This is probably the most beautiful hotel I've stayed in. The hotel was part of the Insight Tour. I upgraded the room to the lake view. The lights across the lake at night were spectacular. The lobby is gorgeous. We enjoyed the patio, the artwork, the jewelry in the window cases, the lovely nighttime drinks on the porch. Really nice!! Comfortable rooms.

I was very fortunate to stay in Grand Hotel Dino on a business trip to Lago Maggiore. This is a huge hotel, set on the lake front, with stunning views across the lake, and to the Borromean islands. During my visit in May, we had temperatures in the mid 20s, blue skies, and a backdrop of snow covered peaks.

So back to Dino. Service and facilities were impeccable, and the rooms large. Lakeside rooms have spacious balconies from which to enjoy the views. During our stay the hotel was dominated by several business conferences, and tourists on coach tours. It is probably these two groups to which the hotel will most appeal. (On my first night when I walked into the dining room, I felt very young, yet I have passed my half century mark!).

As with many "grand" hotels, the emphasis is on efficiency rather than atmosphere. The wireless broadband and business services are impeccable, but the hotel fails to catch the charm of the region. I would therefore recommend the Dino as a Bed & Breakfast hotel, and breakfast on the tearrace by the lake is certainly pleasant. But despite the fine cuisine, I would shun its cold, featureless dining rooms in the evening in favour of some of the quaint and welcoming restaurants in the area, particularly those on the nearby islands accessible by water taxi from just outside the hotel.

This is a large hotel with all the usual trimmings - thick carpets, uniformed staff, enormous lobby, underground parking etc. It is right on the lake-side with a beautiful view of Isola Madre and the other islands, close the pier and promenade. It has so many rooms and different restaurants plus a big lounge bar that I counted twelve busses of about 50 tourists each, parked here overnight, and the place didn't even seem to be full!

I stayed in a standard room, facing the mountains (which made it considerably cheaper) and with a nice little balcony. Breakfast was luxurious and offered the great view of the lake. The staff was plentiful and helpful, hot breakfast was served by a chef at the buffet.

One detail shows the remarkable dedication to detail on behalf of the household staff: The tap in my bathroom was dripping and the sliding panel in front of the shower had lost the plastic at the bottom that would have prevented water from running all over the bathroom floor. Before I even remembered to mention this at the front desk, both things had been repaired the next day and thereafter worked flawlessly.

My overall ratring of this hotel is not excellent for one reason only: At a four star establishment I find it unreasonable, having to pay 5 EUR for one hour of access to the Internet.