Bellagio Hotels: Belvedere vs. Florence
 

Last time we were on Lake Como we stayed in Menaggio. It was a very hot and humid August and we were in an air conditioned establishment and happy for that.

This time around we plan to stay in Bellagio. I know the Belvedere has a pool and is on the hill above the town and the Florence is down right on the lake.

Both get great reviews.

I am wondering if anyone here can offer further insight. Have no idea how far the walk from the Belvedere into town might be (we will not have a car).

Belvedere is air conditioned but do now know about the Florence.

Any help appreciated and thank you very much.

I am staying at Hotel Florence next week. My room is not air conditioned, but I read on this forum that some rooms have ac. My last visit to Bellagio, I stayed at Hotel Centrale Bellagio. It was very nice, had ac, and a wonderful breakfast. The down side: there are many steps to climb with luggage to get to the hotel. So I will compare these two for my next visit. I don't know where the Belvedere is located, but I prefer staying in town.

Thanks for your reply. the Belvedere is just up the hill from the town itself.

The Belvedere is in a quieter location,and is much larger than the Florence.The Florence is on the lakefront, not far from the ferry docks and has a nice dining area by the water.
I cannot figure out where any setps might be to access the hotel. The Belvedere's views are to the eastern branch of the lake and the mountains beyond. It is a very short walk into the top of the town.

It's an easy walk from the Belvedere to the heart of Bellagio. It's also an easy walk from the Belvedere down to Pescallo, a less busy part of the Bellagio area.

That said, unless there's a heat wave, I still prefer the Florence for its decor, restaurant and ambience. And many nights there's a nice lake breeze, so if you have a lakeview room (definitely worth the extra cost), it shouldn't be too warm.

I can't give a fair assessment of the time it takes to walk from the Belvedere to the lakefront...maybe 10 minutes? When I did it, it took 10 times that long, with frequent stops to admire the views, look in store windows, and then park myself at a cafe for a cappuccino. There was too much eye candy of all sorts to cover the distance in a businesslike way.

Thanks very much for this further and helpful info...appreciated.

Tough call, but I would pick the Florence just to avoid the walk into town---but I am older and have a bad back.
The Florence is right at the boat dock and has a great bar.

Here are some pics in Bellagio and more:
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=4442

We stayed at The Belvedere a few years ago. You don't say when you're going, but unless The Florence has installed AC, I know what your choice should be. It was boiling hot when we visited at the end of July/early August.

As others have said, The Belvedere is a short walk into town unless you have mobility issues. We really liked escaping the summer crowds and coming back to a less hectic part of Bellagio. The views from our lakefront rooms were stunning.

The Florence is wonderfull. If you consider this hotel, request a room leading to a large deck, that overlooks a garden restaurant and the lake [on the second floor]. There are adjoining rooms, but the deck is huge. Great for afternoon wine and cheese. It's not the circular deck, but if you look at the part of the hotel that sets back, it's that whole width of the hotel. Richard www.hotelflorencebellagio.it/

HappyTrvlr

The steps I refer to are going up to Hotel Centrale Bellagio. No steps for Florence, just hop off the ferry and walk across the street.

We stayed at the Bellagio a few years ago, I thought it was an incredible hotel. We for some unknown reason ended up with an upgrade facing the lake in a room with view of the lake.....I was pre knee surgery but still found the walk not hard at all. And as with others enjoyed the quite that it offered....Have a wonderful trip. One of my favorite places in all of Europe.

I read similar mixed recommendations on these top 2 places prior to my visit to Bellagio a few years ago. I was truly stunned at the difference as I walked through both properties to see for myself. I will just say that it is like finding the Belvedere to be Sophia Loren and the Florence to be Jennifer Aniston and they were represented on an equal footing.

IMO, I greatly prefer the Belvedere. Nothing against the Florence, but I found it unremarkable and the Belvedere is a signature property.

The walk from the Belvedere to town is quite easy unless one is very limited in mobility. I have had to walk more in big airports. It appears to be rated #1 on TA and I would support that.

I appreciate these additional comments. Thanks very much

I should have mentioned that we've stayed at The Belvedere twice. The first time in the main part of the hotel, facing the lake. The second time in the 'lake annex', a gorgeous one bed/loft apartment with a huge terrace facing the lake. We only landed there because of a plumbing issue with one of our rooms, but if it is available and affordable, it's a great way to start or end a vacation!

ncounty: "I was truly stunned at the difference as I walked through both properties to see for myself. I will just say that it is like finding the Belvedere to be Sophia Loren and the Florence to be Jennifer Aniston and they were represented on an equal footing."

Your description is apt, except that I had the completely OPPOSITE impression. The Florence felt much more Italian, IMO. And what on earth was "Jennifer Anniston" about the Florence's lakeside outdoor restaurant?

When we were going to Bellagio, I dithered about these two hotels. And finally decided to stay at the Florence because I was afraid the Belvedere was too far out of town. When we actually stayed in Bellagio and saw where the Belvedere is, I kicked myself. It's just on the outskirts of what is a very small town. No distance at all, maybe a small climb uphill. And the views are great.

Maybe look at Google maps and Streetview to see the actual area.

just sharing MY opinion, fofo. Jennifer Aniston is the sexiest woman alive to many people according to People magazine.... different strokes for different folks.

One can dine at the Florence's lakeside outdoor restaurant without staying there. The physical hotel itself was not notable to me whereas the Belvedere is a sprawling landmark property that is not surrounded by other buildings. My reaction was the same as Mimar's.

Here are the hotel's photos: the Belvedere's is quite accurate; the Florence did not look as nice to me in person and that may be because it was amongst many other buildings, and what the photo doesn't show is the right side of it is continuous with the other buildings along the main strip.

It looks like many other 3 star hotels to me. If you want to be in the heart of the action in a normal typical sized property, pick the Florence. If you don't mind a very short walk and want the wow factor of arriving at an elegant grand dame property, try the Belvedere. Just the garden and grounds are lovely to walk through. That is just my opinion.

Clearly, others have a different preference. My preference was SO strikingly not mixed that I had to respond to this; it is rare for my research and reading to be so far off from my actual experience and impressions. Again, this is not to say the Florence is bad, I suspect it is perfectly fine and lovely. I was expecting both to be 5 star or both to be 3 star in impact but to me, the Belvedere has 5 star impact and the Florence is 3 star or perhaps a 4 star if the rooms and service are spectacular.

http://www.hotelflorencebellagio.it/homeeng.htm

http://www.belvederebellagio.com/