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An ancient post house, is situated in Cantello, an italian/Suisse border town near Varese and a quater of an hour away from Lugano and Como and a hour of Milan.Its interesting geographinc position places this establishment between natural green parks and the blues of numerous lakes in the Alpine Foothills : Lakes Lugano and Como , Varese and Maggiore :not only greenery but also intertaiment fun parks , swimmingpools, golf-clubs ,popular sales outlets ans shopping malls.And for art lovers local area offers interesting cultural sites such als Castelseprio , Castiglione Olona and Sacro Monte and the villas and gardens of Varese and its province.It's ideal for a little break before setting out for italian destinations of world interest as well as beinga crossroads of flavors . Culture and scenic beauty typical of the region which the Albergo Madonnina invites you to enjoy to through its special offer
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Family
Languages Spoken
English, French, Spanish, German and 1 more
LICENSE NUMBER
012030-ALB-00002
Location
Largo Lanfranco da Ligurno 1, 21050, Cantello Italy
Name/address in local language
Madonnina Albergo Ristorante
4.5 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
I was visiting the area for a business trip and this hotel was booked by my colleague. We arrived after 8pm and seeing people eating in the restaurant decided to scrap our plan of heading into the town to look for food. Great decision, the meal was awesome although it stretched our company allowance to the maximum! My room was on the second floor of the nearby block. Despite being alone they gave me a family room with 2 double beds and a spacious balcony with a whirlpool tub which overlooked the town. Breakfast was simple but done well, croissant, bread, eggs and coffee. Would definitely return.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed here for two nights on our trip to Tuscany. Rooms are clean and nice, dinner is even better! We were there with our 1 year old and they prepared a nice pasta for her when the cooks weren’t even in the restaurant. Such nice people, would definitely visit this hotel again.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Place already known in the past for the restaurant! I spent the last weekend with friends, spoiled only by the weather which didn't allow me to go to the pool! The rest was all perfect. Affable, smiling and helpful staff and owners. Hotel full of history with very spacious rooms and large bathrooms with tub and shower. We were able to visit the Edda Ciano room which was certainly suggestive and abundant. Excellent restaurant with typical Cantello dishes and full of traditions. I'll be back and recommend it without hesitation, especially to lovers of history and good food.
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Date of stay: June 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This has been my third trip to La Madonnina and once more, as for a repeating Broadway play, reality surpassed expectations. Let me tell you first about the restaurant and the food. Palate, smell, and vision were the first ones to be rewarded with the feast of colors, aromas, and tastes presented in our dishes. The season of asparagus! This time the menu was all you wanted to taste with asparagus and beyond: asparagus, asparagus and more, the embarrassment of the riches. My selection included: asparagus with trout and a superb vinaigrette, asparagus in millefeuille, asparagus with foie gras and a single, divine, giant raviolo filled with ricotta and an egg over a divine julienne of… asparagus! A real must. The food seemed even better that the previous times, when I thought that, with the freshness of the best ingredients and the precision in cooking then, perfection had been reached. The list of wine is very nice and extensive. Prices are reasonable. The ambience and the spaces of the restaurant are diverse: from the conservatory, to the stark, newly renovated “kirche”, to the warm, beautifully restored, old post house. All share a very pleasant marriage of eclectic furniture, whimsical structures and playful design! 
This is also reflected in the bedrooms that are deceitfully simple, each one with their one style, but all pleasantly decorated with lots of vintage fittings. The park and the swimming pool were also nice additions to our stayings. In all my three visits, I found the staff highly competent, attentive and welcoming. The owners were always extremely pleasant, warm, clearly passionate, and entirely committed to the whole enterprise. By talking to them, it was clear that both restaurant and hotel are a real labor of love. Finally, the location of La Madonnina is very “strategic”: between the lake Maggiore, the lake of Como, the lake of Lugano, a few miles from the Swiss border, nearby the Malpensa airport. The landscape is lovely, hilly and green in the Italian Prealps: a real haven of peace and tranquility, just a few miles from the buzz of Milan, the throbbing heart of the Italian economy. Indeed, La Madonnina is the ideal place where to recharge the spirit, the palate and the body in any season.
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Date of stay: April 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Â Ask for rooms away from the road
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you like Motel One, if you like Ibis and Best Western: do not go to the Madonnina. It would be the wrong hotel. First of all, the Madonnina is not a classical hotel. And all previous comments are right – the enthusiastic ones, the positive ones and also some of the negative ones.
You should look at the Madonnina from a different point of view. As one of the last survivors of family-run Albergos full of charme, uniqueness, surprise and individuality. Some rooms and the two suites are breathtaking, some are ok, sometimes the service is marvelous and with attention to the detail, sometimes when it is too crowded you need Italian patience. And yes, some rooms are noisy.
