Luxury hotel holiday Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola Lugano

The five star Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola is a grand 19th century mansion with the individual character of a Mediterranean boutique hotel. Each room at this hotel takes on its own personality, welcoming guests into their own private haven. The colourful city of Lugano and the tranquil waters of the lake sit just on your doorstep, encouraging days of cultural exploration and scenic train and boat rides, which can be finished off with a dip in the pool, a game of tennis, and a Michelin-starred meal back at the hotel.

Grand Hotel Castagnola exterior

Grand Hotel Castagnola grounds

Grand Hotel Castagnola exterior

Grand Hotel Castagnola restaurant

Grand Hotel Castagnola superior double room

Included in your Expressions holiday

Accommodation in a double or twin room on bed and breakfast
Fly-rail with scheduled flights and rail tickets
Rail travel from London back to London as option

Concierge service and Expressions Holidays regional helpful hints
Optional room, rail and flight upgrades. Details on request

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola, Lugano

Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola is a luxury 5-star hotel in a beautiful lakeside location. Michelin-starred gourmet cuisine and excellent wellness facilities afford guests a tranquil and indulgent experience.

Facts in brief

Official star rating 5

Location The hotel is located close to the lakeside on the outskirts of Lugano.

Closest airport Zurich Airport

Distance from airport The hotel is under 3-hours' drive from Zurich Airport

Closest railway station Lugano Station

Distance from railway station The hotel is about 10-minutes' drive from Lugano Station

Hotel facilities and services

3 Restaurants, Indoor Bar, 2 Outdoor Bar Terraces, Swimming Pool, Gardens, Sauna, Calidarium, Steam Bath, Relax Corner, Wellness Area, Fitness Corner, Danilo Hairstylists, Clarins Beauty Corner, Private Lido with Sun Deck and Loungers, Clay Tennis Court, Indoor Parking (CHF 25 per day).

Complimentary

Access to Fitness Corner, Wellness Area, Indoor Swimming Pool, Private Sundeck Terrace and Internet.

Out and about nearby

Lake Lugano marks the Swiss-Italian border, and bends round to touch the town of Lugano on two sides. As a result, this entirely unique land and water formation provides spectacular views and diverse walking routes. The Monte San Salvatore and Monte Bré are best for hiking and seeking out the high-up vantage points and natural forested beauty spots. Across the lake, and on the Italian border, is Sighignola Mountain, which enables you to look back across the town. Within Lugano, pay a visit to the Cathedral of Saint Lawrence, which sits at the very top of the gently stepped Via Cattedrale. This Roman Catholic cathedral was founded in the Middle Ages, but was rebuilt at the end of the 15th century. Its picturesque tower rises up above the town, and is crowned by a distinctive green dome. The pink-fronted Museum of Cultures sits on the waterside, and gives visitors a step-by-step insight into Swiss cultural history.

Sports nearby

Water Sports on the lake; Walking, Hiking, and Cycling in the valleys and on the mountainsides.

We particularly loved the Hotel del Sogno on Lake Garda for its character, beauty and amazing views. Great service too from the reception staff. Also they gave us great recommendations for restaurants.

Mr and Mrs S, June 2023

Holiday price guide This hotel is usually booked as part of a touring holiday of Switzerland. Therefore, the cost of a stay at this hotel would be included in the price of that touring holiday. If you want a holiday just to this hotel, then please contact our sales team and a tailor-made price will be put together for you and include your chosen travel arrangements.

From about

Holiday Code EXH1947

The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.

