Giardino Ascona

The blue pool is surrounded by lawns and terracotta-coloured roofs.

A week here, month by month

I would come to Giardino to combine golf with dinner at Ecco. With children under 6, that dinner needs a different restaurant.

Book direct The hotel website

Is it for you?

For 2, I would plan an elegant evening at Ecco after an afternoon in the garden.

I’d ask for
The South Side Suite with 2 bathrooms.
Worth knowing
Ecco opens Wednesday to Sunday at 7pm, with last orders at 8.30pm; elegant evening dress is required.
The Suite Südseite bedroom beyond the sitting area

Like a regular

The yellow façade and fountain among the plants

9 min readHow we write the guide

  1. Half board can move with you

    Dine-around half board costs CHF 80 per person per day, usually at Hide & Seek. Dinner at Lago is possible on request and subject to availability; at Ecco, the amount is credited against the bill.

  2. Arriving by rail

    The hotel’s shuttle from Locarno station is free and takes around 15 minutes. Arriving by train, I would start here.

  3. The table booking

    Ecco table cancellations require at least 24 hours’ notice for up to 5 people, or 48 hours for 6 or more. For a no-show, the restaurant may charge CHF 300 a person.

  4. The week before arrival

    Under the Giardino Guarantee, rooms can be cancelled free until 7 days before arrival. Later cancellations may be charged for up to 3 nights; the same applies to unused nights after a late arrival or early departure.

What Giardino Ascona is

Giardino is a 5-star Superior hotel with 71 rooms and suites, opened in 1986. Its low buildings gather around the garden and water-lily pond, near Golf Club Patriziale. Every room has air conditioning and an outdoor space, either a balcony or terrace.123

In the Lumina Guide

Lumina Guide 2027

In the guide for Golf Body Balance, developed by physiotherapist Cornelia Albrecht with sports physicians: a training programme to complement rounds of golf.

Distinctions

How we choose the hotels

The 5 things that matter, as guests tell them

What do Giardino Ascona’s guests say? They write it in their reviews, even those who only came for a drink or dinner: we read every one and tell the 5 things that matter, from the location to the bill.

  1. Location

    8 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. One guest appreciates the quiet setting near the golf course, though frogs disturb the night. Another loves the garden but misses direct lake access.

  2. Room

    One guest finds the suite well maintained and very clean. Another describes a curtained window between bathroom and bedroom, and a glass WC screen: a layout they dislike.

  3. Staff and service

    9 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. One guest remembers a housekeeper offering to help with luggage. Another, after cancelling because of bad weather, says a request to turn the cancellation charge into a future credit was refused.

  4. Breakfast

    One guest appreciates the buffet’s choice and quality. Another remembers omelettes cooked to order.

  5. Price

    One guest feels the price matches what is offered. Another, seeking a quiet couples’ break, finds the bill hard to justify in a hotel so popular with families.

How we count
Giardino Ascona in numbers
WhatGuests’ scoreGuests who mention itHappy
Location8.22176%
Room7.71694%
Staff and service8.76592%
Breakfast8.21694%
Price–633%

83 guests said so on Google, from 17 November 2024 to 22 October 2026. Includes meals and other visits without an overnight stay. The other hotels are assessed on the same 5 themes. The score is the average of what they say, from 0 if they speak of it very badly to 10 if they speak of it very well. Where only a few mention something, the score stays close to the guide’s average: a handful of voices does not make a reputation.

The hotels we weigh it against in Ascona:

  • Castello del Sole Beach Resort & SPA
  • Hotel Eden Roc Ascona

Price: for 2, the night of 24 March 2027, from 589 CHF on Google Hotels on 29 October 2026.

Pool and kitchen

Films posted by Giardino Hotels Switzerland in April 2022 and June 2025 show the pool in its garden and pastry preparation in the kitchen.

YouTube
0:57
The pool in the gardenfrom 0:57 · Giardino Hotels Switzerland · 8 April 2022Watch on YouTube
YouTube
0:31
Pastry preparation in the kitchenfrom 0:31 · Giardino Hotels Switzerland · 17 June 2025Watch on YouTube

Where to linger

A table on ECCO’s terrace beside the pond

Dinner with Reto Brändli

At Ecco, Reto Brändli cooks between rose-covered walls and a terrace beside the pond. The restaurant holds 2 Michelin stars. I like the idea of leaving the garden for this table in the evening.12

The indoor pool, iron balustrade and blue ceiling

An indoor swim too

The dipiù Spa has heated indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, a steam room and a Technogym gym. An AVEDA salon offers cuts and styling too: useful before an evening out.1