But what is for sure: excellent fresh food, nice wines, personal service from the owners Carla and Roberto, the whole family being part of this chef-d'œuvre, storytelling trees in the park, the world’s most beautiful wisteria and the unconditional desire to make you feel at home. For us – and we stayed in the Madonnina for the past 12 years once every year – it is one of the rare magic places full of inspiration and tranquility.
In gratitude and a presto The friends of Madonnina, Inge & Timo
PS: Ask Roberto to show you around the place: the Orangerie, the new “ballroom”, the sundowner rooftop with the new swimming pool… Fantastic.
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Date of stay: April 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Already the first impression at the counter makes you feel like you’ve just arrived home. First hotel I ever stayed where they showed us a few rooms for us to choose. The 2 buildings were nostalgic on the outside but arty and modern on the inside. All the rooms were huge!!! And each had a different decoration theme, which was extremely interesting. Rooms were exceptionally clean. Breakfast was luxuriously sumptuous.
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Date of stay: September 2018Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Its 8.00am on a Sunday morning in August and I'm on the rooftop, basking in the warmth of the rising sun, watching my 9 year old daughter practising her new found diving skills in the pool of the Madonnina Albergo. The light hitting the peaks of the Swiss Alps in the distance, the sound of the village below waking up and of course the massive smile on the face of my youngest child makes this a very special moment indeed.
The Madonnina Albergo Ristorante is strategically located only a few minutes from the Autostrada but feels like its in the middle of the countryside. In many ways this is the perfect hotel, with a perfect atmosphere and while its by no means pristine this doesnt matter at all because its completely overshadowed by how comfortable you feel as a guest. As many know, its quite a responsibility finding a hotel that will suit a family, yet also be somewhere which you will enjoy and be able to relax, sound in the knowledge that everyone is happy!
The family rooms, with AC, are huge, ours didn't have much of a view, but the layout provides for two sleeping areas and works well.
The restaurant, the service, the quality of food, the prices, were all spot on. We stayed for two nights (far too short) and despite being tempted by the restaurants around Lake Como (30 mins away) we opted to eat al fresco both nights in the hotel, firstly in the courtyard and then in the garden. The local chilled Gavi is a joy, as is the fresh pasta.
It was wonderful to see so many families, as well as couples, enjoying an evening meal in such idyllic surroundings, quite unique. The Limido family have owned the hotel for many years and the sense of 'family' is so clearly reflected in the product they offer. They and their staff all work very hard for long hours in high season but this commitment really pays off.
Our big regret was leaving! I'm sure most guests that stay in Cantello are either travelling North or South but actually this is a super destination. With easy access to the lakes, Milan just 40KM away by road or rail, Mendrisio designer store outlet 6km and a great hotel to stay in, what more can you ask.
My wife and I intend to sneak away for a few days quality time and our destination is an easy choice.
Huge thanks to the Limido family (and daughters boyfriend!) for making our stay so memorable. See you again soon!
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Date of stay: August 2017
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Our room didn't have a view but I'm sure others may have
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hotel is located in a small, quiet town by Swiss border. It consists (at least to my knowledge) of two buildings. The main building is with a receptionist and a restaurant, and we stayed across the street in other building, which seemed to be adapted old warehouse/factory building. But nicely remodeled, with interesting art and very cool pool on the roof. We loved the food there, ate at the restaurant dinner and a breakfast. Highly recommend. Would go back definitely.
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Date of stay: June 2016
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at the madonnina for the fourth time - and first time with our 2 kids (baby and toddler). we were given family room in the hotel (vs. silk mill) and slept very well. The room was big, clean and well heated. The beds were very confortable, our eldest slept in a proper little bed (instead of the average travel cot you are given at most hotels). The bathroom was very nice with a big Whirpool (4 "seats") and a HUGE rainshower (no way we could even THINK about testing them - we were in bed at the same time as our kids). The breakfast was very rich: coockies, bread with marmelade, scrumbled eggs, fresh ham, cheese, fruits, orange juice and really good coffee.
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Date of stay: December 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Madonnina is an old inn for changing horses on the way from Milan to Lugano and beyond. More than 200 years old, it is both well preserved and tastily renovated. Rooms were comfortable, bathrooms well equipped, and still tastefully reflecting centuries past. I would always go back for the ambianxe, and the helpful owners.
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Date of stay: April 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good day,
There is a train that you can take from Como San Giovanni train station to come to us, which is S40/S50. You must get off the train on the station called Cantello-Gaggiolo. Then call us and we will come to the station to bring you directly to the hotel
There are more places to choose from in the Cantello area.
PRICE RANGE
C$194 - C$202 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
madonnina albergo ristorante cantello
LOCATION
ItalyLombardyProvince of VareseCantello
NUMBER OF ROOMS
17
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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