Metropole Suisse

The problem with European hotels ( except for well known Global hotels ) they are not Globally standard. A four star European unbranded hotel are definitely unequal to a branded 4 star Global Hotel. It definitely shows particularly in the small stuff. This hotel had soap that was the size and shape of an After Eight chocolate mint by Nestle, so small. Minute toiletries, everything was “Hobbit size.) There was a very very small fridge, there was no kettle or supplies of tea/coffee. The rooms were clean. Italian hoteliers seem to think that guests love Old Classic hotels. We do….. but they should be updated for modern day comfort. This hotel was not, and it doesn’t meet 4 star standards. Don’t even think of using their parking. It’s a joke, and dangerous when trying to leave and merge into traffic. Breakfast was Blah, staff stood 2 feet from me trying to figure out how to use their toaster. We never had a tea or coffee that was hot, the water was always barely warm. Stick to well known hotels.

PROS-,What a wonderful place to be. Went On a tour with Gate 1 travel. I wandered down looking for coffee at 4:30am. None available until 7am. The nice front desk gentleman brought me a carafe of hot water, a spoon & cup & saucer. I always travel with instant coffee & halfnhalf liquid singles so I was very happy relaxing in the lobby with my early morning coffee! Our hotel dinner was an amazing salad, risotto & a fabulous chocolate dessert. Breakfast was great. Lots of different food choices. Scrambled & boiled eggs. Bacon( not crispy) but several pastries, yogurt, fruit, breads, cereals, greens, etc. The room was very cute & special. My roommate & I enjoyed our comfortable twin beds. Everything was very clean. We didn't understand what the bidet was & the sweet patient front desk man was explaining how it it works. The setting of the hotel was fantastic & everything felt safe in the surroundings. It's across the street from the lake & around the corner from an ornate church, open square & excellent gelato. CONS- The towels were very rough & there wasn't a coffee maker in the room. No wash clothes. One room key for 2 roommates was very inconvenient.

Another 3 star hotel masquerading as 4 star which makes us incredibly suspicious of the Italian hotel rating system. The hotel is in a excellent location close to the Lake & Como ferry terminal which is its main (some might so only) feature. The front desk staff were mostly helpful & pleasant, provided useful information about local attractions & were able to assist with restaurant & taxi bookings. However couples are given only one key to the room that is expected to be handed-back every time you leave. Too bad if one goes out & one of you is asleep in the room with the key! The reception area itself was more like a hostale than any hotel, closing the front door with shutters after midnight (seriously) so that you had to buzz the receptionist who peered out through a stencil shaped peephole in the shutters before letting you in. The bathroom in our room had been recently renovated, however the water pressure was poor, the shower nozzle was cheap & either rained like a firehose from the centre or dribbled. And amazingly in spite of what looked like a recent renovation, there was nowhere in the shower to place soap or shampoo except on the floor. The room self was a reasonable size with a view across the adjacent square & a king bed. However the decor was incredibly dated (think bubbling wallpaper, including on the timber wardrobe doors!) & the TV was archaic with buzzing audio which made it unwatchable. Additionally there were no tea or coffee making facilities in the toom & the bath towels provided were made of seersucker instead of towelling, i.e. exactly the same material as teatowels. Fine if you’re planning on rinsing a dinner-set, but not so comfortable for humans. The breakfast was OK, but nothing exceptional. The coffee machine delivered truly awful coffee, however as we discovered on our second morning, the somewhat disorganised breakfast servers (if requested, this isn’t offered as it should be in 4 star hotel) would arrange somewhat better coffee on request from the kitchen. On a further note there is currently significant construction work occurring on the waterfront immediately in front of the hotel which obstructs views of Lake Como from the restaurant/breakfast room. Not the hotel’s fault certainly, however something that you might wish to consider if you are planning to book this hotel because It’s views.