Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Located on the stunning "Collina d’Oro," Villa Principe Leopoldo overlooks Lake Lugano, offering a retreat that blends historical charm with modern luxury. The villa’s 37 suites, meticulously designed with fine materials, provide an oasis of tranquility amidst the natural beauty of Ticino. Here, every space radiates timeless elegance. The villa’s restaurant is a culinary temple, where each dish celebrates local flavors with a refined touch, turning every meal into a memorable experience. For more informal moments, the Bar Principe offers panoramic views, delicious drinks, and live music. The DOT SPA, with its exclusive treatments, ensures a stay dedicated to relaxation and well-being. Villa Principe Leopoldo is the ideal choice for those seeking beauty, history, and sophistication.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is officially classified according to Hotelstars Union standards.
HOTEL STYLE
Luxury
Quiet
Languages Spoken
English, French, German, Italian
Location
Via Montalbano 5, Lugano 6900 Switzerland
Name/address in local language
Villa Principe Leopoldo
4.4 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
For an important event with my husband we went to dinner at the Villa recommended to us by friends It was like living in a fairy tale We chose the a la carte menu with a welcome entree from the Chef (a savory pastry with cauliflower cream, green apple foam and caviar), a fish starter of scallops with cuttlefish ink and other fish crudités (it seemed a picture) tagliolini with cuttlefish ink and truly SUBLIME prawns, salted Brittany sea bass with a super wine sauce and finally, the flambéed crepes prepared by Maitre Mr Recchia, delicious The Maitre, grand director of the dining room, he managed a truly excellent highly professional team This event of ours could not have been better experienced... a fairy tale...
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I had dinner at Villa Principe Leopoldo with my partner for the first time on a Friday evening in October.... Fabulous location, super top service and dishes. We chose the tasting menu with wine pairing, everything was fantastic. All courses are of a high standard and with exclusive flavors as well as the wines... final sweet surprise Crepes flambe' prepared at the table by the superlative Maitre Claudio Recchia who together with his staff made the evening truly unique. Everything was super Wow... a culinary journey that was a crescendo of explosion of flavors and emotions to definitely experience
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We visited this hotel for a birthday celebration. The building is a beautiful property with fantastic view. That however comes at cost of location - you need a car or taxi to efficiently get to the city center. This is a five star hotel. Staff at reception is professional and friendly. There is room for improvement regarding staff in the bar/bistro in terms of pace, reliability and friendliness. Another point is the pool area which made an abandoned impression on us and there is no service. What I would expect here is a pool area with staff that greet you when you sit on your pool chair and you can order drinks etc. We complained about these points and the complaint was handled very professionally and generously by Francesco. The restaurant in the hotel is very good. The rooms are spacious and remarkably quiet. Beds are excellent. Breakfast however is more on 4 star level based on its variety. I received a birthday cake. Before arrival, I requested that the newspaper „New York Times“ be delivered to us each morning and the hotel confirmed by e-mail, but then completely forgot about this. Overall the feeling of being there is quite special and that‘s what makes this review a 5 star review.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Barbara Gibellini, General Manager at Villa Principe Leopoldo
Responded Jun 21, 2022
Dear Mr Nico_H7788 thanks for your detailed report about the recent stay at Villa Principe Leopoldo. we are grateful for your words of compliments and also for the global vote. We truly appreciate. We have as well taken a good note of your advise on how we can improve our service and we won't repeat same errors. We wish you'll be able to come back in this summer 2022 and enojoy a full serviced pool In the summer of Tessin. Best regards
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I have to say it with regret. the good things. The location, rooms, and cleanliness of the hotel definitely deserve five stars. The reception staff and room service are also very friendly, but if you want to spend time in the magnificent view and garden, that's when the anxiety begins. The worst service I've ever experienced in my life. The waiters are very rude and you can't get service. They wander around but they are more interested in fixing the napkins on the empty tables than you are in yourself, and when you ask for something you get answers like "Can't you see I'll come when I'm done?". Whatever plate or glass you finish on your table can stay there for hours and no one thinks of coming and removing it, and when you ask for it you get answers like "I'll get it if you give me a chance anyway." No smiling faces, bad service, they really make people uncomfortable with their passive aggressive attitude, we were never satisfied with this part of the hotel.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Barbara Gibellini, General Manager at Villa Principe Leopoldo
Responded Aug 30, 2024
Dear Guest 454elmast, I am more than sorry to read your review. Thanks for the recognition of value for the Hotel and reception staff. Such recognition for all staff fuels our passion to take care of our guests. This is why I am afraid there has been a mistake in your review. I do not recognise any of the situations you describe in your review as belonging to our restaurant. Our staff belongs to the same team and under my guidance. I can testify since 10 years that the staff have always been known for their professionalism, courtesy and attention to every guest, and we constantly strive to provide the highest level of service. Please check that your review has been entered on the correct profile, as we are very keen to ensure a pleasant experience for all our customers. In case you have indeed visited our restaurant, I would like to have more details to better understand what happened and to be able to remedy it if necessary. Best regards
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The location where the hotel is located is fantastic, beautiful structure, but unfortunately very given where the signs of time are noticeable, does not reflect the 5 star Boutique hotel, for various reasons, both x The services and x the offer it offers, perhaps lulled by the fact that it offers a great view.
