suz78

Hi all,

We're going on our honeymoon and spending a few days at Lake Como. We love the looks of the Albergo Milano, but they only have "lateral lake view" rooms left on our dates - if you've been there, what do you think? Not sure if we should take that or look for another place to stay? I saw a rec for the Hotel du Lac here and it looks great too. This will be for the first few nights of our trip, so we're looking for something super high on the romance factor Any other recs would be much appreciated!

Jolie

The only time I was in Varenna I stayed at the "Villa Cipressi." It had a very romantic feel to it, with a great view of the lake and a really nice garden between the hotel and the lake's edge. You could give it a try. I have a couple of photos I took of the hotel that I can e-mail, but you can probably find some pics on their internet site anyway. I would recommend this hotel.

Congrats on the upcoming honeymoon.

suz78

Jolie,
The Cipressi looks very pretty, thank you! We will definitely look into it.

Jean

Only in Varenna? Many here love the Belvedere in Bellagio for its views from above the town. I prefer the Florence in Bellagio with a lakeview terrace.

suz78

It doesn't have to be in Varenna, we just read that it was a good place to stay, but are open to other areas!

Intrepid1

If you end up in Varenna the duLac is a wonderful place to stay.

suz78

We tried the Cipressi and they are all booked for one of our nights. The Du Lac doesn't open until March. So... I think we will go with the lateral view at the Milano unless anyone else has another recommendation? From what I've read I think we will want to be in Varenna since we like the idea of a laid-back less touristy place.

mvs

We stayed at the Ville d'Este in Cernobbio and loved it!!!! Very romantic. Took boats to Bellagio, etc. A very festive/fun place for lunch/dinner is La Isla Comacina (not sure about spelling)-an island not too far from Bellagio-numerous pictures of celebrities on the walls. We had a great time there!!!

Intrepid1

Have you considered either the Hotel Victoria or the Grand Hotel Victoria in Menaggio or the BellaVista in Menaggio? The BV may not be open until March but the GH Victoria is open all year as I recall.

suntravler

Congratulations on the Honeymoon. Lake Como is one of the loveliest places I've ever been to.

What month will you be there?

We stayed at Albergo Milano in May. The entire place has recently been renovated and is quite charming but very simple. It is a tiny place. There is no elevator. You will have to climb steps to get to your room. We were very lucky to have a view of the lake. I can't tell you what the other rooms were like.

They have a beautiful patio right on the lake where you can sit, read, and have a drink.

We loved Varenna. It is a small, quiet town...very peaceful with beautiful, scenic views of the lake and mountains in the distance. It was very convenient to take the ferry from there to Bellagio and Mennagio.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND dinner at the restaurant at Albergo Milano...the Ristorante La Vista. It is served by candlelight and is a very elegant meal at an excellent price. You must reserve in advance...several days in advance if you're smart. They have only about 9 tables. (Check their website to see which nights they are closed.) We had dinner there twice.

If you have any other questions, please let me know.

stormyhd

The Villa d'Este..nothing can beat it.

schnauzer

Congrats Suz78. We stayed at the Du Lac but as you say not open. Dang, save for next time eh? Loved Varenna, terrific honeymoon spot. Try and see if you can book a table at Il Cavatappi in Varenna, they only have 5 tables!! It is like a dinner party but with strangers. Mario the owner and chef cooks with products he has sourced that morning. He had a basket of fresh porcini mushrooms when we were there and cooked whatever we liked!! It was a terrific atmosphere. Also we had dinner at the Villa Cipressi, it too was very good. Our first night we ate at Vechia Varenna, again fab views, great food and service. It was a win, win, win situation on the meals when we were there. Have a great time.

TCole51

congrats on the wedding and best wishes. my wife and I spent a week at the Hotel Suisse au Lac on the plaza cavour. It faces the lake directly and has the 2nd best restaraunt on Como (Villa de Este the best)The people behind the desk were extremely helpful with excellant english. we had a lakeview room with a verandah, morning cafe latte's and the News Herald. If nothing else, take the trip at the ferry station that includes the train to Lugano, Switz, steamer across the lake, bus trip through the Alps to lake como, 1850's steamer back to Como. cost about $50. for two all day

suz78

Thank you for all the help everyone! We got a response from the Milano that they'd had a cancellation, so we are able to get a full lake view for the first night of our stay and a lateral for the next two nights. We are so looking forward to the restaurant, and meeting the resident cat! We'll keep these other restaurant recs in mind. Thanks again!