Good to know before you book

  • Room rates also include Wi-Fi, mineral water, fruit, a coffee machine, robe, slippers and Giardino bicycle use; e-bikes carry a charge.12

  • Double beds can be prepared as a king or twins on request. Every category except Casa Rosa has a bath as well as a shower.12

  • During the summer season, pools open 7am–8pm, treatments run 9am–8pm and the gym is accessible around the clock. Saunas open at 3pm, or noon in bad weather, and close at 8pm.1

  • Tourist tax of CHF 4.50 and accommodation tax of CHF 1.70 are charged separately per person per day. Check-in starts at 3pm and check-out is by 11am.1

  • Dogs cost CHF 40 a night, excluding food. They cannot enter the restaurants or sunbathing lawn.1

  • For 2 adults booking 12–19 July 2027 together as 7 nights, the lowest seller on Google Hotels quoted CHF 862 a night. Room category, meals and taxes unspecified; the response contained no hotel-direct listing.1

  • For meetings, Appunto covers 86 m² and holds up to 60 people; Incontro covers 27 m², for up to 12.1

Choose your room

The orange-toned bed in the Casa Rosa double roomCasa Rosa double room25 m²Golf-facing, with around 35 m² of garden and terrace. The bathroom has a shower.View the room The Morning Sun double room with green chair and bedMorning Sun double room34 m²A loggia of around 6 m² faces the Ticino mountains and catches the morning light.View the room The Southside double room looking onto the gardenSouthside double room34 m²A loggia of around 7 m² faces the water-lily pond and garden.View the room The Morning Sun Junior Suite bed and sitting areaMorning Sun Junior Suite50 m²Open-plan living area and around 43 m² of garden and terrace, facing the morning sun.View the room The bright sitting area of the Southside Junior SuiteSouthside Junior Suite50 m²Open-plan living area and a south-facing terrace with loungers.View the room The Morning Sun Suite sitting area beside the bedroomMorning Sun Suite70 m²Separate living room and 2 bathrooms, with views of the Ticino mountains.View the room The Southside Suite sitting area opening onto the terraceSouthside Suite70 m²Separate living room facing the garden or golf course. Suites have either a 10–17 m² loggia or 62–85 m² of garden and terrace.View the room

Getting here

AddressVia del Segnale 10, 6612 Ascona

The Giardino Shuttle runs to the centre, the lake or sister hotel Giardino Lago, with at least 24 hours’ notice. Mercedes GLS and V-Class transfers for up to 6 people can be arranged for Malpensa and other private journeys. Driving estimates are around 90 minutes from Malpensa and 160 from Zurich Kloten.1

Your day

In the morning

Breakfast at Hide & Seek

Hide & Seek’s breakfast buffet runs from 7.30am to 11am. I would leave time for breakfast before heading onto the green.

After breakfast

The neighbouring course

You have direct access to Golf Club Patriziale’s 18 holes. Hotel guests receive 10% off green fees here and at Losone; online bookings require a voucher from the concierge first.

In the afternoon

Out with a skipper

The Frauscher 1017-GT yacht can be booked with a skipper through the concierge. I would start with this option for a day on the water.

Thursday from 6pm

Franciacorta beside the pond

At Bar-Lounge, Sunset Apéro pairs a glass of Franciacorta with small bites for CHF 59 a person. For an aperitif, I would choose the tables beside the water lilies.

In the evening

The 2026 Fine Menu

Ecco’s April 2026 Fine Menu costs CHF 245 for 4 courses or CHF 265 for 5; dishes include langoustine with Granny Smith apple and green curry, and Wagyu onglet. Reto’s Classics offers 4 courses for CHF 295. Menu prices include VAT.

Reviews of Giardino Ascona

Reviews of stays, meals and other visits, including booking experiences; dates are publication dates.

Google

Guest voices

Google

The grandparents’ photograph

A visitor describes driving for over 3 hours to recreate a photograph of their grandparents, taken outside the hotel in the 1990s. Reception allowed the birthday surprise for their partner.

Google · 2026-06-08Read on Google
Google

A disputed bill

One guest describes disputing nearly CHF 1,000 in charges and still seeking a resolution a year later. The review also describes being passed between the hotel and loyalty programme.

Google · 2025-08-26Read on Google

Before you travel

How much does it cost to stay at Giardino Ascona?

One night for 2 adults: 12 April 2027, CHF 589; 13 July 2027, CHF 801; 16 August 2027, CHF 844. Room category, meals and taxes unspecified. Prices from Google Hotels, checked on 29 October 2026.

