Bellagio, Tuscany and Venice Qs
 

1. If the Villa Serbelloni is not that much less than Villa D'este which would you stay at.. any comments on either hotel appreciated. Also, anyone who played golf at Villa Serbelloni would love any advice. <BR>2. Anyone ever hire a car and driver to do a one day trip in chianti wine tasting and/or Siena. Looking for a reasonable price, yet reliable driver. Any info appreciated <BR>3. Any comments on Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal would be greated especially compared w/ Londra Palace. <BR>Thanks!

1. I have heard that Villa Serbelloni is lovely and more "personal" than the Villa d'Este. But there's no getting around the fact that Villa d'Este is one of the great hotels of the world. My impression is that it is much more expensive than Villa Serbelloni. <BR>2. I hate to say it, but a travel agent would be very helpful to you in hiring a car and driver in Tuscany. <BR>3. I have stayed at the Londra Palace and loved it. We had a view to die for, across the lagoon to Isola San Giorgio. It looked like something out of a movie. The room was beautiful, the service excellent, and we loved the food at the restaurant, too. I have not set foot in the Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal, but I saw it from the vaporetto. It is in a good, if very busy, location and the terrace restaurant looked very inviting.

We've stayed at Villa Serbelloni and loved it - very memorable, excellent hotel and near shops of Bellagio. We prefer it to Villa D'Este which seemed too large and grand with a Miami atmosphere on the swim platform over the water. Gorgeous hotel, but not intimate and romantic like Villa Serbolloni. As for Hotel Monaco in Venice, it's modern and very nice, right on the canal, but I prefer the Londra Palace for a better Italian experience.

Just returned from a month in Italy. The Villa Serbelloni was terrific. Great service, good location.

In the deluxe category, I would seriously consider L'Albereta, at Erbusco on Lago d'Iseo, a few kilometers east, very near Verona. It is owned by one of the most prominent families in the Franciacorta wine production industry (Italian Champagne), and the kitchen is run by Gualtiero Marchesi, Italy's most famous chef. It is quite a bit smaller than the two Villas on Como. I have not stayed there - they were full when I went this year, which was a great shame, because it was one of the reasons I wanted to go to the lakes!

My wife and I spent two nights at the Villa Serbelloni earlier this month. The physical hotel as well as its location are wonderful. Our room had a marvelous view of Lake Como, but the furnishings needed re-doing. We found the service level well below what we expected of a five-star hotel. The burned-out bathroom bulb remained for our entire stay, in spite of the requests to have it replaced. One of the concierges with whom we (unfortunately) had the most contact with was surly, unfriendly, not helpful and just a generally unpleasant person to deal with. However, the beauty of the hotel and its surroundings made our stay most memorable.

Lisa: <BR>Last October we stayed at both the Villa Serbelloni and the Londra Palace. The Villa was magnificent and our room was like out of movie. The view and location were terrific. Food excellent in the restaurant. The people were friendly and helpful. The nightly concerts were magical. The Londra Palace also was wonderful with gorgeous rooms, unbeatable views, great food, and very friendly service. We ate dinner at the Monaco and Grand canal. The restaurant was wonderful, but I prefer the location of the Londra. <BR> Paul