Delfino - Lugano, Switzerland 

We enjoyed our short stay at the Delfino, with only one problem - do not leave anything on your dining room table in the morning!! We were taking multi vitamins to ward of colds and flu, and our first day I left them on the table in the dining room. Obviously I didn't miss them until the next morning, was sent from pillar to post, and eventually ended up in the reception, where I was rather snootily told that as I hadn't claimed them the day before they had been thrown away.She made out as if she had done me a great favour keeping them even for the day, and shame on me for not claiming them earlier. I wasn't impressed, and made it clear. Most people taking meds in the morning won't notice them missing until the next morning! In so saying, the hotel was very comfortable, clean, very good breakfast, and apart from this particular lady, the staff were very friendly and helpful. The only problem we had with the location is that, yes, it's a short distance from the front and town, but, what goes down must come up, and as a bit of a fattie, I did battle with the climb back up, but that's my problem not the hotel's! The bus from the station stops right outside, which is great. Overall, a very good visit.

We arrived in Lugano and at the hotel quite late. The reception staff were welcoming and spoke fluent English which faciliated our check in considerably. There was parking available, but in reasonably cramped quarters (took about 10 minutes to get in a space - but it was certainly better than trying to track down a space in the neighbourhood). Our room was beautifully appointed - in a modern boutique hotel style. It was, however, a little bit on the small side. We were travelling with our young daughter and although a cot would have been possible, it would have left little room to negotiate, so we opted to all sleep in the one bed. The room was much more up to date than photos of the hotel would suggest. It had a sweet little balcony overlooking Lake Lugano and the city itself. It would be perfect for a couple. Although we didn't use it because our stay was short, there was a pool, which looked very pleasant. If going to Lugano for a weekend in the summer, the pool would definitely have been a selling point for us - a nice retreat in the afternoon after a morning of touring. A good continental breakfast is served in the morning which we thoroughly enjoyed. The Delfino is perched up the hill from the centre of the city which is great for views, but might be a little further out than desired if you want to leave the car behind. All in all, though it was a little small in our particular circumstances, we thought the Delfino represented good value for money and was a great little boutique hotel in a fantastic city!