Relais Castello di Morcote — Hotel in Circolo di Carona

My husband and I recently spent two nights at Relais Castello di Morcote. We were on our way to Italy, but I had been wanting to visit the Lugano area. It's a lucky thing I noticed this hotel advertised. It's just the kind of place we enjoy.||This hotel used to be a convent, and it's located in a unique mountainside location that overlooks Lake Lugano. Guests are allowed to walk through the vineyards owned by the hotel's winery. There are castle ruins there, and if you're there on a sunny day, you are rewarded with beautiful views of the lake. You can also visit the ruins.||We enjoyed our room, which had its own yard, and was handicapped accessible. We didn't need the handicapped facilities, but it's good to know they exist. There's an honesty bar, where guests can try the wines and enjoy coffee, tea, and a pastry. ||We also liked the restaurant, where we had dinner and were gifted a bottle of the hotel's rose in celebration of International Women's Day. We ended up buying six bottles to take home with us. I wish we'd bought more. Breakfast was generous, and the lady serving it was so friendly and kind. She made perfect cappuccinos. My one complaint was that at dinner, I found the chair I was sitting on a bit uncomfortable. However, the restaurant has benches that were better. I used those at breakfast. We also enjoyed a generous cold cut platter on Sunday night, as the restaurant wasn't open.||The parking situation was confusing at first, as there is a private parking area that is closer to the hotel than the hotel's parking (by the church) is. But once we got that sorted out, it was fine. ||Our visit happened to be at the tail end of the off season, so we didn't get to try all of the hotel's features. But if we're ever back in the Lugano/Vico Morcote area, I would definitely want to stay again. Next time, I'll be sure to get a room with...

It's taken a while for me to post this review because it's difficult to find the right words to do it justice. My husband and I fell in love with this property from the moment we arrived. There is a peaceful energy in this ancient converted convent. No expense was spared during renovations to created a highly styled yet homey and comfortable experience. Each room is unique (I was fortunate to see 4 rooms) with all the plush amenities you could possibly need. The staff are incredible and eager to elevate guests' experiences in any way they can. The food both at dinner (al fresco under a full moon) and breakfast was delicious. We brought home a couple souvenir bottles of sublime Olive Oil and Honey from the property- and enjoyed multiple bottles of the delicious wine from the Tentuta (estate). We were very excited to learn that they are in the process of adding a pool and spa to the property. The bonus, as hotel guest, of having access to the Castle and vineyards put this property in a league of its own. I've read a couple reviews with concerns about the walk from and to town. For us, this was part of the charm and added to the overall experience. How often are you able to walk under a fragrant canopy of chestnut and olive trees with a view of one of the most iconic lakes in the world- to consider this a negative or inconvenience seems irreverent- after all, this is a medieval village. I'm not overstating it when I say that staying at the Relais Castello De Morcote will remain one of the great experiences of my life. To the staff and owner- thank you for your hospitality and for creating such a unique experience- Your efforts are appreciated and we loved every second...

My wife and I LOVED our stay here. It’s in a small village at the top of a winding road, which made it feel private, authentic, and removed from the more touristy areas. The views of the landscape from that viewpoint were incredible. It’s within an 8 minute drive from the main area of Morcote, which has some great restaurants and a beautiful walk along the water.

The hotel has a really pretty vintage feel and has some great common spaces inside and outside to lounge and drink some wine or read a book. Our room was also great—very pretty, comfortable, spacious, and had AC.

There’s a vineyard that the hotel owns that is about a 5 min walk away. Hotel guests have an access code to stroll through it at any time or there are organized wine tours. Our walk through the vineyard at sunset was amazing.

The hotel had parking nearby so driving over to Lugano or other towns (we loved gandria) was easy. But we actually enjoyed being in the more low key, beautiful area of Morcote way more than Lugano.

The staff was great. We accidentally booked two hotel rooms, and the women running reception were super helpful and sorted it out without any issue. Breakfast buffet and the service there was also awesome (our waitress knew our drink orders by the second day!)

Definitely going to stay hear again next...