My husband and I are planning to fly into Milan and stay in the Italian lakes area. Can anyone recommend a hotel to stay as a base in the area?

We liked the Metropole in Bellagio on Lake Como.

As our base, we chose the Grand Hotel Bristol in the little town of Stresa, which faces Lake Maggiore. The town has lovely trattorias,several enotecas and some nice shops. In the town's center, you may want to check out either Hotel Sempione or Hotel Italie Et Suisse, which are more moderately priced.

Which lake(s) are you going to?

There are 5 major lakes and they are not all together. It would take 3 hotels to see them all. I suggest a good map and a guide book.

Which lake? Maggiore? Como? Completely different areas, so you can't use just one as a base.

If you have a car, this http://www.ilperlo.com/ might fit your bill as a vase on Lake Como. We liked it.

vase = base

Which lake(s)