Orta San Giulio is a beautiful village on the shores of lake Orta in Italy. Hotel San Rocco is an average hotel which would not be popular if placed anywhere else but on the shores of the lake. It is not a bad hotel, but not great either. I found it lacking in character, maybe because it was out of season and practically deserted. The staff were not particularly friendly and the bar had a cold atmosphere to it. On the positives, it was very clean and efficient and breakfast was not bad. Orta San Giulio is not a very big village so unfortunately you don't have much of a choice as far as accomodation is concerned. Not cheap either at 200 euros per night. By the way, word of advice, avoid the Leon D'Oro in the main square. We looked at this as an option for the second night but this is worst. Asked if we could look at the room before booking and when we remarked that they were tiny for the price (110 Euros per night) the receptionist sarcastically told us lump it or leave it.

Wife and I recently did a 10 day trip to 3 of the Italian lakes (Orta, Maggiore, Como) with all lodging and tours booked via an Italian travel service located in Bellagio. Hotel San Rocco was one of the best places we stayed. The hotel is in a great location within walking distance to the center of a very quaint italian village. We had a deluxe room (king bed) which was extremely clean and spacious with a 3/4ths enclosed large comfortable outdoor balcony overlooking the lake. Since we had rain one day during our stay, the fact that the balcony was covered did not take away from us being able to enjoy the view while reading or enjoying a glass of wine. I would highly recommend spending the extra money to book a lake view room at any of the hotels in the lake region....the vistas are outstanding. The breakfast buffet and service was fine. The only criticism I have is that the free "wi-fi" service was only able to be accessed in one area of the hotel. I subsequently found out that this is not unusual in Italy but was an inconvenience just the same. Would absolutely book here again. Also recommend the tour of San Giulio.

I had a single in the garret area with a small balcony over the lake, that was large enough and twice as charming with a beautiful modern elegant bath. I would book this room again.

It was with some trepidation that we arrived at this hotel, given that the Rough Guide had totally slated it and given some of the bad reviews we had seen. However, a wonderful surprise awaited us. We loved it. The hotel must be the best positioned in Orta. It lies directly at the lake side and has spectacular views. The rooms were new, roomy and well equipped and we had a little balcony looking out on to the pool and the lake. We were delighted with it. The pool is superb and lies directly alongside the lake. However, the weather was so good and the lake so inviting, we swam in the lake every day. Breakfast was perfect. A vast array of continental goodies, which had something for every one. The hotel is literally a minutes walk to the main square in the village, which is the hub for all the bars and restaurants. For a relaxing retreat at a wonderful hotel with great views, we would thoroughly recommend this hotel.