I have stayed at the hotel It is nice, good rooms etc. Like any hotel, it is expensive to eat and drink there. It is also on a hilltop. The walk down is ok but after a few bottles of wine, the walk up is brutal.

I would stay at the Atlantic or Concorde hotel in Arona. Nice hotels, fantastic little town on the south end of Lago Maggiore. You can get a train to Milan from Arona, one hour away.

The only problem is Malpensa, it is a long way from anywhere and the buses and trains only go to Milan.

Your problem will getting from Varese to Malpensa. It is not far c, 20 kilometres but not easy by train. I would suggest a taxi is your best choice.

Milan city to Varese is best by train. Check on www.trenitalia.it for train times. I do not try to buy tickets on this website - tendency to be difficult.

Travelling anywhere other than into or out of Milan from Malpensa is nowhere near as simple as it ought to be. We normally go straight in to Milan from malpensa and then on to wherever is our final destination - Mantua etc. Only if we are going north to Como do we take a taxi.

I think if I was flying out from Malpensa I would simply stay in one of the excellent hotels in Milan city centre

If you are staying in Varese you can just take the train of the "FNM" (there are two train stations in Varese) to Saronno (30 minutes circa) and there take the Malpensa Express to Malpensa (Euro 5).

My husband stays at that hotel every time he goes there on business (Whirlpool Corporation). They put all their employees there, and he says it's magnifico! He flies into and out of Milan when going to Varese, so I'm sure it's very simple.

No problem to get to Malpensa airport...they can arrange for a shuttle for a very cheap rate (about euro20,pp per person).

I think that the hotel very close to the airport are very isolated and in the middle of nowhere... you need a taxi to go everywhere and at the end it will be much more expensive!

Moreover, enjoy the summer pool at Palace Hotel!!

HELLO,I stayed in palace grand hotel last week.it's wonderful.the employees are very kind and helpful. the wether was very sunny.i like their swimmingpool in the park!!!!!! they provide also a free shuttle bus for malpensa airport!! book it before( it's better) you can also make a good shopping in the nearest outlet with 50 international companies with big discounts!!!!

I RECOMMEND IT!! YOU WILL ENJOY...........

I just stayed in Varese. I saw a posting on Trip Advisor saying it was a good place to stay near Malpensa. A 70 Euro taxi (well not really a taxi) ride to the airport proved it was not the best decision. The room was fine, but when we arrived from the train station, we took a taxi to the hotel. The driver told us that the commute to the airport from the hotel would be about 55 Euros. We arrived at the hotel, and the guy behind the desk advised against us taking the train, because he said it would take 2 hours. He told us he would book a taxi for the morning. It was 7am, and the taxi that was waiting was more like the front desk guys buddy in a 90's Audi. When we reached the airport he charged us 70 E, and gave us a homemade copy of a receipt. I would have expected better from a hotel of this caliber.

We also ordered room service, which was the same menu that we saw at the restaurant. There was a risotto with strawberries listed on the menu, but when it got to our room, there were no strawberries. I would stay someplace else if I go back.

Don't waste your time and money.

I just returned from traveling through Italy and I spent my last 2 nights in Varese as I ws seeking a place close to Malpensa.

This was perfect! Much closer than a hotel in Milan. (I had a car )

I drove to the airport in 25 minutes. Piece of cake! Little did I know that my problems would begin once I walked into the terminal.

Oh my gosh! I have never seen such chaos. You definitely need to get there hours early to get through the lines! Good luck!~

Konfettirose, I've stayed at this hotel when I was in italy. The room we were in had a view of Lake Varese . I cannot remember if it had airconditioning. The elevators were small. Lucky for us there were no tour groups that arrived that day so we were able to use the elevator. I think we were there when they were having some renovations going on. The keys to the room were not key cards. The room we were in had spacious cabinets and drawers. This hotel however is perched on a hilltop. It will give you a good workout at least once a day.