Grateful for any recommendations for a honeymoon hotel on Lake Como. Here is my wish list:
- around 200 euros or less
- is not too far a drive from malpensa airport ( we arrive late on Monday and have to leave early on Friday) and there is somehere nearby to park
- has a swiming pool ( will it be hot second week in Sept ?)
- has amazing view of the lake and a balcony
- has or is near some great places to eat

I appreciate it is a lot to ask but any recommnedations would be really appreciated

I do not know specific hotels, but if I were you,I would concentrate my search on the western shore of the Lake. Towns that I liked there include Menaggio, Cernobbio, and Tremezzo.

This hotel in Cernobbio gets good reviews and is in your price range; it has parking:

http://www.centrohotelslakecomo.com/.../homepage.html

This does, too:

http://www.centrohotelslakecomo.com/..._lake_como.htm

www.hotelflorencebellagio.it my fav

lots of history Mark Twian stayed there

Even more upascale in Menaggio like the

Grand Hotel Victoria.

does florence have a pool ?

I agree with the west shore with a car. My fav there is the Grand Hotel Menaggio--best location on the lake at the ferry dock to Bellagio. You can park near there and also take day trips to Lugano or St. Moritz. If you want to pay less look at Hotel bellavista next door--both have pools on the lake.

I stayed 4 nights at the Grand Hotel Victoria last September. (last week of the month). It also has a pool, not on the lakeside, and free parking, but both this hotel and the GH Menaggio are out of your price range. It was too cold to swim when we were there.

There are a couple of hotels in Tremezzo with pools. And the Albergo Lenno in nearby Lenno is VERY lovely and has a pool:

http://www.albergolenno.com/inglese/

which village has the best restaurants ?

The Florence does not have a pool.

Bellagio probably has the largest choice of restaurants. I don't know which village has the larger number of top tier restaurants (probably Bellagio).

The responses above have keyed on the swimming pool. The only Bellagio hotel that I know for certain has a pool is the Serbelloni and is above your $ budget. You may or may not have swimming weather in mid September. After all, the lake is no more than 4 miles from Switzerland. You can research the historical temperatures (you might use the towns of Como and Lugano for your search).

You have gotten a lot of good answers. The recommendations for the Albergo Lenno and the two hotels in Mennagio are spot on. I would try hard to reserve a parking space when you reserve the room. Some hotels have a very limited number of parking spaces. In all honesty, Lake Como is one of Europe's destinations where a rental car is likely to sit unused for days. If you do not HAVE to have a rental car, then you could save money and increase your hotel choices.

Hint: Sometimes hotels offer a bit of a discount for stays of three or more days. You might ask when you first contact the hotel.