History

Inauguration of the Gotthard railway tunnel, which enabled the beginning of tourism development in Ticino. Edouard Manet goes through the perspective painting the famous "Bar delle Folies Bergère", his artistic and spiritual testament.

In May, Albino Guidi and Tranquillo Clerici rent the Villa Merlina, built around 1870 by Avv. Viglezio, and inaugurate the Splendide Hotel. In December of the same year the Splendide Hotel was acquired by Riccardo Fedele Gianella, flanked by his cousin Vincenzo Fedele. The "sunflowers" by Vincent Van Gogh are flourishing, while at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan there is the first show of Otello, a grandiose work by Verdiana.

Riccardo Fedele Gianella begins the expansion works by adding two floors and doubling the building in a northerly direction, thus transforming it into a real Palace. Subsequently the garden in front of the "Grand Hotel Splendide" is i

Riccardo Fedele, the nephew of Riccardo Fedele Gianella, takes over the hotel and inaugurates the Villa Maria annex, which stands next to the Splendide, bringing the capacity to 125 beds. Rapsodia in Blu, by George Gershwin, is performed for the first time in the Aeolian Hall in New York, while Man Ray compares photography with painting, painting what he could not photograph and photographing what he could not paint with his Le Violon D 'Ingres.

Splendide Royal becomes part of the prestigious The Leading Hotels of the World brand, guaranteeing its guests the highest international quality standards. The single Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You is for sale: it is the debut album of the Beatles.

The Naldi Family undertakes a series of improvements, respecting the tradition of the Splendide led by Aniello Lauro and bringing it to become part of the Swiss Deluxe Hotels, a brand that includes the most prestigious luxury hotels in Switzerland. Umberto Eco publishes "Il nome della Rosa" a historical novel that will become a worldwide best seller and the subject of a film with Sean Connery. The San Gottardo road tunnel, the longest motorway tunnel in the world, with a length of 16.9 Km, is also inaugurated.

Inauguration of the Executive wing which is where Villa Maria was. Change of the protocol at the time known as ARPANET, thus starting a computer network that will be transformed into the Internet.

Giuseppe Rossi, successor of Aniello Lauro, takes over the management of the Splendide and implements a quality certification system that brings the hotel to quickly obtain the ISO 9001 certification and the "QQQ" brand of Switzerland Tourism, the highest Swiss certification of quality. It is the international year of planet Earth, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly.

I Due Sud, the Splendide's gourmet restaurant, is established. Executive chef Domenico Ruberto offers the public his sought-after concept which pairs the excellent dishes of southern Italy with those of southern Switzerland under the banner of haute cuisine.

The new Panorama Room is opened, a restful space with an elegant, minimalist design which can accommodate up to 300 people. A new treasure, the space extends outside with a terrace overlooking Monte Brè and the lake.

With the creation of the Splendide Lifestyle Spa, the hotel offers its guests a new oasis of well-being, transforming itself into an “Urban Resort”. The Spa's architectural design successfully integrates a contemporary wing into the historic Palace while harmoniously merging with a more classical background.

Fine Hotels and Resorts, the travel programme which American Express offers its most important members, invites the hotel to be one of its very limited list of selected hotels worldwide.

Opened during the summer, La Piazzetta is the new panoramic lounge terrace created during the renovation. It gives the Splendide a new classical contemporary touch. A rooftop bar with the view of your dreams, it’s the ideal place for summer evenings.

I Due Sud, the hotel's gourmet restaurant, is awarded 16 points in the prestigious Gault&Millau guide: an increased score which marks continuous progression from the moment of the restaurant's foundation.

Michelin, the authoritative international gastronomic guide, assigns its first star to the Ristorante I Due Sud, rewarding the Executive Chef Domenico Ruberto and recognising his unique gastronomic philosophy.

Another milestone for the Splendide sustainability programme: "Swisstainable", the certification system created by Switzerland Tourism, awards the hotel its "Committed" certification. This is reserved for companies actively committed to sustainable development at an economic, environmental and social level.