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We stayed at La Palma and thought the hotel very pleasant, huge rooms, bathrooms, balcony and well placed in Stresa. Highly recommend it.
Schnauzer

Lugano is on lago di Como, not Lago Maggiore (which has the town of Locarno at the northernmost end of the lake).

During summer months there is regular bus service to Lago d'Orta.

Also, HuisClos, there is a classical music festival in Stresa in high season, and you either want to be there for it or avoid it. I am not sure of its dates.

We rather like the Hotel Royal
It is very close to the cable car and you can get boats close by.
It is very pleasant to walk into Stresa along the Lakeside promenade. There is also a well established passegiata in the evening with families strolling along beautifully dressed.

Well, Lugano seems to have moved.
It is , of course, on Lago Lugano and is worth a visit.

From Montreux you could train to Domodossola and switch to the Centovalli train to Locarno. This is a famous scenic ride. Of course, you end up in Locarno. There's quite a bit to do there. Maybe stay a night there, then take a boat on to Stresa.

There is also a day trip from Stresa: train to Domodossola, Centovalli train to Locarno, boat back to Stresa.

Thank you everyone for helping me fill in the blanks on this -- keep them coming!

For all who provided hotel information, thanks much -- I will research each one, but the ones mentioned by StCirq and LoveItaly seem to be the best fit. Sounds like I may need A/C -- do you recall if they have that?

zeppole -- thanks for the info -- although I would have liked to have been there for the classical music festival (they're doing a JS Bach cello concerto which would be the bomb!), that will happen late July after we've left. Have you been to L'IdroVolante recently? I'll check it out.

Mimar, I like your idea -- sounds like a good idea.

Bob -- incredible photos -- makes me very excited! Re: Lugano, lol!

On gardens: I don't know if I'm a garden person or not. I loved Giverny, and have been to botantical gardens, like on Victoria Island and the Huntington in Pasadena, and the prim and proper garden in Versailles. I love passing by the lavendar and sunflower fields in Provence. But have never been to Kew gardens -- never had the interest. Maybe it would be something I'd enjoy, since I like being outdoors and taking photographs. Would this be too stodgy?

Lago d'Orta: since several of you mentioned it and I looked at Bob's great photos, if you know without me googling it, how far is it by bus?

Thanks again!

Yes! Bob is right! Sorry, I should have typed Lugano.

Lugano, lake or town, is still not reachable by hydrofoil from Stresa, and without a car I believe it's close to 4 hour journey one way.

Huis Clos, we were typing at the same time.

I haven't revisited Stresa, but friends who use it as a regular overnight for Malpensa tell me that L'idrovolante is going strong, for lunch and dinner.

If the bus to Lago d'Orta is operating in September, it's about an hour ride.

I enjoyed the garden on Isola Madre more than Isola Bella (which is a grotesque). Both have exotic birds, but Isola Madre have more. But what's really nice about the Isola Madre is the puppet theater inside the villa. When I visited, it was not necessary to take a tour. (Likewise the palazzo on Isola Bella.)

I actually thought the town of Baveno looked nicer (boat to the islands stop there as well), but I'm not sure it has a train station, although I can't imagine that a taxi from the train station costs that much. Anyway, I didn't stay there. But as much as you can, I think you'll want to get out of the touristy core of Stresa itself. It's not that big, and you can walk along the lake, take boats, cable cars or hang out at L'Idrovolante.

There are no end of formal gardens and villa gardens dotting the lakeside, but not many except those on the islands are reachable without a car.

The best gardens on Maggiore is the Villa Taranto just outside Verbania and north of Stresa. The ferry boats do go there, but plan on 2 hours in the gardens---lovely.

By the way, some visitors to the Isola Bella miss the "Shell Grotto", and it is a fairly unique site. It's another reason to go into the palazzo, instead of just touring the garden (also "grotto-esque)..

http://www.italiannotebook.com/art-a.../shell-grotto/

I'll check all of this out, thanks. I was thinking the shell grotto was like the blue grotto -- strange to be calling it a grotto. However, it looks interesting, if not ornate. Also sounds like a good place to go on a warm day.

Any thoughts on temps in mid-July? Is air conditioning a must?

What is there to explore in Locarno? I like Mimar's description of scenic ride.

If you get to Locarno and have time another little boat trip over to Ascona allows you to see a small artsy village
with a beautiful lakeside promenade with terraced cafes and
restaurants. Cobbled lanes lead to the old quarter full of artisan galleries and little craft shops. Ascona is 3 km from
Locarno and can be seen in a quick stroll or savored for the day.

Thanks zeppole and bob,

Locarno, not Lugano. Like I mentioned, it's been a few years and since we didn't make it there, I was confusing my "L" towns.

Best bang for your buck -- and time -- while sightseeing in Locarno: take the 3-leg trip up to the Cimetta ski area. Leg 1 is a funicular railway leaving from next to the main Locarno train station and going uphill to the Madonna del Sasso church. The church has great views over Lago Maggiore and the Alps. From there you catch a gondola up to Cardada, a park and picnic area. More views plus hiking. Moving ever upward, leg 3 is a ski lift to Cimetta for a 360 degree view of mountains and lake. All this shouldn't take more than a couple hours or so, unless you linger to enjoy the views.

More sightseeing from Locarno: as I said, you can boat to the Borromean Islands and Stresa. And you can take the comfortable Swiss postal buses back into the mountains for scenery and hiking.

Has anyone stayed at the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees?