Were to stay in Varenna o Bellagio

We prefer Bellagio, high up on the hillside, others prefer nearby Varenna. We like that Bellagio has more dining options. You can’t go wrong.
Across the lake you have Menaggio, Cadenabbia,
Lenno.

We like Varenna, slightly less tourists. We’ve stayed at the Hotel Royal Victoria with the RS Italy tour and Hotel du Lac on a separate vacation. I prefer Hotel Du Lac but it all depends on if you like bigger rooms, elevator, more amenities versus small quaint, climb the stairs to your room.

We stayed at Hotel Villa Cipressi, Varenna. Stunning views, nice town for walking, great location. This hotel is close to beautiful gardens. It was once a private villa. Bellagio was fun to visit. Hard to go wrong. Enjoy!

We are Hotel du Lac , Varenna, fans. I think there is a hotel by the same name in Bellagio. It is very similar to the Mürren vs Wengen discussion. There are no losers. Safe travels!

Lake Como books up early. It may come down to where you can get a reservation if you're traveling during a busy period.

We also stayed at Hotel Villa Cipressi in Varenna. Not nearly as touristy as Bellagio which can been visited via the ferry. It's good for shoping and lunch, and is pretty, but quite crowded.

We stayed in Varenna at the Hotel Olivedo. It was lovely with friendly staff. We had a room in the annex which is right next to the main hotel. We had a large patio right off our room. Couldn't have asked for more!

I notice that a couple of posters have stated that they prefer Hotel du Lac to Hotel Victoria.

I have the chance to stay in both for our upcoming trip, and can't decide, although I favour du Lac due to its amazing reviews.

Can anybody who has been in both help convince me one way or other please? Both the options have terraces or balconies with views.

Deb, it’s not about trying to sell you on anything, it all depends on what “you” prefer in a hotel. Hotel du Luc is small, quaint, you climb creaky stairs up to your room. The women at the small front desk were welcoming, friendly and helpful and the breakfast was very nice. Hotel Victoria is much larger, has an elevator, the front desk is more formal and the breakfast was a large wonderful buffet. You can go online and see what the rooms look like for both hotels. They both are right on the lake.

We will be on RS “Best of Italy” Tour Sept 8-24. Arriving 2 days early & seeking lodging options. The Royal Victoria is booked, as is their sister property. I am waiting to hear from Hotel du Luc but I fear they are full as well.
This is our 1st trip to Italy & I need some help with ways to find another Hotel w/o making our trip overly complicated. We fly into Milan & take the train. Appreciate any advice

In case you missed a prior post above, check out Hotel Villa Cipressi in Varenna. Lovely place to stay and also has a good restaurant.

We are huge Varenna fans. We tried to stay at Hotel Du Lac but it was fully booked. So we stayed at Hotel Royal Victoria and loved it! It is a little bigger but not like some massive resort and it didn't have a crowded feel at all. Everyone was very attentive and friendly. We did like that it had an elevator. The breakfast buffet was huge in a room with extensive windows with lake views. It had a great bar and a nice restaurant. It also has a small pool with a small bar and food service. We liked all of the areas to relax and visit with our friends. Our views from our room and balcony was stunning and it is a sister property to Villa Cipressi so you get free access to their extensive gardens. So it just depends what vibe is right for you.

We really enjoyed Bellagio and had a fantastic evening there, but I think it had a more bustling, crowded feel and we were glad we didn't stay there. We were very happy with the restaurants in Varenna and the vibe, again it is what speaks to you.
A great dilemma to have!