Can I park a car at Giardino Ascona?

Yes. Guests arriving by car must use the hotel’s paid underground or outdoor parking. Universal charging for electric or hybrid cars is free for overnight guests; it is not fast charging.1

Are children welcome at Giardino Ascona?

Yes. Children up to age 12 stay free in their parents’ room, including breakfast. From age 13, an extra bed costs CHF 170 per person per night, including breakfast; it is available on request from the Morning Sun double room upwards. Children’s dinner is charged à la carte.12

Is the spa free of charge for all hotel guests?

Yes, dipiù Spa, pool and gym access is included for all hotel guests. Massages and treatments cost extra.1

Can I visit the spa without staying?

Yes, with a treatment lasting at least 60 minutes. Day spa costs CHF 230 a person with a 60-minute treatment, or CHF 270 with 90 minutes. Non-resident access includes the pools, saunas, gym and garden.12

Is Giardino Ascona suitable for a wedding?

A symbolic ceremony can be held in the garden and the whole hotel can be booked exclusively. Floristry, hair, make-up and spa services are available on site. Events, including weddings and private parties, accommodate up to 60 people.12

Still choosing

The outdoor pool in front of palms and Lake Maggiore

Hotel Eden Roc

Palms are reflected in the pool, with Lake Maggiore ahead.

The Dolder Grand from the air at sunset: the turreted 1899 building between its two curved modern wings, on the wooded hillside above Zurich

The Dolder Grand

Curhaus towers above Zurich, art in the corridors and warm water facing the city.

The Belle Époque façade on Rue du Grand-Chêne: red awnings, wrought-iron balconies and the carved gable above the columned entrance porch lettered “Lausanne-Palace”, with flags; the brasserie’s green awning on the left

Lausanne Palace

Lausanne climbs behind the palace; from the right rooms, the lake appears beyond the rooftops.

Steam rising in the morning from the outdoor sports pool, with frost on the shrubs and the garden, the chalet wings with their wooden balconies on the right and rocky peaks against a clear sky on the left

ERMITAGE Wellness- & Spa-Hotel

At Ermitage, the afternoon means cake at Bärgblick.

The palace lit up at blue hour in winter, its towers above the snow-covered chalet roofs of Gstaad, with ski slopes on the mountain behind

Gstaad Palace

The palace Gstaad looks up to, from fondue in an old vault to music at GreenGo.

The Alpine Spa’s outdoor infinity pool at dusk: two bathers at the edge, a lit fountain bowl, and the lake and its shores under a pink and violet sky

Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa

From boat to ridge, Lake Lucerne returns in the view from the warm pool.

The view over the hotel’s roofs in summer: flags over the park, the Schanzengraben canal lined with boats, and Lake Zurich with the Alps on the horizon

Baur au Lac

Johannes Baur opened the hotel in 1844.

The tower and green roofs of Badrutt’s Palace under a pale pink sky, with a Swiss flag and the snow-covered Engadin mountains behind.

Badrutt’s Palace Hotel

163 rooms and suites in the Badrutt family’s towered grand hotel of 1896, with 11 restaurants, 2 pools and Via Serlas at the door; open in winter and summer

Park Hyatt Zurich exterior seen from above with the city and lake beyond

Park Hyatt Zurich

Classic rooms from 36 m² and new Deluxe categories; a redesigned Lobby Lounge between the financial quarter and lake, with refurbishment continuing.

Junior suite with a painted ceiling, frescoes and black armchairs beside the bed

Widder Hotel

49 individual rooms

Armchairs, sofas and tables around the Mandarin Lounge fireplace

Mandarin Oriental Savoy, Zurich

Paradeplatz below the windows, tea by the fire

The Schweizerhof façade opposite the station

Hotel Schweizerhof Zürich

The station opposite, breakfast already included

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15 photographs

The pool and lawns among the buildings, with the lake beyond
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The yellow façade and fountain among the plants
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A table on ECCO’s terrace beside the pond
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The indoor pool, iron balustrade and blue ceiling
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The orange-toned bed in the Casa Rosa double room
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The Morning Sun double room with green chair and bed
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The Southside double room looking onto the garden
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The Morning Sun Junior Suite bed and sitting area
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The bright sitting area of the Southside Junior Suite
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The Morning Sun Suite sitting area beside the bedroom
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The Southside Suite sitting area opening onto the terrace
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The Suite Südseite bedroom beyond the sitting area
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The Junior Suite Südseite bedroom and sitting area
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Outdoor Pool Side tables among the greenery
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The Suite Morgensonne loggia overlooking greenery
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