Hotel Eden Roc Ascona review: sailing and luxury on Lake Maggiore

Whether it’s your first time, or you’ve lost count, nothing is quite like the extraordinary feeling of being in the Alps.

Ten years after my first visit, I returned to its southern reaches where Switzerland meets Italy on Lake Maggiore. This part of the Alps is as much about the water as the slopes, and there could be nowhere better to absorb everything the lake has to offer than the majestic Hotel Eden Roc in Ascona.

Why come here?

Like anywhere in the Alps, the most rewarding experiences are found outside. Hotel Eden Roc’s location, conscientious ethos and five-star facilities accentuate those experiences without competing with them.

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Eden Roc isn’t just a luxurious retreat in a beautiful setting though. Guests may come and go, but nature is an inseparable ingredient of the hotel and the experience it provides. You could easily come here just to be in the mystical company of the lake and the mountains for a few days. That would be a perfectly restorative vacation on its own.

That’s just one compelling reason to visit. There’s action to be found on the water if you’re that way inclined, and that’s where Eden Roc leads the way.

Exploring Lake Maggiore

The hotel’s unique position on this iconic lake is unrivalled, forming its own marina and private beach. From there, it offers a comprehensive range of water sports, from the more tactile and adventurous, like windsurfing, water skiing and wakeboarding, to those exclusively reserved for leisure.

Like chartering a luxury Riva Rivale 52 motorboat. Even if it’s just for a few hours, you can embrace the lifestyle of the elite as you cruise the waters just north of the Italian border, taking in sights like Isola di Brissago with wind in your hair. And if you want to calibrate that with something earthier, a water taxi can take you to the nearby Bolle di Magadino nature reserve for a guided tour of its rich ecosystem.

Whatever vessel you board, time on the lake is just as well spent as time at its side in the hotel, and Eden Roc is expertly prepared to assist you without any pressure or expectation.

Rooms and suites

Even if the modernist 1970s building looks conventional from the outside, it doesn’t take long to find the clues that reveal Eden Roc’s exclusivity: dream cars parked outside, immaculate service and suites so enormous that it’s almost disorientating when you first enter.

There are 95 guest rooms in total, each furnished by Ascona-based interior designer, Carlo Rampazzi. His idiosyncrasies are only modestly felt throughout, with the predominant tone more restrained and classic. That speaks for the main body of the hotel too, particularly the lobby, where dramatic marble pillars and gold details shimmer in natural light that floods in over the lake and through the south-facing windows.

Rates fluctuate with the season and room type, which range from “junior” to “grand”. All have balconies that either face the mountains, lake, or in my case, both. And if you need some “me” time one evening, have a soak in one of the suite’s preposterously large bathtubs.

Eating and drinking

There are five high-quality restaurants at the hotel, all of which represent Mediterranean cuisine with the occasional twist.

Restaurant Eden Roc is a classy all-rounder where you’re likely to spend plenty of time during your stay, including breakfast on its enchanting lakeside terrace. This is where ambiance and food is the most traditional, with a penchant for tableside theatre. Simple and delicious dishes, like spaghetti pomodoro, are prepared almost entirely in front of you by polished, bow-tied staff. So is the unashamedly retro dessert, crêpes suzette, flambéed to 80s perfection.

You’ll always dine with a view, but La Casetta will awaken all the other senses. From the cooling shade of a historic lake house, breathe in the invigorating Alpine air over a long lunch of antipasti and simply grilled fresh fish, like cod with clams, broccoli and fregola. With a chilled glass of locally produced Il Bianco Di Chiara from Paolo Basso, it’s al fresco dining at its finest.

La Marina is a more experimental restaurant with eye-catching aquatic motifs. The menu is just as eccentric: I’m still trying to post-rationalise why dim sum and mezze belong alongside main dishes like risotto with verbena and scallops, but it was easier to make sense of at the time with a bottle of the sublimely toasty Franciacorta.

‘Moving Mountains’

At first I thought these two words, seen everywhere around Eden Roc, simply referred to the hotel’s sustainability promises, which are admirable for a hotel of this size (it’s been climate neutral since 2019). But I soon learned they represented something far more holistic.

Like the other hotels in The Tschuggen Collection (found in St Moritz and Arosa) the mountains are part of Eden Roc’s DNA. “Moving Mountains” was created by Dr Götz Bechtolsheimer as recognition of the mountain’s role as an “ancient friend” and source of “awe and wonder” for all the hotels, but also a manifesto with five guiding pillars: move, play, nourish, rest and give.

Each is closely tied to wellness and nature and are woven into almost everything you’ll touch in the hotel, from its plant-focused gastronomy and mindful activities, to its environmentally inspired “ETRA” art installation and its materials. You could think of it as the hotel’s spiritual conscience, and being a guest at Eden Roc is only enriched for it. The hotel is currently running a three-night Moving Mountains holistic holiday experience from April to October.

Beyond the hotel

If it wasn’t for the traces of German on signs and menus, it would be easy to forget Ascona is in Switzerland. It’s a serene spot with a distinctly Mediterranean flavour to its architecture and unhurried pace. It’s a place that “brims with the essence of Italianita”, said Simon Spiller, Eden Roc’s general manager.

Eden Roc sits just east of Ascona’s promenade, which is lined with smart bars and restaurants that are all equally appealing spots for an aperitivo. Just behind are narrow streets with plenty of chic independent shops well worth a visit. It’s far from party central, but there’s zero tackiness to be found here and plenty to like about its unspoiled character and discrete charm.

The verdict

At least for me, being surrounded by lush, green mountains and a pristine lake feels like the ultimate form of escapism. Eden Roc is synchronised with those elements, all the while offering world-class comfort and service to its guests. This is a place where you’ll flow effortlessly with nature and leave revitalised. The staff think of the hotel as their own “little corner of paradise”, and it’s hard to disagree.

Dominic Kocur was a guest of Hotel Eden Roc Ascona. Room rates starting from CHF 390 (approx £349) based on two adults sharing a standard double on a B&B basis. Price includes access to the spa. Via Albarelle 16, CH-6612 Ascona, Switzerland; tschuggencollection.ch

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