The five-story Splendide Royal is located in an elegant residential area in the village of Lugano, on the shore of Lago di Lugano near the Italian Alps. The splendour of the 19th century is evident in the elegant architecture of this mansard-roofed hotel. Built in 1888, the Splendide Royal has welcomed many famous people (and even a few infamous ones). Maria, Queen of Romania; Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia; George H. W. Bush; and Sophia Loren have stayed here. The public rooms are decorated with columns, crystal-and-gilt chandeliers, Venetian furniture, and Oriental rugs. Guests have a choice of bedrooms, either in the flowery rooms of the original landmark wing, where some rooms contain ceiling frescoes, or in the 1983 modern wing, where the decoration is in soft colors and the furnishings in a streamlined beech. The swimming pool is shaped like an oyster, and there's a rock garden.