The Bar / Bistro does not work as a bar but more as a restaurant, in terms of cocktails not the best, we expected much more x to be a 5-star structure.
A praise, however, goes to the gourmet restaurant, du qualità, lacks in a bit of refinement x a gourmet but ingredients are quality, but the difference was made by the staff of Sala, The Team praised the new Restaurant Manager, a close-knit team where you perceive the desire to offer a high quality service, attention to detail, napkin found folded by the return of the bathroom, The cloche on my plate x do not cool the food, cutlery changed, etc.
Hospitality reception It will be the thing we will not forget, it was great to see people who put passion into what they do. The outdoor restaurant also has Great signs of much lived, porcelain lived etc., the furniture not 5 stars. The presence of not having bathrooms is not so acceptable, x go you have to go back in, even if it rains you have to go out.
Giacomo l driver, very professional.
Service score 5 Kitchen 4 Structure 2
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Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Evening aperitif with friends, we order wines by the glass, which cost around 14-17 francs per portion, choosing from the list that however indicates only the genre and not the producers. On the table there are also some savoury, completely ordinary, supermarket snacks: salted peanuts, roasted and salted corn kernels and bretzelini and supermarket baggy bars. Wine is not even shown to us when served at the table with the bottle. Second round: more wines, we have run out of pretzels but the waiter leaves without having brought and bring more, and we must ask to have more. Frankly, after this experience, before and which will be unique, they can safely say that the class is elsewhere. Even for a simple aperitif.
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Date of stay: December 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
So, first of all this is the third 5* hotel we have stayed in Lugano. So we have something to compare with.
Positives:
Great food in restaurant and large room service menu Beautiful and peaceful location yet close to Lugano center Friendly staff Our suite was beautiful, comfortable and very clean
Negatives:
We arrived and no one came to help with bags, we had to go in search of help. Breakfast very limited We waited 20 minutes at least for eggs. Several people asking. Kitchen very very slow at breakfast. General understaffing issue. One person on reception caused delays. Room service line never answered, always had to call reception Housekeeping - towels should be folded and placed on rails neatly! Looked thrown on like a motel both days of our stay. Our bags were promptly collected from the room at check-out. We checked out. Went outside and our belongings had just been left at the curbside. No one around or helped us load the car. We loaded ourself and left.
When you just handed over $2500 for a two night stay you don’t expect that. We were shocked.
We really enjoyed our stay but hugely irritating when there is such understaffing that the staff in place can’t possibly offer a 5* service or experience.
