Hotel Royal Victoria, by R Collection Hotels — Attraction in Varenna

The concierge will not be of great help due to poor relationships with local restaurants. They are unable to book reservations at certain popular local restaurants. They will tell you it is due to no-shows, but this is not the case. At one of the restaurants we stayed at, the hostess informed us that the seat that the concierge had us booked had no good view of the lake. He said the concierge knew this was the case and was supposed to inform us when we asked the concierge to book. The concierge, of course, did not notify us of this case, so we are now 15 minutes out of town by car and stuck with our dinner with a view without a view. The hostess personally apologized and said he had kept this table open for the hotel, but only under the condition the concierge informed us it wasn’t a great view. He said this is the last straw and will no longer work with the hotel for booking. He then told us to complain when we returned. I did not want to be in the middle of this restaurant vs. hotel feud, so I made no comment at this time, and instead, I was going to wait until check out.

The following day, we had another negative experience with the staff that was handled incredibly poorly. Due to a miscommunication over the photoshoot rules, I was informed that I had to pay a fee. While I was mistaken initially, this wasn’t the problem. Although I initially thought I cleared this with the hotel, the manager kept asking if “I was sure I spoke to the reception.” this wording only left me feeling like I was being called a liar. They would not release me for the rest of the photoshoot despite my informing them I was staying the night and we could resolve this minor discrepancy in the evening. They took up valuable time during this photoshoot without giving me any resolution at the immediate moment, so why was I held up for the problem not to get resolved?

This minor misunderstanding over the photoshoot may be partially my fault for not being fully informed. But I tried to be correct, and my only reward was rude, condescending service. They kept telling me they were doing me a favor by reducing the fee cost despite me trying to tell them over and over the fee is not why I’m mad. I’m mad about how I’m being treated.

The negative issues around the concierge alone would be enough of a reason for me to suggest against staying at this hotel. The inablity for the hotel to book reservations at certain restaurants in Varrena will lead to stressful experiences not in line with the expected experience of a low stress stay in a villa. With near-limitless choices of other excellent hotels, why choose anything short...

Pretty disappointed in this hotel. While the hotel itself is gorgeous and the dining staff is very friendly and attentive I did not appreciate the reception staff and management.

We had on going AC issues our ENTIRE three day stay at this hotel. Which was unacceptable as it was 85-90 degrees everyday we were there. The AC units in the hotel rooms all have no draining ability so when water fills within the unit from the humility it turns off! So that's great to wake up to at 2am whilst your sweaty and gross. Complained and they said they would send someone to fix it and drain it which they NEVER DID. Leaving my husband to wake up 2-3 times a night to drain it himself. Very unacceptable for a FOUR STAR HOTEL that you would expect to have working AC. They had three nights to fix it and it NEVER happened.

They also had a wedding reception booked the first night of our stay so most of the hotel was closed off and inaccessible so you could not eat on site or even redeem the welcome drink at the hotel bar. That night fireworks went off at about 10:45 pm for a solid 15 mins booming outside our window. We have a one year old baby and it was a pretty starling wake up call to say the least. Because of the very close proximity of our hotel room to the fireworks it sounded like there was a war going off outside our window. She of course was screaming for the next hour so we were left trying to calm her down in a warm humid room. We had only checked in four hours before the display would have been nice to get a heads up this was going to happen! What a nightmare dealing with a screaming scared baby and trying to put her back to sleep.

Upon check out we again went to the hotel reception and explained our grievances only to be met with hostility and zero accountability. When rehashing all the problems with the AC the receptionist blamed us for not opening the door to let the maintenance worker in stating they "knocked on the door sometime after you complained". How vague.

Just all and all a very unacceptable experience for a four star hotel. When we asked to speak to a manager because the receptionist was hostile and was stating "alternative facts" we were left for 20 mins and then another receptionist reappeared and refunded us one night stay. Zero apology from the manager who was right there in their office as the receptionist kept going back and fourth discussing the situation with them.

I would never recommend this hotel. Although the pool area and hotel itself is gorgeous the management and how they handle patrons needs vast improvement to be considered a...

We thoroughly enjoyed our three-night stay as a couple. The experience was truly fantastic, thanks to the spectacular room and breathtaking views. The location was ideal, offering a perfect balance of convenience and tranquility without being overcrowded. The hotel is brand new, providing a clean and comfortable atmosphere that greatly enhanced our stay.

One of the highlights of our visit was the excellent breakfast. The variety of choices available, coupled with the scenic view of the beautiful lake, made for a perfect start to our mornings. The outstanding pool facilities added to the overall enjoyment and the opportunity to access the gardens of Villa Cipressi next door was an unexpected delight that truly elevated our trip. Additionally, the presence of a charming pebble beach right in front of the hotel added to our enjoyment.

While our stay was overall wonderful, we did encounter a few minor issues that we believe could be improved. Initially, we were informed that we were not allowed to walk through the gardens, but after inquiring the next day and showing our room key, we were granted access. This inconsistency left us feeling a bit upset, as we were clearly guests of the hotel. Furthermore, we encountered difficulty securing a reservation at the restaurant and on one occasion, had to pay a waiter to allow us to sit outside. These experiences were somewhat disappointing and disrupted the otherwise positive experience.

We appreciated the friendly staff during the check-in process; however, on our last day we encountered an uncomfortable situation with Niya at the reception desk. We had informed the staff that we would need a place to change from our pool attire, as we had an early check-out. While I was dressed in swimwear with a cover-up (and other male guests were freely walking through the lobby in shorts without a shirt), Niya's behaviours made me feel extremely awkward. She repeatedly looked me up and down, which we found to be quite rude, especially since no comments or similar behaviour were directed towards other guests. Despite this incident, we would like to highlight that other staff members were exceptional and very helpful throughout our stay, contributing significantly to our overall positive experience.

We would consider returning here in the future (maybe even to have our wedding), but we believe that certain changes should be made to enhance the...