Despite mixed reviews on this site we thought we would take a risk and book a night here en route from Lake Como to Lake Maggiore as the hotel website made it look promising. First impressions of the building were good but unfortunately it all went rapidly downhill from there. We received a very lukewarm welcome from reception which consisted of ushering us to our room as quickly as possible without any attempt at conversation.

We had read about the smelly dog and indeed can confirm that he is still in residence and wandering about freely with the cat.

The hotel is reasonably clean but dark and dingy. With all this in mind we decided not to risk dinner at the hotel and instead chose to venture into Azzate where we found the only jewel of our stay - Hosteria da Bruno - delicious authentic food at a reasonable price with excellent service - highly recommended!

The worst however awaited us in the morning - breakfast. No choice at all. The waitress simply arrived with a small plate of cold toasted slices of the previous night`s stale, hard leftover baguette with jam and butter. Ten minutes later a few small biscuits (also stale) arrived. Clearly the hotel`s strategy is to spend next to no money on breakfast for their guests. We were not impressed!

All things considered, our overall advice would be to give this hotel a miss.

discovered this hotel by chance. Wanted to be near the lake Maggiore. Discovered a charming and cozy hotel with excellent cuisine, frescoes, and extremely comfortable rooms. Even free wifi. Just a short distance from Lake Como

We chose this hotel for its relative proximity to Malpensa Airport, as it is under 30 minutes drive if you don't get lost. The hotel is built into the shell of a very old building, the original home in the town of Azzate. Nobody knows the year it was built, but the present family has lived there for five generations. Modern windows fill the old arches and keep out the heat or chill depending on the season. There is a large gravel area inside the old walls around the property for parking (free), and a patio out back for use in the summer. The village outside these walls is inviting for strolling around the Medieval town. Or you can walk down toward the lake past fields and farms.
The original rooms had very high ceilings, and the current owners have made split level rooms to use this height to good advantage. You get a living room below, a very clean and modern bathroom at the mezzanine, and the bedroom is the loft. The mattresses are firm and bed very comfortable. The stairs connecting the levels have handrails but an unsteady walker might have to take it slow and hold on. There is an elevator between floors.
The cooking is excellent, you will love the dinner offerings, served by the gracious host, and the breakfast is served by a cheerful waitress as well. To address an unjust gripe in another posting, yes the family has two sweet dogs ( I wouldn't call them a pack) that you might encounter. Americans are often surprised to find dogs in places in Europe where they might not be seen at home, so this is hardly unusual. I think it adds to the feeling that you are guests of the owner.
The hotel is listed in several guidebooks as charming, unique, all of which are quite true. Some of those books have mostly five star type properties. Locanda Dei Mai Intees is a four star hotel, not five star. With that expectation in mind, you will be entirely satisfied, highly recommended.

Our experience with La Locanda dei Mai Intees on two different occasions was very positive and filled with the graciousness we have come to expect on our annual visits to Italy, and we want to offer a counter balance to some negative reviews here. (We always discount the worst reviews, since some people travel expecting others to always accommodate their needs, no matter how unreasonable.) On our first visit we checked in, then drove over to Lago Maggiore, expecting in vain to find outdoor dining on the lake. The September evening was simply too cool. We arrived back quite late and very hungry at Mai Intees. A few guests were still lingering in the lovely frescoed dining room, enjoying wine or coffee after their meals. Yet even though unexpected and late, we were seated near the roaring fire, and the kitchen staff , in the process of shutting down the dinner service, gave us a warm welcome. We are ovo-lacto vegetarians, and they prepared delicious spinach crespelle for us. And no one tried to hurry our meal. On both occasions our rooms were charming, clean, and most enjoyable. We prefer smaller inns where the rooms are romantic and cozy, with a true sense of history, rather than expansive but lacking in warmth, and these are the perfect fit. The inn exudes character and history, the food is delicious, and the manager and staff offer graciousness. (We enjoyed the inn's pets, as well.) We hope many will give this fine inn a try. You won't be disappointed; we shall certainly return for another visit when we can.