La Contrada dei Monti

Orta San Giulio is unbelievably picturesque and one of the most romantic places to dine here is the Albergo Ristorante Leon d’Oro, whose owners, the Ronchetti family, have another small, reasonably priced hotel, La Contrada dei Monti, in the middle of the village. This 16th-century building has been lovingly renovated, with great care taken to preserve the original architectural features such as arches, wood beams, exposed stone walls, and wrought-iron fixtures, but adding all the modern comforts such as tiled bathrooms, telephones, and satellite TVs. The intimate reception area has a charming sitting area with splendid arched ceiling embellished with fresco paintings, a fireplace flanked by prettily upholstered chairs, and a handsome tiled floor highlighted by the family coat of arms. The overall ambiance is one of exceptional quality and charming, refined elegance. The core of the hotel is a central courtyard where breakfast is served on warm days. When it is chilly, guests use a sweet breakfast room with a beamed ceiling. The guestrooms are also attractive, with lovely fabrics that color-coordinate with the bedspreads and draperies. Bedrooms are all very similar in decor, but the color scheme varies with each floor.