Hi Everyone,
Whilst there are many beautiful spa resorts in Switzerland it’s certainly not every day that you experience that James Bond feeling upon arrival.
Our absolute first impression of the Aria Retreat & Spa as we drove up to the resort. The road leads directly into the secured underground reception/parking area.
Here we were welcomed by super friendly reception staff. We felt as though we had come to visit good friends.
It took us around 3 hours from Zurich to reach the Aria Retreat & Spa. A five star resort situated high up the mountain on a perfect south-facing slope.
The final part of the journey being an extremely pretty drive right along the lake of Lugano, passing several little Italian villages.
We went to celebrate Hubby’s big birthday and I certainly earnt “Good Wife” brownie points as a result – haha! The perfect spot for any celebration really!
One thing that really made an impression was that on the actual day of his Birthday absolutely everybody working at the retreat knew and wished him many happy returns. He felt incredibly special all day long!
A true architectural masterpiece – the Aria Retreat & Spa first opened in 2022. The large glass fronts mean you have a fantastic view of the lake, the mountains, and the 40,000m2 subtropical park surrounding the retreat with unique SPA area and spectacular infinity pool.
A short walk down takes you to the private beach. There are a number of dining options at both the Aria Retreat & Spa and Parco San Marco. Parco San Marco is the sister property and a great option for young families.
Keep on scrolling for a pictorial insight into “Aria Retreat & Spa – Dolce Vita Along Lake Lugano”
Aria Retreat & Spa – Dolce Vita Along Lake Lugano
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The Exclusive Suites
There are 15 exclusive suites at the Aria Retreat & Spa with 5 different layouts. See all 5 layouts here.
We stayed in room 902, a LAGO Penthouse suite with 158m2. Walking into the room I was swept away by the beautiful floating furniture.
As a super nice treat we were given two bottles of the house gin to try as an apero…
Which we of course enjoyed on our beautiful terrace.
The suite has two bedrooms, each with walk in wardrobe leading to a stunning marble bathroom. Plus a spectacular view of the lake.
Our room:
The attention to detail is fabulous…
Fell in love with our free standing bath…
The second bedroom:
2. The View
The view from both or terrace and throughout the Aria Retreat & Spa is simply stunning. From our room I loved the twofold view of;
1) the lake plus mountains on the other side and…
2) of the fun pool belonging to the Parco San Marco resort.
Looking down at that made me feel I was stepping into a children’s book – smile.
3. The Gardens
The 40’000m2 subtropical park/gardens of the Aria Retreat & Spa are so pretty that they really deserve mentioning in their own right. I lost count of the number of gardeners I saw working during our stay. This is why the gardens are so pristine. Plenty of places to sit and relax as well as interesting art objects to discover as you walk through the property.
Every year a renowned artist is invited to exhibit their masterpieces in the resort’s subtropical park. 2023 is dedicated to the Lombard artist Anacleto Spazzapan. The first picture of this article shows a great example of his works.
4. The Spa Area
The exclusive 1’500m2 SPA, features a heated indoor pool…
an outdoor infinity pool with heated salt water, overlooking the lake,
as well as a SPA area with Snowflake cold cabin, panoramic saunas and relaxation corners.
There is also a private spa room with it’s own terrace that you can book for a couple of hours or more even if you are not staying at the resort.
My favourite place to hang out:
Not to forget the brilliantly equipped fitness room for those indoor sports fans.
5. The Beach
There is also a special private beach attached to the Parco San Marco with a special area dedicated to the Aria Retreat & Spa guests.
Plus In addition, you can use all the facilities within the Parco San Marco Resort: Relax Pool, Fun Pool water park, Club Bim Bam Bino, playground, Family SPA San Marco, 1001 sports activities including tennis, beach volleyball, climbing wall and water sports.
6. Restaurants
Dolce Vita
Situated off the reception of the Aria Resort and Spa the Dolce Vita bar/restaurant is open every day from 11:30am till 11:30pm.
You can even enjoy a drink or light meal here in your bathrobe until 5pm. Choose to sit indoors or on the beautiful terrace overlooking the lake.
See what we ate here:
La Musa Restaurant & Rooftop Terrace
La Musa Restaurant & Rooftop Terrace is run by chef Michele Pili. It has also been included in the 2023 edition of the MICHELIN Italy Guide.
Open from Thursday to Saturday evening, La Musa is a must experience for any stay at the Aria Retreat & Spa…
See what we ate here:
7. Breakfast
Saving one of the best bits till last. Everyone staying at the Aria Retreat & Spa gets their breakfast served to them on a trolly in their room.
You simply choose from a generous menu the evening before and then it arrives when you want it. You can either leave it on the trolly or have it transferred to a coffee table on your terrace – we tried out both options.
What a way to start the day!
Conclusion:
Hubby has officially announced the Aria Retreat & Spa has become his all time favourite hotel – and that is saying something!
Everything was simply perfect from the initial James Bond feeling as we arrived, to the most brilliant efficient and friendly staff, fabulous surroundings, beautiful interior and spectacular views.
Find out more here:
Via del Ciclamino 5
22018 Cima di Porlezza (CO)
You might also like to read about other getaway places in Italy here.
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nb: All photos taken by and property of FunkyForty GmbH
Hi dear Yvonne thank you for your blog this time it truely sounds just something out of a James Bond Film and every area is so beautiful created so that you feel like being in a dream and want to stay forever thank you again