Stella d’Italia

The moderately priced Stella d’Italia is located in San Mamete, a tiny, picturesque village nestled along the northern shore of Lake Lugano, just a few minutes’ drive from the Swiss border. Mario and Dolores Ortelli are the most cordial of hosts and son Franco, the fourth generation of the family runs the Stella d’Italia with his wife Melania. The heart of the hotel is a 17th-century villa with thick-walled rooms, painted ceilings, and large French windows opening to views of the lake. The same panoramic lake view is enjoyed by all the guestrooms. Equally spacious rooms are found in the wing renovated in 1999—these have not only space and views but also terraces and top-of-the-line bathrooms. Quite the nicest feature of the hotel is the superb little lakefront garden—a green lawn, fragrant flowers, lacy trees, and a romantic vine-covered trellised dining area make this an ideal spot for wiling away the hours. Steps lead down to a sundeck with sun beds. Another interesting feature for golf enthusiasts is that there are several golf courses within an easy drive of the hotel—one of these (near the town of Grandola) is among the oldest in Italy. The ferry dock for picking up and dropping off passengers is adjacent to the hotel.