The charming and cultured town of Lugano in the Ticino (near the Italian Alps) houses one of the truly lovely old grand hotels of Europe. Hotel Splendide Royal is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World. It welcomes its guests with a special grace and warmth. A great part of all this is due to its director, Aniello Lauro whose never ending energy and charm is evident in every aspect of this fine establishment. Every guest is made to feel extraordinarily special from the minute you walk through the door. This is not just a career for Mr. Lauro but a passion.
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View of the Hotel Splendide Royal from the park lining the edge of the Lake Lugano.
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The indoor pool.
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Very original and delicious "Octopus Carpaccio
with Asparagus, olive oil and lemon".
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The living room and dining area of the President George Bush suite.
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Click photos with blue borders to see larger version.
Peter D'Aprix © 2002
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From a Sorrento family of hoteliers in southern Italy, he arrived in Lugano 31 years ago, first to work in reception before progressing to the top job that he has held for over twenty years as Director of the hotel. He maintains close personal contact with each and every guest seeing to all specific needs. Before our arrival we were even asked as to our menu preference and were presented with a delightful Mediterranean dinner! One more note on M . Lauro, he is also a very gifted artist with many successful exhibitions to his credit.
The hotel which opened in l888, has been faithful to its art nouveau style and of course is constantly being upgraded with all amenities yet maintaining its elegance in every room. When rooms and suites are updated, the style remains traditional although the bathrooms are modern, tiled in warm colored marble. The food is really quite delicious, something for everyone with the emphasis on fish and Italian specialties.
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Scrumptious breakfast spread with the morning
sun streaming in the windows that overlook
the lake.
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The stately long hallway that runs the
length of the hotel.
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Aubergine Casserole. click for bigger photo.
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View of Hotel Splendide Royal from around the curve of the lake front park. Even in Spring the snow covers the mountains while the sun shines on the lake.
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The restaurant of the Hotel Splendide Roya is no less special than the hotel which hosts it. No dull hotel food here! We started with an octopus carpaccio with asparagus, olive oil and lemon that was wonderful and light. It was followed with a very Italian dish (M. Lauro's own favorite) home made Aubergine Casserole served with a purée of fresh tomatoes and olive oil. Then a marvelous and super rich dish of little green dumplings with a Gorgonzola cheese sauce filled us to bursting.
We took a break to enjoy the lovely light local white wine made from red Merlot grapes. These wines are one of the unique treats of the region. This one called "Terre di Gudo" produced by Vignetti Tamborini of the Ticino was particularly dry and light and gave us a welcome respite after the rich Gorgonzola dish as well as complementing the following dish of braised turbot, beautifully cooked with olives, capers, tomatoes and roasted potatoes.
Dessert was something you do not see very often anymore, perfectly prepared at table by the head waiter. Crepes Suzette flambé were a lovely and entertaining end to a truly fine meal. Made in the old fashioned way from scratch, they were a fine finish to an excellent meal.
With beautiful views of the lake, this is one of the two really special places to stay while visiting this beautiful town. Tel. 41 (0)91-985-7711 Fax. 41 (0)91-985-7722.
Hotel Splendide Royal
7 Riva Caccia
Lugano
CJ-6900 Switzerland
tel: 011-41-(091) 985.7711
fax: 011-41-(091) 985.7722
eMail:info@splendide.ch
WebSite:http://www.splendide.ch/
Member of Leading Hotels of the World and Swiss Deluxe Hotels
