The Hotel Ancora was no disappointment! It was just lovely! The rooms are spacious by European standards, the baths seemed even larger, and the view of the lake is just beautiful. The staff was exceptional. Their English was perfect (along with their Swiss German, Italian and even French, plus who knows what else they can speak) and their helpfulness was the best on our trip. This was our last stop after 4 countries and 7 hotels. It felt like the frosting on the cake. Their buffet breakfast can be rivaled by "paid for" restaurant buffets. They had everything and even waited on you for your coffee, etc. Staff was always available and eager to help. The entire hotel was spotless. They checked on our room twice daily to leave a basket of fruit in the afternoon and turn down our bed in the evening. The entire area is lovely and one we would return to. Lots of shops and restaurants within easy walking distance of the hotel. Internet service was great for us to keep in touch back home. Not one single complaint here and the price was the lowest we paid almost anywhere.

I stayed at this lovely hotel in Verbania (Intra) on the magical Lake Maggiore for 8 days in May with my wife and two boys (10 and 7). The hotel is definitely a true 4 star by global (rather than Italian) standards. We had adjoining rooms with balconies that looked across the lake. They were a reasonable size and the amenities were good. The staff were fantastic, spoke pretty good English (plus French and German from what I could tell) and were very helpful with restaurant recommendations, train information and generally anything else we needed. Breakfast was included and was excellent. In fact, this was the first stop on our 6 week trip through Italy, and it was the best breakfast by miles. The hotel has secure parking 50m down the road under the local supermarket for an additional charge or there is a parking area across the road, but this is very busy and not cheap as you have to pay between 08.00 and 24.00. Verbania is broken up into a few towns, with Intra being the third one along the shores of the lake as you head north. We highly recommend Intra as a place to stop, even if you can't get into the Hotel Ancora. It has great restaurants, shopping and is the site of the port for the ferry across the lake and the day trips around the lake. Many people stay at Stresa which is also very nice but has been taken over by the tourists. Intra is still unspoilt and while this presents the odd challenge (you will struggle to find a restaurant with an English menu) it is well worth the effort.

On the strenght of the TA reviews we booked the Ancora for 8 nights but we left after 4. The hotel is a 4 star in name only, more a decent 2 star bed & breakfast hotel. There are no facilities which a normal 4 star would have such as a pool/leisure centre, reading rooms etc. It has a small reception, a dining room and that's about it. The staff were adequate and the breakfast similarly so., the bedroom was small and the use of a hairdryer blew all the electricity!! Verbania is a mainly commercial town, there are better villages/towns on the lake.

Our long weekend stay was comfortable. Style is a little 90s in the rooms, but they are a decent size, clean and with a comfortable bed. Nice little touches like bathrobes, slippers, complimentary water, fruit on arrival ( well arrived when we went out for dinner) and 'aperitivos' for guests - although Intra has many great little cafe bars for apertivos and excellent restaurants (just walk the back streets to avoid standard tourist places). Continental style breakfast here is the best I've had in Italy - as Italians don't really do breakfast - a good selection. But order a coffee from the staff. There are automatic coffee machines, but why bother. You can even chisel off some chocolate chunks from a massive chocolate bar! Only let downs - mouldy shower recess - let the rest of the bathroom down which was clean and a good standard. The staff were efficient - but a bit variable on the weekend. We didnt see the owner/manager until we checked out on the Monday very early - and he seemed very nice. It's noisy in the lake view rooms - but it's what to expect in a larger town on the lake. Our view was lovely, and the double glazing works well. But if you are sensitive or not used to noise (I live in London) dont request one. You will hear traffic and sounds from the bars and cafes below - but we were out late ourselves! You can sit outside on their small terrace to get a view - but the boat rides and island trips will more than make up for the lack of one. The hotel is in a great position on the lake with access (across the road) to great boat links around the lake, and the famous Borommeo islands (Isola Bella - watch out for the crazy albino peacocks - or pavone, Isola Madre - lush gardens, Isola Superior - wonderful sleepy village and a great lunch stop on an islands tour), and the great Centovalli tour to Locarno with a relaxed and scenic boat trip back to Intra. We recommend you start with the ferry from Intra to Baveno, train to Domodossola, mountain train to Locarono - with nearly 21/2 hours there. We then took a funicular to Madonna del Sasso in Orselina, so we could catch the cablecar from there to Cardada and then a chairlift all the way up to Cimetta to view to the Alps! Loved Lago Maggiore and everyone we met was friendly. Don't believe that Intra is boring from the other guide books! It is a great base if you dont have much time and a bit cheaper than Pallanza. Intra is a larger town so you do get more shopping. You must walk the quaint back streets and lanes behind the hotel. I would recommend this as a good value Hotel for couples and families. Great for a short stay.

Nous avions réservé en ligne. Les employés sont très compétents. Chambre double avec vue sur le lac à 133 € par nuit, petit déjeuner, somptueux, compris. Le seul inconvénient, c’était le bruit de la circulation qui passait quand même un peu malgré le double-vitrage. De plus, les deux soirs où nous y étions, au bar du coin, ils passaient de la musique à fond avec un bruit de batterie sourd jusqu’à minuit. Ce n’est pas la faute de l’hôtel bien sûr, et d’ailleurs ils nous ont aussitôt proposé de changer de chambre. Ils nous ont permis de nous connecter à internet sans supplément, et nous ont réservé un autre hôtel pour la suite de notre voyage. De plus, chose essentielle, l’hôtel dispose d’un parking à 13€ la nuit. Les réceptionnistes sont vraiment aimanles et nous ont bien rendu service.