Swiss Diamond Hotel Lugano

Where to begin!? We have just spent 5 days and 4 nights in the Presidential Suite, plus some other rooms on the 4th floor, with a large group of 20+ people. Due to this it was not a cheap trip, however it was for a big, once in a lifetime event and although expensive, the price is not terrible for a 5* hotel in Switzerland. The problem comes with what you define as a 5* hotel/experience and overall we did not feel it lived up to our expectations of 5* accommodation/service. It is in the most stunning location with beautiful views over the lake on the front side of the hotel and the hotel certainly has the grandeur of a 5* place when you first see it, however when you start to look closer you can see where it has not had the upkeep over the years. The hotel was informed our party would be making use of the kitchen that comes with the Presidential Suite for meals during our stay, however it came to pass that the kitchen was infact not fully stocked. There were not enough cups/mugs/glasses in the Suite for all the guests. We ended up having to ask for chopping boards, sharp knives and other utensils as well as salt and pepper. We were charged 10 swiss francs for the use of 1 chopping board and 1 sharp knife and when we then proceeded to ask for salt and pepper we were told that they had 'already done us a favour today' (not sure it can be called a favour when something isn't provided that should be and then you pay for the privilege of said item that should have been readily available). We also found the dishwasher in the kitchen did not work peoperly after it was filling with water but not doing anything else and the water started to drip through the lights in the lower floor of the penthouse. Admittedly, the hotel was quick to send someone into look, who also couldn't make it work, so 2 maintenance men came up the next day and were also unable to fix it, so we had to have the staff collecting all the used kitchen crockery, cutlery and utensils every day after meals to take down to the main kitchen to wash up and then return. The temperature in the penthouse and all its bedrooms did not get below 24 degrees during our stay as the temp was set to 28.5degrees on arrival and there seemed to be no working air con, so even with the heating turned off and windows and balcony doors open we struggled to fight against the insanely warm underfloor heating that seemed to be permanently on full blast. It is a 'spa hotel' and there is an indoor and outdoor swimming pool and a jacuzzi with both, a Turkish Hamman, a sauna, a steam room, a cold dump bucket, changing rooms/toilets/showers and you can also book treatments like facials and massages if required. There were alot of tiles missing from the indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi making it quite sharp in places and we almost had some cut feet. The handle to the jacuzzi is loose and wobbling making it unsteady getting in and out up the thin, steep steps and only one jet in the whole thing was working so everyone was having to take turns using it. There are only about 10 loungers around the pool which was not enough when our whole party was down there plus other hotel guests trying to enjoy the facilities. We found the indoor pool and jacuzzi to be cold and uninviting which meant we only used the facilties twice during our stay as it didn't make us want to go back down there. We noticed that our key cards allowed us access to every room within our group, which seemed unsafe if we could have let ourselves into anyones room (unsure how this happened as each key was given access to the penthouse suite as well as your individual rooms, so maybe it some how caused the cards to become more like master key cards with all access). In our rooms we found multiple niggles that stopped it feeling like a 5* experience. One room had brown water that was still running brownish 5 days later. Some mini bar fridges were fully enclosed in cabinets causing them to over heat. There were multiple leafshield bugs in the room and bathroom and most unfortunately we became aware of small cockroaches within the bathroom of one room that on one day were found on a toothbrush head. There were multiple little snags noted like a shutter missing outside a window, stains on the base of a bad, TV with audio description on every channel that couldn't be changed, unlockable internal door to one of the penthouse rooms, jacuzzi bath not working, over flow of bath not working correctly and leaking over the bathroom floor, sealant around bath no longer present with big gaps, shower door not shutting properly and rubber seal missing from lower half of door allowing water to go everywhere, lights no longer working or flickering when turned on, and large mirrored wardrobe doors that were no longer on their runners. Overall there were enough snags to stop it feeling like a 5* hotel which was a shame as you can see why it was a 5* once upon a time. The breakfasts were amazing with a large range of food on offer from fruit and yoghurt, toast and jam, cereal, meats and cheese, cakes and pastries to a full cooked breakfast and the staff were very friendly and mostly helpful during our stay. I can't say I would worry about revisiting however I know alot of the party I attended with would return, although they did agree it had become more 'tired' since their first visit in 2021. It should definitely keep its old school charm and decor as there is an appeal in that but it does need updating in many places as it feels like it hasnt been looked after and it came across that maybe the Presidential Suite isnt often used and therefore left to slowly fall apart.

I think the hotel used to be very prestigious, but it has clearly lost its shine. The carpet in our room was very stained and the sheets in the bed had some marks (they were clean). The shower was in a bathtub and I had the lean back to be able to rinse my hair. This does not help to have a relaxing experience. Our room was on the first floor and I had to wear earplugs at night bc of the live music they had every evening. They did not care much about reducing noise and opened the safety doors making it very noisy to sleep. Their spa is very old, the jacuzzi was only having 2 places with jets as the rest was broken. Also on the bottom of the jacuzzi there was something sharp sticking out. Kids were running loose in the (hot) spa area and staff was not motivated to speak to the parents. Also not enough beds available and when something became available staff was not pro-active securing them for you. Breakfast is having all options but nothing really special. Service was quick. The view on the lake was beautiful and I think if the pool outside would have been warm enough for a swim it would have made an amazing place to relax in summer, but it was already too cold. On check-out the staff informed us of a bar fee we did not consume. They quickly removed it after our protest (we did not drink this). That was a good service! Again, it’s sad to see the state that the hotel is in. I think a newer 4 star hotel is providing a better experience. I hope they will soon do some renovations.

Excellent location, quiet, very good and quality service. Unexpected réception desk, even the banks abandoned the secure window. But who care-s, you don’t work in that cage 😎. Even if Largo restaurant is a good one, you have to try a Little walk to Morcote for another interesting dishes.

The weather was very hot and very humid, the air conditioning didn't work and the only solution they gave us was a old fan that made a tremendous noise, so It was very unconfortable to stay in the room and to slepp. Our holidays have been ruined.

Beautiful overlooking lake Lugano. We have a balcony Seaview room and it was lovely. Super clean, very well equipped, bright, happy vibes here. They provide 2 bottles of water on arrival one sparkling and one still, there is a stocked minibar in the room, bathroom is nice. Spacious bedroom. The only snag in the room is that they don't have a smart TV so doesn't complete the luxe experience. The breakfast was excellent and the best part was Arment who I think may be the supervisor there, he was LOVELY extremely attentive and ever so friendly. He made sure everyone was well taken care of, going from table to table but not in a disturbing way. This trip we visited this hotel as well as 2 others, one in Lake Como and the last in Milan and I must say the Swiss left us feeling they were high on hospitality. We loved our stay at swiss diamond hotel! Worth every penny!