Il Perlo Panorama, Bellagio vs Hotel Du Lac, Bellagio

Il Perlo Panorama requires less points but I'm afraid it may be too far from town and the ferry terminal.

I have no personal experience; looking at both on a map, I would agree with your assessment.

No personal experience with either hotel (although I have been to Bellagio) but Il Perlo Panorama would definitely be an uphill hike from town. As easy to see from photos on the hotel's website and TA reviews from previous guests, it's way up in the hills above the main center of Bellagio. Seems to be popular with bike-tripping tourists.

As an example, this comment from a previous guest:

"....it’s slightly out of the main town Bellagio, but we walked down everyday, that took about 25 minutes (downhill) and even walked back 3 times, but I will say it’s a very uphill walk so will need some fitness to get back!"

They do offer free scheduled shuttle service 3 times a day, and you can also take a taxi. Just as a caution, other than along the level strip of waterfront, you will be climbing hills and stairs if planning on sightseeing the town.

We stayed at the Il Perlo in late May of 2009. The room was nice and quite spacious and the views were great. Also there was a nice cool breeze when it was getting rather warm in Bellagio. That being said, it is a little bit over 2 miles from the center of Bellagio and they do run a shuttle. If you are thinking of walking remember that, much of the way you are on scenic narrow roads with no sidewalks and while the map is flat Bellagio is vertically oriented. The Hotel du Lac on the other hand is a relatively short flat walk from the ferry terminal.

I guess my follow up question should be if there are other towns that would be better choices than Bellagio. We will be arriving by train/ferry from Cinque Terre and Santa Margherita Ligure viA Milan and leaving by train/ferry for Venice. We have never been to Lake Como before. We are looking for accessibility by public transportation, beautiful views of the lake, and as much walkability as feasible. Am I looking at the wrong town?

Varenna is the usual recommendation amongst the majority of respondents to favorite-town-on-Lake-Como question. They like it for its less touristy vibe compared to Bellagio. Along with ferry service, it's on a regionale train line (Varenna-Esino station) so would be convenient for eliminating the ferry trips upon arrival and departure. From there it's about 4-6 hours and 1-to-3 train changes to Venezia S. Lucia (Venice) depending on what train/departure time you choose.

I saw it briefly on the same day we day-tripped to Bellagio from Bergamo and would definitely choose it over its more posh neighbor if staying on the lake for a few nights. Very pretty village, and train service is a plus. It still has inclines and steps to deal with but that's pretty much standard for the lake's pre-alpine geography.

I see from previous posts that you've already been to the CT so have some idea of what it takes to adequately explore the virtually pedestrianized villages, the many steps and steep inclines? Monterosso has the largest area of level ground but, well, it's tough to do justice to the rest and avoid the ups and downs. Still, as it's a foot and not a knee that's the problem, steps and inclines may not bother him as much as covering long distances?

It's quite possible that I am being overly cautious in regard to my husband's mobility. May 2021 is still a long way off. We have had others tell us that it took a full year for full recovery from major foot surgery. He is active but still has some lingering foot pain which may resolve by then.

All things being equal, I would opt at this point for easier walking but do not want to sacrifice great experiences on our trip (assuming that we can actually go in 2021 since our plans obviously fell apart in 2020!) when his foot pain may (hopefully!!) be a distant memory by then.

I do value all of the helpful answers from the RS community!

We would never stay at Il Perlo as we like to be in walking distance of places in town. Four trips to Bellagio and we always have stayed in the center. I also would not want to be friends to on a shuttle.
Personally, I avoid the waterfront and ferry area in Bellagio as it gets so crowded. Look up at Hotel Belvedere or Hotel Florence at far north end of waterfront.
In addition to Bellagio, look at Menaggio and Cadenabbia across the lake. Also Lenno .
Menaggio is flat with a promenade unlike hilly Bellagio.

Suki. I think your intent was to say that you would not want to depend on a shuttle. Right?

I will look at the other options you suggest.

Thank you!

Correct! U

We were to have stayed in MENAGGIO last June. It is as well connected by ferry as Bellagio but I found it to be somewhat less expensive.

But really the issue is not you staying in Bellagio, but the challenges of confining yourself to hotels where you can use points.

BethFL--How knowledgeable are you in regard to booking travel with Chase Ultimate Rewards points? Have you personally used them extensively to book travel and therefore familiar with the wide range of travel options they provide? Just curious...

Mary, I think Beth is addressing this previous comment from you:

I am not looking at Hotel Du Lac in Varenna as that is not a booking
option through Chase.

It really doesn't matter if she is knowledgeable in regard to booking travel with Chase Ultimate Rewards points or not. It's that you seem to be intent upon using those points, thus have eliminated Varenna and maybe Menaggio if they don't have hotels that can apply those points to the tariff. Most of us are focused on your DH's potential issues with his foot, thus some votes for a town with arrival/departure train service + ferries or some other amenities to make the stay and getting around most comfortable.

I do appreciate all the helpful input but feel I need to clarify a few things:

--Making use of my points is certainly my preference--not because we are unwilling to pay for any lodging with cash but because when I cancelled our 2020 trip to Europe due to Covid 19, all of our lodging for 5 weeks that had been booked with points (primarily Marriott and Ultimate Rewards) was easily cancelled in less than an hour. No hassle, no stress, no begging for refunds like so many others who told their stories online. Since travel in 2021 is still uncertain, I would rather not set myself up for a struggle for refunds either directly from hotels or from 3rd party booking agencies.
--Chase has available properties in Varenna, Menaggio, and many other locations so I have definitely not eliminated any of these destinations. I apologize if I gave the incorrect impression that there are no hotels, apartments, B&B's in these towns as there most certainly are and I said that I would look into these locations.
--The reality is that people unfamiliar with Chase Ultimate Rewards are often unaware of the numerous options that are included or with the flexibility it provides (at least when you spend a few more points to book refundable travel). That prompted my question about experience with the Chase system. We have often booked with Ultimate Rewards and it has been a great option for us. We do not feel that we are limiting ourselves.

My original question was in regard to II Perlo Panorama and Hotel Du Lac--both in Bellagio. I was merely trying to avoid confusion when I added that I was not asking about Hotel Du Lac in Varenna. Maybe I was the only one but I was originally confused about the two hotels. Hotel Du Lac in Varenna can actually be booked through Chase but is currently sold out for our dates. Having said that, inventory changes constantly and what was unavailable when I initially looked may open up at any time--or even be available right now-- or it is possible that our travel dates could change between now and May.

Thank you for being so considerate about issues related to my husband post-op foot status. I am very grateful for that and continue to learn from all of you as you graciously share your expertise.

I stayed at the Hotel du lac Bellagio for a few nights in Sept. 19 to celebrate a birthday. The hotel is located directly across from the pedestrian ferry terminal. It is right on the main tourist promendade, and has a nice rooftop viewing terrace, and a restaurant. The deluxe room with lake view was renovated, clean, and spacious. It is easy to spoke out from there to visit other towns across the lake in all directions.

@ collinsdtc Thank you for your positive comments!