We are planning to stay in Stresa for a couple of days this summer at the very beginning of our trip. We will be travelling with my niece and nephew who have never been to Europe before. I would like to stay in a hotel that is somewhat cosy. But we would still like to be conveniently located to take boats to see the islands etc. We will not have a car.<BR><BR>I've looked at the threads that pertain to Stresa on this site and also looked at the websites for the recommended hotels. The hotels seem fine but a little &quot;resort-like&quot; and chilly. Can anyone recommend a hotel that would be at least somewhat cosy and yet convenient? <BR><BR>Thanks for any suggestions you can give.

try the Hotel du parc.<BR><BR>www.duparc.it

Why not stay on the islands? We stayed on Isola de Pescatore (not sure of the spelling, it translates as &quot;Island of the Fishermen&quot in a small hotel - very quaint and cosy, like being in an Italian movie, with a great view of the lake off the balcony. On the island, there is a larger, expensive hotel at one end, and couple of smaller ones. Ours was in the middle of the island (which is small enough to walk around in about 20 minutes). Once the ferries stop running at the end of the day, there's not a lot to do, but you get a sense of what's it's like to live there. I don't remember the name of the hotel- perhaps searching by the name of the island will work.

We stayed at the Hotel Regina last summer, and loved it. You can walk to everything, including the ferry to the islands.

The hotel mentioned above is Hotel Verbano on Isola dei Pescatori. Only something like 16 rooms and an outstanding restaurant, lovely terraces. Only hotel on the tiny island. We loved it! Dead quiet at night, charming, helpful staff. Fabulous views. We had an early train to catch upon departure, so arranged for a private boat to take us to Stresa. Highly recommend them, but hurry on the reservations!