Grand Hotel Campione

Where previously stood a rather dreary apartment block, now stands the swish, clean-lined, and contemporary architecture of the Melia Campione. Despite its international chain-hotel credentials, this high-end boutique-style property scores high on eye-catching design and on-trend chic. The lobby area epitomizes this elegant international vibe, with curvaceous Chesterfield-style seating in leather and velvet, moody low lighting, and an emphasis on natural woods. A single elevator swooshes guests to one of four upper floors, where the upmarket look continues. There's not much in the way of outdoor space, though the hotel's eatery extends to an alfresco terrace overlooking the street. Clientele tend to be a mixture of business travelers on generous expense accounts, casino gamblers, and passing well-heeled tourists. 

The Melia Campione is just one of just a handful of hotels found in the Italian enclave of Campione d'Italia in the province of Como in Lombardy -- a tax-free zone surrounded on all sides by Switzerland and overlooking Lake Lugano (also known as Ceresio). Everything in Campione is within walking distance, including some high-end restaurants and waterfront cafes. The main landmark is Campione Casino, the largest in Europe and just a one-minute walk from the hotel. The charming Swiss town of Lugano is a 15-minute drive, it takes roughly 40 minutes by car to reach the city of Como, and it's about an hour to the closet Italian city, Lanzo d'Intelvi. The main domestic Lugano Airport is a 20-minute drive, while the international Malpensa Airport is about an hour.

The hotel's 40 guest rooms and suites are chic and modern, yet cozy, finished in a combination of plush velvets, natural wood, and carpeted floors. While lower-priced rooms overlook the hotel's inner courtyard or rear mountains, most higher-category rooms, which tend to be on the hotel's upper floors, offer superb views over the lake -- some from furnished balconies and others through floor-to-ceiling windows. 

Standard amenities include high-end mirror-integrated 49-inch TVs (with a good selection of international channels), well-stocked minibars, digital safes, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are beautifully finished in marble and brass, with high-end LOEWE toiletries, shower/tub combos with rainfall showerheads, and robes and slippers as standard. Upgraded rooms add larger, stand-alone tubs.

There are two themed suites, one around the "Modern Dandy" the other the "Femme Fatale." Both are top-floor, with wraparound balconies and stunning lake views, separate and spacious lounges, and extras such as espresso machines. The "Modern Dandy" also features a lake-view from its soaking tub, while the "Femme Fatale" has an outdoor circular tub on the balcony. 

As a boutique-size property there's not much space for facilities, though the hotel does manage to fit in some decent dining and a spa. The Dolce Vita restaurant opens for breakfast, with a limited buffet spread and a few cooked-to-order options, all included in most (but not all) room rates. Some guests have complained that the breakfast section can fill up quickly, but there's more space on the outdoor terrace in warm weather. Lunch and dinner menus are available and there's 24-hour room service, though while food is of good quality, prices are on the high side. There's also a lobby lounge with a small corner bar for evening drinks. The hotel's basement spa, which opened in 2017, is a highlight, with a Turkish bath, sauna, heated relaxation pool with hydro-massage jets, and massages, and there's a small, modern gym, but it's a bit cramped. Parking is also available on-site, though for a pricey daily fee. Wi-Fi is free throughout.