Residence Villa Maurice — Hotel in Stresa

We booked a "2-room" apartment for two couples, which we later realized means one-bedroom (as opposed to a studio). That was fine, since the bed in the kitchen/dining area was quite comfortable, but it really wasn't set up to accommodate two couples. The apartment would be much better for a family with a kid or two, or just one couple. There was no door on the bedroom, and you had to walk through the bedroom to get to the bathroom (the floors were so creaky that everyone woke up every time one of us got up for any reason). The second bed was also right underneath the windows, and the trains outside were so loud, it was hard to sleep. The biggest problem was that the hotel only gave us one key for the four of us. Although we asked multiple times for a second key, they said it was impossible because they needed the technician to make a new one, and although we were there for 7 days, no progress ever seemed to be made on the key issue. This was particularly annoying because you can't even leave the apartments without a key -- the gate doesn't open, even from the inside, without the key, which seems like a safety issue to me (what if you get locked in??). So any time someone left, we'd have to walk them to the gate and go back, and we had to constantly coordinate our movements. It was absurd, and seems unfair for the hotel to charge us for extra people when they were clearly not set up to accommodate four. When we mentioned this, we were told the rate was good and they wouldn't take off the extra charge. The rate was very high if you ask me (about 150 euro/ night), particularly for what we got. I don't usually write negative reviews, but I suppose these sites would be biased if nobody ever mentioned anything but the positives. Other than those issues, it was fine. The breakfast was decent and since everything in Stresa is within a few blocks (the town is very small), it was convenient. But next time, if I were looking for an apartment, I'd probably look at airbnb.com. Also I found Stresa very touristy and overpriced. Hotel Simplon in Baveno, the next town, was much much better value.. very luxurious, great facilities, and with a nice pizzeria/restaurant across the street. Baveno is pretty...

We were fortunate enough to be able to visit the lovely town of Stresa and we stayed at Villa Maurice. Check in is at Hotel Meeting which is down the block and there is private parking (for a fee) if you ask (this was a saving grace).||||The villa itself is huge - it's a mini apartment with a living room with fold out couch, kitchen and dining table and an adjoining bedroom with a double bed plus a spacious bathroom. The apartment is perfect for a family or a couple but I would not recommend it for 2 couples as there is no door from one sleeping space to the other and you have to pass the bedroom to get to the bathroom. The room key allows you access to gates, operates the elevator, unlocks the room and is also needed to turn on/keep on the lights! Air conditioning worked very well and kept the room quite cool, which is a welcome relief when you have a 90 degree day! ||||The front desk staff is extremely friendly and accommodating. Breakfast (which is included) is very good with a nice selection of breads, meat, cheese, hard boiled eggs and pastries and a delicious cappuccino. There is also free internet access which is a plus.||||The location is perfect - walking distance to the water and the town with lots of restaurants and shops nearby. The train does pass by and you do hear it but it's not that bad - especially when the windows are closed and the A/c is on. Overall, for the price we paid, we were very happy with our choice and felt that it was a great value especially considering the size of the room and...

We had 3 nights in a top floor apartment ( 2 seniors and an adult daughter) which had a separate bedroom and a bed in the day room. It all worked fine for us and we enjoyed the stay. Our apartment had windows facing out in three directions, one of which was to the railway line but the trains didn't seem to be a problem that I remember as mentioned by another reviewer.||There was no on-site parking so you had to park in the street but there was never an issue finding a park and there were no parking machines so it was free. We could keep an eye on the car from our room. Breakfast was provided at the Hotel Meeting about 50 metres down the road and it probably wasn't as good as advertised in the brochure but it was adequate.||The reception staff at the Hotel Meeting ( where you check in for the Villa Maurice) were very helpful with advice about the cable car up Mount Mottarone and also the Lago Maggiore Express. The Villa Maurice is about a 5 minute walk from Piazza L. Cadorna in the centre of Stresa so it was central to the shops and restaurants. Security in the building itself was very good and the service staff cleaned the room to a...