Best Western Hotel Albatro Lugano - 盧加諾

The downside of the hotel's high location is that you have to get up and down a steep hill to get to the lakeside and towncentre as the funicular that is on the map located next to the hotel is no longer in use.

Take the funicular or the bus back uphill if you don't want to walk.

More positively though it does command some commanding views of the lake from some rooms which stems from the elevated position.

I did not experience the mustiness of the other reviewer, but every room is different.

Air-conditioned (not so common in Lugano), which is a must for us during summer.

So far so quirky and the hotel itself is pleasantly clean in a thoroughly minimalist style which seems somewhat out of keeping with Lugano with another oddity that the reception doubIes as a bar in the evening.

For the price, the breakfast and facilities simply did not meet our expectations, the former was very limited and unvaried and the latter included the smallest swimming pool I've ever seen.

The first thing we noticed was that reception is on the first floor up two flights of stairs - not ideal for arriving with suitcases and a pram and kids in tow after a long trip.

There is though lift access via the basement, but this too requires negotiating a flight of stairs down or a narrow ramp so steep as to be positively dangerous.

I was with a group and the hotel was a little small in the lobby area, but it was ok.