Offer and project by arch. Giuseppe Pagani
The International au Lac hotel project by architect Giuseppe Pagani
A student of Charles Frédéric Mewès — who built the Ritz palaces in Paris, London, Madrid and San Sebastián — the Ticino architect Giuseppe Pagani (1861–1940) was commissioned to design first the Hotel International au Lac and later, in 1908, the majestic Regina Palace in Stresa.
In September 1905, he presented Anton Disler with an offer to build the hotel by 1 March 1906 for a cost of 189,800 francs, committing to personally compensate any delays. To the project — in the form in which we know the hotel today — he attached detailed calculations and drawings for the steel beams of the reinforced concrete deck he planned to construct.
The hotel's creation in record time
Pagani also decided to preserve part of the existing structure, significantly expanded the volume of the building by adding two floors, redesigned the layouts entirely, rounded the corner and added a turret, and transformed the facades.
The hotel was completed on schedule and opened on 31 March 1906, followed by an official inauguration on 7 April with buffet, confetti and many guests. The press review displayed in the hotel's museum shows the wide media coverage of the time, unusual in an era when hotel construction projects often suffered delays.
The building at Via Nassa 68, before the transformation
From family home to hotel via the Apostolic Administration
Great-grandfather Anton Disler's hotel concept
"The hotel must be comfortable, without excessive luxury, in light colours
Offer and project by arch. Giuseppe Pagani
The architect and entrepreneur in tourism development and the birth of the hotel in record time
Origin of the name "International au Lac"
Accessibility and location: how they influence hotel names
All Roads lead to Ticino
There are many ways to discover breathtaking scenic routes, from glaciers to palm trees.
The Bel-Etage: the social heart of the hotel since 1906
The noble hall: an atmosphere of bygone times, tradition evolving with the needs of the guests
From the Chamber Pot to Today's Comfort
Initially, the rooms did not have a private bathroom: they were equipped with washbasins with running water
Underground garage in the heart of the historic centre
Courage and foresight: the birth of the hotel's underground garage
Ten years of commitment to air-conditioning 100 venues
The freshness that passes through walls
The Return of the Belle Époque to Room No. 221
One room, two eras: from the founders to today's guests
A new generation thermal system is born
47.5% reduction in CO emissions thanks to the technological leap
Triptych of room renovations
Investing in the future, preserving the past and building the new, safeguarding history
ICOMOS/ UNESCO and NZZ Recognitions
Awarded for the art of combining history and modern comfort by the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Words from our customers
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The Hotel International au Lac Today and Tomorrow
A combination of unique services in an unbeatable location plus the fifth generation and pages yet to be written