Call us on 01392 441245

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola, Lugano

The five star Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola in Lugano is housed in an 1880s mansion with a Mediterranean feel. Its pastel peach facade is divided up by floral balconies, arches sheltering inset windows, and a terrace restaurant marked by white parasols. Palm trees border the lush garden, at the bottom of which stand two abstract stone statues that, like the trees, are atmospherically lit in the evenings. The lantern-lit front steps take you in through a grand entrance to a series of bright, grand public rooms. Lounges feature historic tapestries and ornately carved marble fireplaces that compete for the title of centrepiece. Antique furnishings add abundant character, and rich rugs and beamed ceilings suggest the property's age. More modern spaces include uniquely carved lamps, a grand piano, and simple archways in their design. Down beside the waterfront, the Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola has its own private lido, where guests can recline on one of the sunbeds or in the hanging chairs. Drinks can be enjoyed in the shade while you dip your toes in the water. For active guests, the hotel has a range of facilities. Take a dip in the swimming pool overlooking the gardens, or let off some steam on the clay tennis court or in the fitness corner, before relaxing in the calidarium or the sauna. In the evenings, dine in one of the hotel's three restaurants. La Rucola offers informal dining in a quaint courtyard decorated with plants, slate tiles, and a picturesque garden door. La Relais, serving Mediterranean cuisine, resembles a fresh, light, French dining room, with bright colours, white tables, and the homely additions of characterful cabinets and paintings. The dining room looks out onto the gardens. The Restaurant Arte al Lago might be the most intriguing of the selection, however, as it is housed within an art gallery. On top of the range of artworks and sculptures on display, the restaurant also possesses a Michelin star and 16 Gault Millau points. It is the only restaurant in Lugano to have a Michelin star. Like the artworks, the setting is varied, with a range of different styles ranging from minimalist or bold and textured, to grand and ornate. If you are partial to an aperitif, choose from the indoor bar, which has a vintage theme, and the two outdoor terraces. The guestrooms all have their own unique style, from the refined neutral palette of the elegant double rooms at the side of the building, to the bright classical design of the double rooms on the garden floor. Each is tastefully executed, with very individual touches, such as the specially upholstered chairs, the potted trees set into alcoves in the suites, and the original, colourful artworks on the walls that seamlessly tap into each room's colour scheme. There are plenty of reasons to make yourself at home at the Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola, which results in a truly memorable stay.

Room descriptions

Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola has 74 rooms with welcome amenities, air-conditioning, safe, telephone, wifi, television, minibar, mineral water, fruit basket, and hairdryer. Most rooms have a maximum occupancy of 3 people.

Double Room on the Side

Double Room Garden Floor with small private garden and park view

Single Room with balcony and park or lake view

Double Room Standard with balcony and park or lake view

Double Room Superior with balcony and park and lake view

Junior Suite Standard with balcony, living room, 1 or 2 bathrooms, and park or lake view

Junior Suite Superior with balcony, living room, 1 or 2 bathrooms, and park or lake view

Junior Suite Executive with balcony, living room, 1 or 2 bathrooms, and park or lake view

Suite with balcony, living room, 2 bathrooms, and park or lake view

Suite Monte Bre with 3 balconies, 2 bedrooms, living room, 2 bathrooms, and south-facing park and lake views

Suite San Salvatore with 3 balconies, 2 bedrooms, living room, 2 bathrooms, and south-facing park and lake views

We particularly loved the Hotel del Sogno on Lake Garda for its character, beauty and amazing views. Great service too from the reception staff. Also they gave us great recommendations for restaurants.

Mr and Mrs S, June 2023

From about

Holiday Code EXH1947

The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.

Call us on 01392 441245

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola, Lugano

The journey and how you get there

For a holiday to Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola in Lugano, our clients usually arrive by train as part of a tailor-made touring holiday by train of Switzerland. The hotel is 10 minutes by taxi from Lugano station. If Lugano is your first or only stop on your holiday and you are flying, then fly to Zurich airport and then the train journey to Lugano is only 2 hours and 30 minutes with one change at Zurich Hauptbahnhof. Alternatively, you can fly to Milan Malpensa, take a taxi or the bus to Milan Centrale, and then the train journey to Lugano is about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Additional information

Children: Interconnecting rooms are available on request at time of booking. Children 3 years and under stay free of charge when sharing a room with parents on B&B basis. 1 child per room is permitted.

We particularly loved the Hotel del Sogno on Lake Garda for its character, beauty and amazing views. Great service too from the reception staff. Also they gave us great recommendations for restaurants.

Mr and Mrs S, June 2023

From about

Holiday Code EXH1947

The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.

Call us on 01392 441245

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola, Lugano

About Ticino

An Expressions tailor-made holiday to Ticino allows travellers to witness the sheer diversity of Switzerland as a country. Hailed as having a Mediterranean climate, Ticino is Switzerland's most southerly region. Italianate towns, influenced by the proximity of the Italian border, provide a wholly different culture and atmosphere to the Bernese Oberland, the Saanenland, and other central and northern regions. A smattering of small lakes mark the upper boundary of Ticino, but it is Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano that dominate the south, prompting many of the long, straight valleys that lead into Italy. The River Ticino winds its way down from its source on the Ticino border, meeting dams, lakes, and trickling and tumbling waterfalls on its way. Palm trees line the lakesides, medieval Italian castles form the centre-points of towns, and colourful, higgledy-piggledy houses look out across the water or from their tiered position on the steep mountainside. Communities here seem to effortlessly blend the feel of southern coastal towns with the rural authenticity of the mountain villages of central Switzerland.

