Lugano is a great base for visiting the Swiss-Italian lakes and this is great hotel to use. The location is really convenient, at the top of the hill near the station, so no need to take baggage all the way into the town centre. The hotel was really nice and a breath of fresh air after poorer hotels in expensive cities in Italy. The staff were really friendly and helpful (and have good English). The restaurant is OK if you don't feel like walking down to the main town. Breakfast is the usual cold buffet and perfectly adequate. Federale is part of the Minotel chain and other Minotels in Switzerland are worth looking at too.

We stayed at this hotel in April. Overall it was a positive experience and I would definitely recommend it. Lugano is a great city - beautiful surroundings, excellent food with Italian hospitality. The hotel Minotel Federale is centrally located, a five-minute walk from the train station and just a few steps from the main shopping and dining district and the lake. We did not have full lake views (in one room we could see a part of the lake), but those rooms facing the lake must have amazing views. We stayed in two rooms - one had recently been renovated and the other was a bit dated, but both were very clean and comfortable. The breakfast was a continental buffet with a good selection and the coffee was very good. The staff was very curtious and friendly. You can tell that it is a family-run hotel by the personal touches and service. For those on a budget, this hotel offers excellent value for money and a perfect location.

This is a lovely hotel with very reasonable rates but what makes this
hotel stand out is the staff who were more than helpful and pleased to go out of their way to make our stay as comfortable as possible.

We were given a room on the 4th floor which had an amazing view over the town and mountains. I also found the bedroom and bathroom spacious, modern and clean.

The communal lounge and breakfast area are a little outdated but are cosy and comfortable.

I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone.

This hotel was great. We stayed here in October - weather was good but not boiling, so had no trouble with the lack of aircon.

The hotel is faded grandeur, but it is still great - the rooms were excellent, comfy and clean. Try and get a room with a balcony facing the mountains - perfect spot to sit out and relax with a lovely view.

The hotel is in an ideal spot - only a short walk down hill from the railway station, but in a nice quiet area - just a few minutes further down the hill to the cathedral and then on to the town centre and lakefront. The staff are multi-lingual, very helpful and friendly.

The breakfast is excellent as well! We got a weekend room rate of 200CHF for a double with a bath, which was great value (especially for Switzerland, which can be pricey)

I would recommend this place to anyone.