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Date of stay: April 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Barbara Gibellini, General Manager at Villa Principe Leopoldo
Responded May 20, 2021
Dear Guest Beachy1111, we thank you for staying in Villa Principe and for your feedback. We are happy to read that you did enjoy the restaurant, the location and our attentive staff. We are as well tremendously desolated for the inconvenient happened at your departure. It is far from our standard service and we beg your pardon for this. We wish to welcome you back in Lugano in the next future to make your new experience with us impeccable as you deserve. Best regards
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We traveled to the Lugano area with my husband and an 8month old son. I found this hotel on trip advisor and based on reviewed, pictures, location thought it would be perfect for our 4 day trip. The check in process was great. We got the signature lake view suite. The view was amazing, right on to the lake, beautiful, amazing balcony on which to enjoy it. This is where all the positives ended. The room smelled like dog urine. When we asked them to address it, they cleaned our room, did basic room service that wasn’t even that thorough, left garbage on the night stand. Room continued to smell like dog urine. When we checked in I asked for a highchair for my son. The chair was in the room when we got there, but it was broken, the table piece was completely missing. They did set up the crib with clean linens. Now the service… where do I start?!?! Bar/restaurant service, we waited for over an hour first day to get a menu, but food was delicious. The hotel restaurant is amazing, delicious food, good service. Room service on the other hand is definitely lacking. Firstly, impossible to reach them. Several times it took us over 30 minutes of calling for someone to pick up the phone. Secondly, I have a dietary restriction, no dairy products due to allergy. When I tried to ask/request anything dairy free, it was almost impossible. One day I ate bland grilled veal and steamed veggies, I know there are other ways to make the food taste good without butter or cream. Another day we tried to order and my husband wanted piece of their cake of the day, when I asked about what cake is it, they told me they don’t know I need to look on the menu (menu said “cake of the day”). When they finally brought our order, they forgot the toast for tartare and honey for the tea. Breakfast wasn’t much better, no dairy free options, but that’s ok I get it it’s very limited. They were very accommodating in making dairy free omelette and porrage. Except one morning it took them 20 plus minutes to even ask for our coffee/tea order, and over an hour to make porridge, when we reminded then waiter, it arrived in 10 minutes, by the sound of it he forgot to put the whole order in. Now concierge service, one would expect a tourist destination, locals working at the hotel, they can make reservation and recommendation for good local restaurant spots. Not so much. I was given a name of a very touristy spot, and told to call there myself. Again, very disappointed for the price and all the hype.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Barbara Gibellini, General Manager at Villa Principe Leopoldo
Responded Nov 19, 2023
Dear Guest, I am sorry to read your comments that you have also put on Google, but didn't share with us in the Hotel in any moment of your stay or check out. When asked about your experience you just answered that it was fine. How is this possible? I apologize if you had to suffer from some inconvenient and for sure that is not our standard. I would have been able to solve the misunderstanding if you had just asked. for example: we have plenty of option of lactosio Free products in every menu'. Our philosophy is to put health and wellbeing at the top of our priority and in every details, taking care of our guests. On the breakfast buffet you can find at least three alternatives of milk (lactosio free or vegetal) and yoghurt as well. And for the cleaning of the room, the HK manager had the problem that the sign "do not disturb" has never been removed so that it was for us impossible to get into the suite. I have also spoken with the room service team: we beg your pardon for not replying at the phone properly. I wish you'd love to have a direct conversation, as I wish you'll give us the chance to visit and stay in our venue in the future. I remain at your disposal with all my regards
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Very pleasant stay. The hotel offers services worthy of a 5* Relais et Châteaux. The location in a quiet area with a commanding view of the city and the lake is very appreciable. Lugano city center is easily accessible via the hotel shuttle. The staff, available, friendly and competent, contributes to an impeccable overall quality. Address to keep and recommend.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The hotel is magnificent, the room with the panoramic view is incredible and the staff are excellent, always attentive! The swimming pool is calm and relaxing. The care offered is of high quality. The only negative point would be the café restaurant which charges too high prices for what is served… but otherwise it was an excellent stay! Congratulations to the VPL team!
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Lugano area.
PRICE RANGE
$317 - $548 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
villa principe leopoldo hotel and spa, hotel principe leopoldo
LOCATION
SwitzerlandSwiss AlpsCanton of TicinoLugano
NUMBER OF ROOMS
37
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Villa Principe Leopoldo
Which popular attractions are close to Villa Principe Leopoldo?
Nearby attractions include Church of S. Maria degli Angioli (0.6 miles), LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura (0.6 miles), and Museo d’arte della Svizzera italiana - MASI Lugano (0.6 miles).
