Varenna...charming village midlake on Lake Como.Spectacular views with easy access to all sites via boat, ferry or train. I stayed one week at the Albergo Olivedo located right by the boat dock, a perfect base of operations. Quiet and peaceful. Wonderful, attentive service in a relaxed atmosphere. Excellent cuisine, never left hungry. Great people watching while seated at their outdoor cafe. Can't wait to return!

dvd, how nice of you to go to the effort of registering on this website just to tell us about this place to stay. It is really too bad you didn't go anywhere else in all of Italy worth telling us about, or that in that entire week you never ate in a single restaurant memorable enough to list, or that you can't tell us anything about the transportation you did while there.

You couldn't possibly be advertising here, could you?

Down, boy. She's just making a positive comment about a place she enjoyed.

Yes, and I'm just thanking her for it and asking for some more valuable advice on her other recommendations. What's wrong with that?

Just because most people who register here for the sole purpose of touting a specific place to stay are advertising, doesn't mean dvd is, which is why I simply asked her -- and you'll notice I even said "you couldn't possibly be advertising, could you".

Gee, Jean from your comment, you must think she was advertising! Otherwise why would you assume my post was meant to be anything but literal?

I'm with you Patrick. It sure reads like an ad to me!
Fodor's editors, do your job!

Yeah, right, Howard...and while they are at it let us remove the many posts about the ticket deals on Trenitalia. the countless posts about the low prices somebody got on such and such an airline, the even more countless posts about such and such an airline's "fare sale," the "advertisements" for the "best ice cream" or the "best gelato" ..the list is endless.

Glad you enjoyed Varenna, DVD, even though one of the other posters above has very strongly criticized it as being "dead at night" and then went on and on about how wonderful Belaggio is.

dvd, what did you do in the Lake Como
area?

As I've tried to explain, I believe that this wasn't advertising, but I'm curious why dvd didn't have another single thing in all of Italy to comment on.

Rather than argue about whether or not this is advertising, people might be interested in checking the reviews of Albergo Olivedo on Trip Advisor where it says everything from "worst place in 3 and a half years" to "mediocre food required" to "taxi boat station blocking views and annoying loudspeaker announcements", to "no shower heads", to comments about the blaring nightclub next door preventing sleep, to various comments about the unfriendly and unwelcoming chain-smoking hostess Laura. Even the two reviews that were supposedly raves include comments like "the PA announcements every 30 minutes made us smile" (it sure wouldn't make ME smile!), "our honeymoon bed was two beds together with a gap in the middle", and "Laura comes across as abrasive". Remember, these are comments from the "rave" reviews! Plus the comment about feeling nickeled and dimed to death, and the negative reaction to the cash only policy for a place that cost 160 euro per night!

I'd sure approach this place with great caution.

Score one for Patrick.
I think we all have to realize that this forum is meant to be an open exchange of opinions and recommendations and stories...from traveller to traveller. It is not meant to be a bazaar for hotels,tour guides,and restaurants to peddle their wares. I want PERSONAL experiences, not CORPORATE marketing. Perhaps dvd is a newbie who recently signed up and wants to make her first posting an opinion about a hotel...fine..I look forward to more info on Lake Como since its o my list of places to go...but since we all know how the internet can be abused, it is not unreasonable to have a jaded view of someone ONLY posting about a hotel...and it reading like an advertisement (wonderful attentive service....can't wait to return). If dvd would care to post more about lake Como, I will welcome it with open browser, until then...I'm not going anywhere near that Albergo and must dismiss as spam

Darn, you sure know how to welcome someone. I feel as if I need to apologize for a pleasant experience. My goal for this trip was to relax, experience a non-American culture, see some great views, take pictures and bring home some extra virgin olive oil. I did not experience any of the unpleasantries mentioned, so I can't speak to them. This forum is just a tad too serious for me, and SPAM you say?

hi dvd
Varenna is charming, did you hike up to the tower?
As far as the Albergo Olivedo, I have to agree with Patrick. Laura is very uncharming, and can be a bit of a bully. I hope that when you return, you give another establishment a try. Good Luck

Hi DVD,
I too love the Olivedo. And maybe it was because I was traveling alone but I found Laura charming.From the moment I walked in from 2 long days of travel form the U.S., she dead panned "Ciao McKenney" then admonished me to eat bofore climbing to my room I felt like my grumpy but loveable aunt was taking care of me. I would say she is certainly blunt, but I guess I liked her bluntness and didn't find her
abrasive. I suppose its how you look at things. I adored my lake view single room with its antiques, I took Benadryl to sleep, the disco had apparently not opened and luckily when I wanted to shower no one else did. The food was good, not 5 star, the setting perfect and if I want to do more I can take the ferry to Bellagio. I'd go back in a heartbeat for a few days anyway. As charming as I found Varenna, not enough going on to keep my attention for more than a few nights. And by the way hotels that people rave about on here I have found less than desirable, but often I agree.