B&B Al Dom

Should I or shouldn’t I? I have thought about writing this for two months. We have travellled the world for four decades. We began as backpackers and have stayed in accommodation from one to five stars across Europe, Asia, The South Pacific Australia and New Zealand. When writing reviews I compare like for like accommodation in similar price ranges so that each review is a clear and fair comparison. Al Dom is in a sensational location in an exquisite town and has resplendent views across Lake Orta to L’Isola San Giulio. The rooms are well presented with decor appropriate to the style of property and were very clean. We received assistance with our booking and arranged very efficient and comfortable , private transfers to the property. If you don’t have your own vehicle getting to and from Ota San Giulio is a bit tricky; but that’s part of the appeal. Holidaying in a town with Italians and not hoards of noisy International tourists. It’s a beautiful fair weather bnb. The water front garden and viewing deck are gorgeous. HOWEVER! It’s not such a friendly and accommodating place to stay if it’s wet and or cold. The breakfast room is kept closed outside of breakfast time and there is only a prettily ornate but somewhat uncomfortable seat in the hallway to perch upon if your room is being serviced. A bit like waiting for an appointment. If it’s pouring outside it’s a150-200 metre walk to find shelter in a cafe in town. We tried to overlook the “rules “ about where we were permitted to place our belongings during our stay, no eating in the room! Really? When you stay somewhere for a week it’s perfectly normal to snack in your room ( particularly if it’s raining heavily and there’s nowhere else to sit) We asked several times for the heated towel rails to be turned on because it was rather chilly. They never came on . We couldn’t get the air conditioning to turn on to warm the room. ( there were rules about that too). So we kept the tiny fan heater on as high as it could go day and overnight. We felt as if the owner of Al Dom only deigned to let us stay in the beautifully restored house , despite the good money we paid to do so. We read some other reviews online and found that other guests had felt this way. BUT! We have NEVER before ,anywhere else in the World been denied use of a toilet. We had a couple of hours to wait after checking out until our transfer onwards. Yes, we could leave our luggage, no problem but were told that the only toilet was for staff only. Even the most basic establishments on remote islands or country villages always provided this basic necessity. We had spent a considerable amount of money to stay there. We also sought refuge at the very hospitable Hotel San Rocco , following the advice in a review from previous AlDom guests. A beautiful lake front location where we enjoyed luxurious lounges and a light lunch. We have stayed in a range of small BnB s less expensive than this where we were made to feel so utterly at h

My two university age children and I spent four nights at Al Dom in early July 2023. Lake Orta is a magical part of Piedmont, and San Giulio is at the heart of it. Much less touristy and commercial than Lakes Como and Maggiore. After visiting Como and returning to Al Dom at the end of the day, my kids sat and looked over to Isola San Giulio and the hills in the distance - the consensus was that it was much more beautiful. Massimo runs a wonderful B&B at Al Dom. The rooms are perfect, beds are comfortable and the lakefront garden is perfect for relaxing after a day of walking. We cherished our early morning swims in the lake (how is it 24C?) before enjoying the wonderful breakfast that Massimo provides. He is a gracious host, and very helpful with information and recommendations. We hope to be back soon...