Lake Como Hotels

Varenna - Hotel Albergo Milano is a cozy "Rick Steves" kind of place with a great restaurant.

Varenna -The Hotel Villa Cipressi is more upscale and very nice with a very good restaurant.

The Hotel Villa Cipressi in Varenna is super nice and we would stay there again in a heartbeat.

We stayed in Bellagio for 5 days in 2019 and loved it. By dinnertime, all the day trippers are gone and it quiets down. Lots of restaurants to choose from. We were told to stay in Varenna, but it didn't seem to have as many amenities so I think we made a great decision. We stayed at a VRBO right across from the big church. Perfect location.

We stayed at the Hotel Belvedere on our first of many trips to Bellagio. It is up at the top of the town, has parking( a rare thing to find) and looks over the eastern side of the lake. It is easy to walk down into the main town from there. We had a room on the top floor with gorgeous views and balcony. Lots of repeat British visitors come every year.
Also have rented through London Perfect twice and have contacted Italy Perfect but availability for our dates did not work out. We were impressed with London Perfect and their properties and were sorry that Italy Perfect did not work out.

I have used Paris Perfect and loved it. Unfortunately Italy Perfect doesn’t have any properties in Lake Como. Interesting you mention the Belvedere as that is my top choice so far. Also considering Villa Cipressi in Varenna but thinking Bellagio might be better. Did you like the Belvedere Hotel and was it renovated and updated? Thanks for the information!

Another vote for Villa Cipressi, oh those gardens and that charm!

Check out the Hotel Royal Victoria in Varenna. We enjoyed our stay there but that was 10 years ago.

We loved Varenna. 4 years ago for 4 nights. It was a beautiful spot with so much to do. We did not stay in a hotel. Sorry. We opted for a Vacation Home it was called.
I Tre Oleandri Varenna, modern and clean. 1 bedroom and lots of amenities. It was 5 minute walk to the ferry and near the train station. It was so roomy and comfortable with room to sit outside. Restaurants in easy walking distance. We would return in a minute.

In Bellagio check out Hotel du Lac, Hotel Florence, and the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni. All on the water at the busy base of the town. Rooms with lake views are available. HdL has a rooftop patio with stunning views, and you can bring your own bottle of store bought wine, at least as of 2019 you could. The Grand V.S. has a nice pool and if price is no object. In Varrenna either the Royle Victoria or the Villa Capressi, they are kissin` cousins.

Michaelangelo's B & B in Varenna. The accommodations are decent, but they are not the reason to stay there. It has a rooftop breakfast/break/drinking area with a 210 degree view of the Lake that is amazing! Lots of steps, though, as you have to climb up! No better place to start your day in Varenna than on that rooftop! It's between the church tower and the Villa Cypressi.

We have stayed at Hotel Du Lac twice in Varenna. Balcony from room over lake - incredible hotel that we absolutely loved. Hotel Villa Cipressi looks lovely as well.

Yes, we liked the the Belvedere. It is a very traditional hotel. Have you seen the film “ A Month by the Lake”? That is the culture. Most hotel guests always ate dinner at the hotel which we only did one night preferring to dine in a variety of restaurants. The location is perfect, away from tourist crowds.

Yes, we liked the the Belvedere but it is a very traditional hotel.
Have you seen the film “ A Month on the Lake”? That was the culture there but we didn’t spendcablotbofvtime there. We loved the location and views.

Our first Italian holiday together was in 1999 and started in Bellagio. Hotel? Belvedere. We still stay with them when enjoying the beauty of Lake Como. It is a justifiable splurge for sure. The views across the lake from the pool and lawn area are unforgettable. The included breakfast is world class.
The walk from the hotel into the upper town is only 5-10 minutes. The tiny fishing village below makes a wonderful morning stroll.
I highly recommend the hotel choice.

I splurged for a lake front, top floor room at the Royal Victoria in Varenna. The hotel is nice. The view was amazing. And I had a balcony with table and chairs.

I’d like to add a quick note to my above post regarding the OP questions. In addition to recommending the Hotel Belvedere I also prefer Bellagio over Varenna. I know the devoted RS followers gravitate towards his recommendation of Varenna. However, having stayed in both towns Bellagio comes out ahead:
More accommodation choices
Way more ristorantes, trattorias, osterias and bars in all price ranges
More shopping choices for a particular wife I know
More walking and exploring options
Livelier after dark for romantic nightlife
Charming before 10:00am and after 5:00pm when the crowds vacate
More viewable and photogenic spots on both sides of the peninsula
Enjoy your travel planning!

I agree with Travel Junkie’s post above.
Varenna is nice, charming but does not offer enough dining choices for us. We have been to Bellagio four times and enjoy it there.

Does anyone know if The Hotel Villa Cipressi in Varenna has rooms with a balcony or terrace? It looks like the rooms have only windows overlooking the lake. It would be so nice to have a private area for wine or coffee but this hotel has such great reviews, I’m wondering if I’m wrong. Thank you for any advice.

Pat, to respond to your question, I don’t know about Villa Cipressi, but we stayed at Alberto Milano, and had a room with a terrace overlooking Lake Como. It was amazing. The room was above their restaurant, La Vista, with an incredible view on Lake Como. The restaurant serves great food, and has a 3 course meal, along with a full menu,at a pretty reasonable price. We were there for 5 nights, and ate there 2 of them, then on our last night, when we realized we’d be back in town when every else was closed, we called ahead, and they had a lovely meal for us, on the edge of the lake, a little past closing hours.