Riviera

Hi everyone. We stayed at Hotel Riviera after seeing its strong rating on Trip Advisor. Having now stayed there, we wanted to add our 5-star rating to the list. If you’re looking to stay in the area, we’d encourage you to stay there too. Location: The hotel could hardly be better located. If you’re driving, the hotel is minutes from Ticino‘s main A2 motorway, which runs from the Gotthard Tunnel to Como-Chiasso. From the hotel, it’s 10 mins’ drive to Lugano and 35 mins to Como when the roads are clear. Melide train station is a few minutes’ walk away and it’s really useful. The trains take you painlessly into Lugano and Como - avoiding traffic and parking - in the same time as the car. Reaching the hotel by train from Zurich takes about 2h15; it’s about 1h30 from Milan. There are car parks dotted around the village a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. The hotel can give you a windscreen ticket that covers the parking at a reduced rate (ours was 5.- a day) The Melide boat service can ferry you around the towns on Lake Lugano, including the smaller villages like Morcote. Check the timetables carefully as the frequency varies. Food: The restaurant isn’t particularly trendy or flashy – no thumping music or fussy presentation – it’s just a nice place to eat. We always left the restaurant in a good mood. The dining room is cool and airy. It has big windows and epic views out over the lake, and there’s a terrace on the water if you prefer to eat outside. The people who looked after us at dinner were really charming and had a great sense of humour. There were lots of staff around and we never had to wait long when we needed anything. The food is cooked simply and well, and has lots of flavour. We particularly enjoyed the home-made tomato soup, the “costata” steak and the veal saltimbocca. The chips were nice and crispy, the vegetables were perfectly cooked. Breakfast is quite simple; you get a nice continental spread including meats and cheeses, a large, strong pot of coffee and hot milk. Exactly what you want on holiday. Room: Our room was excellent. It was a good size and flooded with light from the large windows. There was a small balcony, table and chairs that faced straight out over the water. There was little noise from the street to disturb the peace. The bathroom was also spacious and bright and there was a proper bath we could use. The beds and pillows were fresh and comfortable. Staff: As with most hotels, TripAdvisor shows a mix of positive and negative comments about the team who run the Riviera. We only ever found the Luchina family to be friendly and helpful. The hotel is a family business in its 3rd generation, so you see a lot of the same faces around the hotel throughout the day and get to know the family a little bit as you go. It’s not a big corporation, it’s their shared business and the place feels quite personal in that way. We appreciated that the hotel kept the reception open until midnight for us when we were caught in traffic. Also that the team organised a Ticino Ticket for us, which meant we could use all the regional trains and buses free of charge. Over the Easter weekend, we were also left various little cakes and Easter baskets in our room and at breakfast which was very thoughtful. Thanks to everyone at the Riviera – we’ll be back in the Autumn.