My husband and I travel extensively, typically with our 1 year old, and typically stay in quite high-end "chain" hotels. We decided to look for something a bit more intimate and found Albergo Svizzero.
You feel like you are staying in the home of the most wonderful hosts. They were very accommodating to our needs with the baby and communicated well in both English and German (and of course Italian, which we don't speak).
The restaurant, you can tell is a popular place in town, as it would get pretty full at night. The food was very good and consistent. I loved that in the mornings, sometimes we would be running late (baby was still jet lagged), and they would leave a table ready for us, clearly indicating that they knew we hadn't eaten yet. At most places, if you miss breakfast, too bad! So, this was nice.
The rooms are far from beautiful. The decor is very dated, to the extent that it's a bit funny. I realized I didn't care a bit though, as they were immaculate. Every square inch of the room and bathroom was spotlessly clean, and that is, by far, most important to me.
We went during winter time to shop at Foxtown, but I was imagining how stunning this area must be in the warmer seasons. It's literally 2 minutes or less from the door of the hotel, and you are standing at the edge of Lake Lugano.
It was quite easy to get to Foxtown. We had a rental car, but I noticed a train just across from the hotel. I'm not sure where this train goes, but it gave me the impression that it's easy to get around from Svizzero. We parked our car, at no cost, just in front of the hotel.
I truly cannot say enough good things. This is actually the first review I've ever written about a hotel, so it's meaningful!
If the staff ever reads this, please let this be my family's thank you! We had such a nice time. :)