Hello,
We have decided to stay in Varenna and Rick Steeves mentions both the Hotel Royal Victoria and Villa Cipressi.
Does anyone have a good opinion of which hotel is best between the two? We are late 30's and no kids, we love a great view and fun atmosphere - Royal Victoria has a pool and beach but Villa Cipressi looks so lovely.....
Any thoughts? Also, what to see in 2 full days??? Ferry boat, Duomo, Villa Carlotta, Bellagio?
Thanks!
Jaime
I stayed at the Royal Victoria and splurged for a lakefront room. Amazing view from my room's balcony. Good location. Clean.
I haven't stayed at the other one so I can't compare.
Jaime,
I think either one would be a good choice. I haven't checked the prices but if they're about equal, I suppose your choice is between having a pool and beach, or an elegant old Italian villa and the ambiance that comes with that.
In order to plan activities that appeal to you, I'd suggest having a look at the RS Italy guidebook. You could spend one day exploring the sights in Varenna, and the other day seeing Bellagio or Menaggio.
Thank you, both! We are planning to go in June so a pool might be nice.....
We stayed in Hotel du Lac and had a room with a balcony. I'd choose a romantic view over a pool just in case of weather issues. We took a wonderful tour of Villa Balbianello through Varenna Water Taxi. A boat tour of the mid lake area was also included. Bellagio is a 15 min ferry ride across the lake, and worth a peek. It isn't as quiet as Varenna, however. This place is drop dead gorgeous! Be sure to sit at a cafe and watch the sun set over the lake!!!
Don't miss Villa Balbaniello next to Lenno. It is easy to take a ferry there and walk out to the villa. Or, in Lenno, there are water taxis to take you out to the villa if you don't want to take a short walk.
Villa Cipressi is, as someone mentioned, an elegant old Italian villa with a wonderful ambiance and beautiful gardens. Taking the ferry to Bellagio and the other places on the lake is a wonderful experience and we highly recommend it.
We loved the Hotel Royal Victoria. I do have a strong recommendation. Our room overlooked the church across the square. The church bells rang every hour for about 3 minutes from, I think, 7:00 am til 10:00 pm. If I had to do it over again, I would still stay there but get a room on the lake side of the hotel. Our room was beautiful and the hotel staff could not be friendlier. I would get a ferry pass and explore the towns along the lake. I also strongly recommend hiking to the castle above the town. The view is amazing.
