Grand Hotel Liberty

“Traditional warm and welcoming ”

We stayed here over Christmas but had to check out on the 26th as the whole hotel was booked for a basketball tournament. We stayed here before and the plus points are the location, the traditional and beautiful decor in the public areas, and the staff who was mostly friendly (they can be a littl... more

We stayed here over Christmas but had to check out on the 26th as the whole hotel was booked for a basketball tournament. We stayed here before and the plus points are the location, the traditional and beautiful decor in the public areas, and the staff who was mostly friendly (they can be a little cool at reception). Not this time though - I asked for a kettle and was pleasantly surprised to get one! We had lovely spacious rooms with balconies on the first floor at the front of the hotel with a nice view of the lake. Yes the traffic noise is busy but once you close the balcony doors you can hardly hear it. I loved having a coffee first thing sitting on the balcony and watching Riva come to life. The rooms are well appointed (yes the shower can be a little small) and the pillows and bed are so comfortable. Housekeeping is excellent and our rooms were always cleaned early each day. Be aware that some of the rooms are done in the modern style while others have a more traditional Italian decor - you should ask for what you want when booking. The dining rooms are beautiful especially the small salons. The dinner menu is not extensive but we managed to eat very well for the 3 nights. Maurizio is a brilliant host - nothing is too much trouble and he caters for every whim (table preferences etc). The lovely Shalifu (hope I spelled it properly) is so nice and helpful, and I must mention Davide and Antonio too - all of the dining staff are wonderful. One word of advice if you have allergies - there were a lot (and I mean a lot) of dogs staying in the hotel during our visit. None causing any difficulty but just to be aware. We would have loved to stay for the whole week in the Liberty as it’s like coming home when we visit so we are at a loss as to why they take in a large group of teenagers for basketball so soon after Christmas. They surely can’t be eating or drinking in the 1910 restaurant and we passed by while they were there to see sports shirts hanging out to dry on the balconies at the front of the hotel. Just an observation! I know there are mixed reviews about this hotel but we have always had a great time staying here as the location is perfect. You have to get the right room and if you do you’ll have a great time here and be very sad to leave like we were. Hope to be back again soon.

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“Breakfast a little disappointing, but otherwise an excellent hotel!”

Firstly, the location of this hotel is perfect - it's a very short walk in one direction to the lake front, another to the main town areas with shops and restaurants, etc., and around a ten minute's walk to the bus station (there are bus stops closer but if you don't want to buy your ticket on th... more

Firstly, the location of this hotel is perfect - it's a very short walk in one direction to the lake front, another to the main town areas with shops and restaurants, etc., and around a ten minute's walk to the bus station (there are bus stops closer but if you don't want to buy your ticket on the bus, the best option is the bus station) There's also a supermarket just round the corner and just a short walk to the Ponale trail, the Bastione and Santa Barbara trails. The hotel building is stunning - it's traditional and shows its character and heritage, but the facilities are modern and meet the needs of the modern-day traveller. The welcome when first arriving at the hotel could have been a little warmer, but this is just a small niggle - for the majority of my stay the staff were polite, helpful and greeted me each time I passed by. The room was better than I was expecting - the one I stayed in was clearly part of the recent refurbishment works. There was a comfortable double bed, a desk area with chair, ample wardrobe space with mirrored doors, a spotless bathroom with walk-in shower, a generous sized TV and a mini bar. The mini bar was stocked with two bottles of water, a Coco-Cola, lemon iced tea and a can of beer, and the prices were very reasonable at two euros each for everything except the beer which was three euros. I also liked that the electrical sockets in the room had multiple options - two pin, three pin and USB. I travelled from the UK and didn't need to take or use a travel adaptor during my stay. There was plenty of lighting in the room and the lighting panel was right next to the bed, which was handy on a night to turn everything off, although I did keep forgetting to turn the bathroom light on before I got up through the night! (My fault, not the hotel's) The blinds were also electric and operated on the same panel as the lights. The housekeeping staff were always friendly and would say 'buongiorno' as we passed in the corridor each day. The information in the hotel room said rooms would be cleaned by 3pm, but I found mine was usually completed much earlier, often before 12pm. This was particularly helpful as I tended to go out early on a morning and then go back to the hotel just after lunchtime to refresh. There was a laundry service available through the housekeeping team, although I didn't personally use this. I used the fitness area and spa facilities each day, which included an indoor pool, two types of sauna, a steam room and ample relaxation areas. This wasn't included in my package (as I'd booked through a travel operator) however the charge was only 15 euros for the entirety of my stay and that included use of robe, towel and flip-flops. An incredibly generous offer and definitely value for money! The staff at breakfast were very welcoming and friendly. They would greet diners at the door and show to a table. There was an option of sitting indoors or out on the terrace, which was covered over so sheltered from too much sun. It's a really lovely place to sit out first thing on a morning, watching the birds around the pool and the sun rising above the mountains in the distance. If I may make one criticism it's that when I booked my stay through the travel operator, I selected the vegan option. I also contacted the hotel before travelling to double check that the breakfast would contain vegan options and I was told that it absolutely did. On the first morning, I got there to find the only vegan options were some cucumber and peach slices, grapes and pineapple. Whilst I'm quite happy to have fruit for breakfast, it's not exactly filling or what one might expect when paying for bed and breakfast board. The was an additional option of a vegan cake on the remaining days, however again I feel this falls a little short of expectations. There were cereals and bread rolls on offer which would have been vegan, however there was only dairy milk available to put on the cereal and dairy butter for the bread, so not a viable option. If the hotel are open to suggestions, it would make a huge difference to have a non-dairy milk on offer, even if this was something that needed to be specifically requested prior to arrival. I don't feel having just a couple of pieces of fruit as the vegan option is adequate, particularly when paying the same price as others who were able to have a full substantial breakfast. That said, the drinks options were good, with a range of juices and different types of hot drinks available. Overall, my stay at the Grand Hotel Liberty was pleasant. The surroundings are beautiful and it was a comfortable environment to be based at for a week. The facilities are good and the additional extras were excellent value for money. The majority of the staff were friendly and welcoming, and there were multiple areas to sit and relax around the hotel. I wouldn't rule out visiting again and I would be happy to recommend to others. This would be all the more likely if they considered my comments and suggestions on the vegan breakfast options, but overall this did not detract from an enjoyable stay.

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“Good, but…”

The hotel is well-maintained; the ambiance is charming. The staff members were very professional and helpful. The a/c in our room worked well and was controlled by a thermostat in the room. The breakfast buffet was very good, and the seating options included both indoors and outside on a terra... more

The hotel is well-maintained; the ambiance is charming. The staff members were very professional and helpful. The a/c in our room worked well and was controlled by a thermostat in the room. The breakfast buffet was very good, and the seating options included both indoors and outside on a terrace overlooking the pool. We had a “superior king” room on the first floor with a very small balcony facing the lake, but from the first floor the view is of the street, buildings, and trees rather than the lake, which is a couple blocks from the hotel. We did not use the balcony because that side of the hotel is on a VERY busy street, and on a sunny day the balcony was much too hot. The room was large but the bathroom was quite small and the shower was tiny: 28 inches by 28 inches. (I believe 28 inches is about 71 cm). I am not a large person, but it was almost impossible to avoid banging into the sides of the shower, which incidentally would cause the shower door to slide open and allow water onto the bathroom floor. Very annoying.

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