Villa Sassa, WorldHotels Distinctive,
Lugano

Villa Sassa, WorldHotels Distinctive

In a quiet spot on the hillside above, the Villa Sassa, WorldHotels Distinctive, Lugano, Switzerland, is built around a seventeenth-century villa surrounded by greenery, with roomy rooms and suites, many with terraces looking over the lake and mountains, a large wellness centre with indoor and outdoor pools and a spa, free Wi-Fi, a panoramic restaurant and bar, fully equipped meeting rooms, as well as private parking. The centre of Lugano is only minutes away, with the lake shore and the surrounding hills close by. Terraces and gardens look out over the water and the peaks, and a funicular drops from the hillside to the lakeside centre in minutes. Lugano is the biggest town of Ticino, the Italian-speaking south of Switzerland, set on a lake beneath sugarloaf mountains. Palm-lined promenades and squares give the city a Mediterranean feel, funiculars climb two local peaks for sweeping views, and lake boats glide to shoreline villages and lush gardens. An arts centre stages concerts and shows by the water, the old town climbs in tiers of Italian-style arcades, and day boats cross to Italy, whose border lies only minutes away. Mild winters and warm, bright summers make Lugano a year-round escape, its gardens blooming with camellias and magnolias by the water.