Highlights of Ticino

Two of the main cities in Ticino lie quite close together in the south of the region: Locarno and Lugano. On the banks of Lake Maggiore, Locarno is rich with cultural treasure. Visit the 17th century Church of St Anthony, the 16th century Church of San Francesco, the mid-17th century New Church, or the late 15th century Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso to begin your tour of Locarno's beautiful and historic sites. Perhaps most noteworthy, however, is the Visconti Castle, in which there is a permanent exhibition of Roman glass. On Thursdays a market is held in the centre of the town, which always makes for an excellent place to enjoy Locarno at its liveliest, as well as to pick up a few delicacies. Venture outside Locarno to climb the Cadada Cimetta, from the top of which you can see both the Valais High Alps and Lake Maggiore, the highest and lowest points in Switzerland. Follow the paths of the Magic Valley or the Verzasca Valley to witness the turquoise-green, crystal-clear waters that flow there. For a more leisurely day out, enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Maggiore. As you leave Locarno and head west down the valley towards Italy, you will see the rocky gorges that prove so popular with cliff divers. Eerie tunnels and caverns have been carved out over time, providing ethereal little spots to stop off on your travels.

Cultural highlights of Ticino

East of Locarno is Bellinzona, a town remarkable in that it is the most Italianate town in Switzerland and capital of Ticino. The central medieval castle and its two neighbours are among Switzerland's best preserved, coming together to form a picturesque UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ramparts of the central castle run alongside the vineyards within, with lush grass carpeting the fortified walls. North of Locarno, you will come across Tegna, the site of some interesting prehistoric ruins. Continue along this route towards the Italian border on the Centovalli Express to discover the old wine press in the village of Cavigliano, the museum and cableway in Intragna, the cable car up to the solitary, traffic-free hamlet of Rasa from Verdasio, and finally, across the Italian border to Re, where the stunning, yet imposing, Sanctuary of the Madonna of the Blood stands on the very edge of a dramatic cliff. In eastern Ticino is Biasca, a town where a waterfall cascades down the mountainsides, under bridges and over rocks that have been smoothed by time. Towns and villages such as Airolo, Lavizzara, Acquarossa, Blenio, and Brione all offer alternative views on this beautiful region. Any visit to Ticino is incomplete without a few hours spent in Lugano. Famous for its eponymous lake, San Salvatore Mountain, and Monte Bre, Lugano is a quintessentially ‘Ticino’ town. Take the funicular railway from Casserate as high as possible up Monte Bre to witness the phenomenal panoramas and enjoy the traditional Swiss rail experience.

Festivals in Ticino

As with much of Switzerland, there is a high focus on dairy products in both the regional dishes and their self-identification. To appreciate Swiss dairy products in Ticino, head to Ambri Quinto in the Leventina Valley at the end of September to enjoy the Agriculture and Cheese Fair. The first weekend in October brings with it a celebration of autumn. In Lugano, this autumn festival focuses on local products, folkloric music, and small dramatic shows. In Ascona, the autumn festival celebrates the versatile chestnut, with jams, cakes, cheese dishes, and entertaining concerts. Ascona's unique carnival is celebrated on Mardi Gras on the lake promenade. In Muralto on the second Sunday of March there is a fish festival beside the water, involving a fishing contest, music, games, and food stalls. Beside the smooth rocks of Solduno, on St Joseph's Day in March, the streets are filled with the smell of the speciality Tortelli, a fritter whose recipe is strictly guarded.

Gastronomy in Ticino

The varied and delicious specialities of Ticino may very well be the highlight of your trip, influenced by hearty Swiss cuisine, as well as Italy's Mediterranean flavours. One particular feature of dining here are the ‘grotto' restaurants. Usually housed in picturesque stone farmhouses, with abundant flower boxes, shuttered windows, and vast terraces canopied by views on which customers eat fresh, home-cooked food. Popular so-called ‘slow foods' include farina bona flour, cicitt sausages, Zincarlin cheese and shortbread biscuits. At the heart of many dishes you may come across are polenta and Merlot wine, which can also be sampled at a local winery. Originally cooked in a large cauldron like porridge, polenta is now best served alongside braised beef. Before leaving Switzerland, ensure you sample some of the world-famous fondue.