There are hotels that have extraordinary locations, and then there is the Villa Principe de Leopoldo. This small luxury hotel is set on a hilltop, the Collina d’Oro or Little Hill of Gold, above the Swiss city of Lugano, in the canton of Ticino, where Italian is the lingua franca. It’s also a hotel where it helps to have your own little hill of gold to take care of the bill. The clientele give fresh meaning to the term “well-heeled,” and while you likely won’t recognize anyone, they carry themselves with the assurance of guests who are quite at home here.
Thanks to an extraordinary feat of design and architecture, the city is more or less invisible from the grand first level of the property, which is set back from the edge of the hill. Instead, you’re presented with a panoramic view of the arms of Lake Lugano, the steep mountains that surround it, with Italy in the distance and a fountain at your feet.
It’s a remarkable feat of stagecraft as well as engineering at one of the city’s finest hotels. Located about ten minutes from the center of Lugano, Villa Principe Leopoldo is reached by driving a series of steep switchbacks up to the meticulously landscaped property. You may come by taxi but the candy-colored Ferraris parked outside prove that there’s another way to get here.
A member of Relais & Chateaux, the hotel is built around the original orange-hued villa, which was commissioned in 1926 by Friedrich Leopoldo von Hohenzollern, brother-in-law of Kaiser Wilhelm II.
The guestrooms are delightful and there are four room categories: Deluxe, Garden Suite, Junior Suite, and Lake Suite. There are just two levels of rooms with a total of 37 suites and they lie below the main floor, fanning out in a semicircle. The floor just below the main level has similar panoramic views while the lowers floors have woodland views, privacy and a hint of the panorama that’s available above.
Views aside, each room is a luxury suite. You enter your lair with a dressing room on either side and a bathroom neatly divided into two rooms on either side as well. The main sleeping area has a king-size bed and very high ceilings. Beyond is an exceptionally comfortable seating area, with desk and sofa. Beyond that are glass doors that open to a private terrace. What makes the rooms feel even larger are the floor-to-ceiling mirrors that offer an infinity effect. It’s a clever design touch that’s often mismanaged but not here.
We loved the buffet breakfasts, taken on an elevated terrace on the side of the hotel, with views of distant vineyards and the funicular that goes to the top of Monte San Salvatore, a must-do when in Lugano. We also loved the pool, set below the terrace, an elegant oval with spouting fountains, an ideal place to linger during the recent hot summer in Europe. The main restaurant, Restaurant Principe Leopoldo, has been overseen by Chef Dario Ranza for more than 27 years and offers a very refined menu that distills the Italian spirit of the Ticino with Mediterranean flair. Set in a glass pavilion with sliding walls, they are opened in fine weather and stayed open during our visit.
What really sets the Villa Principe de Leopoldo apart is that it’s a resort hotel hidden in the city. It’s a sublime, elegant place, where the service is old world and privacy treasured. It might be too understated for some but that’s just fine. Check in and you have those views to yourself.
Villa Principe de Leopoldo, Lugano, Switzerland.
