First St.Moritz, then Zurich and finally Ascona, I just closed the Giardino loop (or almost).
What an experience! From the snow to the city to the scent of lemon trees across a meticulously designed garden, I took it all in, one breath at a time.
Daniela and Philippe Frutiger, owners of the Giardino group, are in my opinion true visionaries whose signature style runs through every detail of each hotels. The Giardino brand screams loud and clear and in the same time it leaves room for all kids to claim their own personality and unique style.
Every turn was a delight and a surprise – terraces everywhere, water features (huge pond and a big oudoors pool), fish, lavish garden of lavendar, lemons, olive trees and a golf course. The property kept on giving and giving!
When I think of the Giardino DNA, these adjectives come to mind :
Sophisticated. Stylish. Playful. Fresh. Homy.
First Impressions
I love Ticino (Italian part of Switzerland) but have always struggled with its lack of energy and vitality. It has everything a region needs to be a thriving destination but somehow it has gotten a bit complaisant. Having said that, Ticino and Ascona in particular has been my go-to place when in need of sun and relaxation. It’s such a cute and quaint little town by lake Maggiore.
The drive to the hotel was magnificent. We took a new road and discovered areas we had never known about. Pure beauty.
The moment we parked our car and walked into the hotel, it was like we had entered a whole new universe. Before getting to the specifics, I have to point out the friendliness of the staff. One nicer than the other. You can tell they take pride in what they do and have only the guests’ well-being in mind. So important these days where everyone is more connected than ever but so lonely at the same time.
What really struck me most was the fragrance I kept smelling, especially when outside in the garden. Not sure if it came from the lemon trees or the water lilies. Regardless, it smelled really good!
Unfortunately the weather wasn’t too compliant so I didn’t get to fully indulge in the outdoors activities but on the other hand I got to really take advantage of the spa.
Our Suite
70 square metres! Separate living and sleeping areas, two bathrooms with separate showers, a terrasse to enjoy the view and relax. What more could I have asked for?
The furniture, the earth-tone colors, the wooden parquet and the touch of bold colors felt warm and welcoming. It was my home away from home.
Dipiù Day Spa
Lucky for me the spa was very quiet when I went. I had the entire place for myself! I had so much fun in the pool playing with the different jets. They were exactly how I wanted them – strong! I got a total lymphatic massage while cuddled by the warm water of the pool. To make it even more effective I got an Ayurvedic full body massage right after! OMG! I wish it could have lasted for hours. The oils she used on my body smelled so good. They were very effective too. It took two washes to completely remove the oily residues from my hair (lol) but so worth it.
And after my massage, completely relaxed and zen, I meditated for 45 minutes outside in the yoga tent. The Giardino is the only hotel in Ascona to offer yoga classes and meditation classes daily. What a treat for guests and locals alike?
Hide and Seek – Ayurveda inspired cuisine
By then I had a bit of experience with Hide & Seek and knew what to expect – a delicious blend of flavors, textures and ingredients. A mouthful of sensations and a tummy full of comfort!
Meet Wolfram Merkert, General Manager
What is your vision for the future? How about Ascona? Where do you think the trends are going?
for us it’s important to keep growing as we are now. The Giardino represents Lifestyle, holidays, health. This is the right future for us. Guests are not what they were 10 years ago. Today they want a high quality service, well-being (yoga, meditation, healthy food options…) and a relaxing but fun atmosphere.
This region is perfect as it offers so many options: biking, hiking, walking, rafting, swimming … A great synergy between our proposition and what Ascona has to offer.
How can me make Ticino more visible and exciting to the rest of the world and to the younger generation in particular? You mentioned before that most of your clientele is still Swiss.
I think the 1st priority is to promote the Locarno/ Ascona region more. Its a beautiful region but when you look at the marketing, it’s always been targeting Switzerland, Germany then the Benelux then later comes the rest of the world . They need to broaden their promotion. If you look at Interlaken and Luzern for example, you see a lot of Asians, Arabs and Americans. Lugano maybe a bit more but Locarno and Ascona not so visible.
We’re so close to Lugano! Next year, there will be a new train station which will make it that much easier to travel from Lugano to Ascona. Just 25 minutes away!
Marketing has to become more up-to-date and modern.
We get more and more young people at Giardino! They come here because they want to.
What are the differences between each Giardino?
The same philosophy. The difference is where they are located and the style. Here we have a Mediterranean style, in St. Moritz, its an Alpine style and Zurich more urban.
The atmosphere is always the same. The moment you enter, you must feel at home. The design is important which ads to the atmosphere but first it’s about the quality of the service given. (kindness, friendliness)
We close on October 20th and re-open April 4th.
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