significant advantage. Situated directly on the lake and just a two-minute walk from the ceter of the city, it was incredibly convenient for exploring the local attractions, dining, and shopping. The staff at Hotel Milan Speranza Au Lac were very welcoming and helpful, providing excellent service throughout our stay. Their friendliness and willingness to assist with any requests made us feel right at home. Private parking was available, which added to the convenience. However, it is located at another hotel nearby. A useful tip for future guests is to first use public parking (relatively small fee) just in front of the hotel before checking in.

The only minor downside to our stay was that the area can be quite busy and a bit noisy at times. This is understandable given its prime location, but it's something to keep in mind if you're seeking a completely quiet retreat.

Fabulous location to transport to the lake and boats and to shops and restaurants. Staff were exceptionally helpful with recommendations and directions to help where more specific knowledge was required. Lucia (front desk) was a standout person in her language skills, helpful attitude and pleasant personality. The breakfast was great from the fabulous coffee made to order and tasteful local cold its, cheeses, fruit and bread… we also had a table overlooking the lake. Perfect memory. We will return.

Room a little small and twin bed option was all we could get, but it didn’t matter given all the other excellent features of this beautiful old style hotel

The room was clean and renovated. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Location is excellent - right in the city center.

The mattress was very uncomfortable. There were two separate ones on a big bed, creating a gap in the middle where I kept falling during the night. Another unpleasant surprise was a queue in the restaurant on Sunday morning to be seated. The staff did their best to clean the tables as quickly as they could but still people had to wait around 10-15 minutes for a table.

Location, breakfast with good American coffee. Small single room inside the triple room was excellent. Restaurant staff were super professional, fun and helpful.

Our room was not what we booked, so we had to make a fuss to demand what we asked for. The two ladies at reception were so bitter and rude. Poor things. The shower was a bathtub and could be slippery and dangerous. The breakfast tables and chairs in the secondary tower are super beautiful but very heavy and bulky.

Staff very helpful with every enquire. Main ding room staff great, Rafa attended to every need. Menu was good, loved the duck, veal, fish, sweets variety great. Pasta a bit too aldante for us. Size of servings pleantiful. Hotel local and views from both 602 and 314 superb. Loved our stay and would come again. Apart from issues in “we didn’t like” section below would highly recommend this hotel.

Breakfast could have had a bit more variety ie: good sausages and fried tomato. Bed mattress in both rooms were very hard. Ended up with sore hips and shoulders. Room 314 was very cold. Had to get an extra blanket. Room 602 was fine. Warm because it got the daily sun exposure. Aircon - had to ask front desk to turn it on there so you could use it in your rooms. It only worked on cooling, does not warm rooms so that is why we needed an extra blanket to keep warm in bed

The hotel is in a beautiful area with lots of swimming and restaurants nearby. We loved stresa. The hotel is a tiny bit old and has that classic grand hotel vibe. The bedspreads and carpet could use an update. But the staff was really nice and we enjoyed the stay. There is free parking in a safe garage at a nearby hotel and it was free to bring my dog. The pool access is also at hotel Regina which is next door. Breakfast was wonderful with a lot of options and fresh squeezed orange juice. Overall we loved our stay

The carpets in the hotel seem a bit old. Would have been nice if they had slippers in every room because of the carpet. The comforter also seemed a bit old. But our mattress was new and the bed and sheets were super comfy.

We enjoyed our top-floor Balcony room overlooking the lake ( room 546 ). We sat out there at every opportunity and fortunately the weather was wonderful. The dinning experience, two dinners and breakfast each morning, was fantastic and wine was very good and reasonably priced. Carmelo and the team, including Natalia, were fantastic with a welcoming smile on every occasion. The lactation was great, walking distance to everything including the boats and old township.

The room sound proofing could have been better.