HOTEL Bocciolo

The Hotel Bocciolo was perfect for our two night Orta San Giulio stay. The walk into the old town and to Sacre Monte wasn’t difficult to walk. The room was clean and functional. We had a lovely view of the lake. Breakfast was wonderful. I had a great pizza for lunch and a steak for dinner.

Hotel Bocciolo surpassed our expectations in every way. The front desk staff and restaurant waitresses staff were friendly and fluent in English and German, as well as their native Italian. The kind manager even offered us a ride to the train station in his private car! The hotel common area’s and grounds were beautiful and well maintained. and the view of the lake was as if from a painting. We never got a chance to try the hot tubs, but it looked like it would be wonderful to sit there while gazing at the lake and mountains. We had been traveling for a month in Italy and this hotel’s breakfast buffet was the best and most extensive of any we have encountered. Not only every savory item but also sweet desserts and pastries beyond compare. How often do you come on delicious apple strudel for breakfast?! We also had dinner there three of the four nights of our stay because the food was so good. The location was close to the train station but a bit further from the town center than we had expected, but we easily walked there in about a half hour stroll along a pleasant lakeside path in about 25 minutes. We were told there was a “tourist train” that could have taken us there, but we never asked where to get it. During our visit we enjoyed visiting the historic pilgrimage site with its many small chapels nearby, taking ferries to Isola San Giulio and to other towns on the lake, and just wandering quiet, non-touristy Orta. We would love to return to Orta someday, and Hotel Bocciolo is definitely where we would stay!

The hotel does have a lovely location, but our lake view room with balcony left a lot to be desired. Too many small things wrong : Stark walls with no pictures Wardrobe rail so high that at 5ft 6 Ins I could barely stretch to hang clothes up Toilet really low, so difficult if you had any mobility issues No glasses in room, just 2 paper cups ( never replaced) Dead fir trees on balcony Wedding on saturday night so could not eat in dining room or on terrace and impossible to park on return from day out Food really quite poor

I honestly can’t say enough good things about this hotel. The view and the food speak for themselves (best breakfast we had in Italy) but what I really liked was how helpful the staff were. From noticing and remembering what we liked to drink to helping with trains and taxis, they were beyond lovely. We didn’t get bills as we used facilities but at the end we got a perfect tally. Add to this a perfect location - 5 minutes from a swimming spot, 20 minutes walk to town and a glorious view of the lake from your balcony or the jacuzzis in the garden.

We had a detailed itinerary for our trip to Italy with only one night unplanned. As it turns out, we ended up in Orta San Giulio and got the last room at Hotel Bocciolo. What a find. So many things to love: the staff was super friendly and helpful, the food (dinner and breakfast) was amazing, the view of the lake was stunning (we had a balcony room #212), the beds were comfortable, the bathroom spacious, the price was fair. This family owned and operated inn is perfect in a town that is perfectly charming. We had the opportunity to meet with the chef, Alberto Pullano, who made suggestions on what to eat at his restaurant, as well as what to see in his lovely town. So as you plan your travels, don't miss this town and don't miss this inn!! It may be a highlight of your trip to Italy.

Contrary to the most reviews here, we did not enjoy our stay at the hotel at all... First of all, while booking, we chose and paid for the lake view room, but the one we got was next to a wall which blocked most of the lake. The staff all acknowledged that the view was blocked but no one seemed to care and they did nothing to rectify the situation. The room itself did not have any decorations. All the empty white walls made us feel like in a hospital. While the room was big and clean, it was poorly equipped and designed. Lastly, the hotel organises a lot of events. There were 2 during our 3 nights stay. There was lots of noise and mess because of that, which did not allow us to relax. Overall, I'd advise to spend your money elsewhere.