I actually ended up booking this hotel because the one I really wanted was completely booked, but I have to say it ended up working out ok. Pros: the price was very reasonable, specially considering the view we had from our balcony... STUNNING!!! The lake and the views of the Swiss and Italian mountain range was just perfect. The staff was very nice and kind, the room was also very clean and a decent size. Also, they have this really neat lift that takes you up to the tall portion of the hotel and that has magnificent views of the entire town and the surrounding area. Awesome picture spot.

Cons: The location was a little out of the center of Varenna and you do have a hike to do, stairs included, every time you want to come down into the town. The rooms and the hotel itself are a bit on the outdated side, but then again everything else in these towns is so I was ready to not be in a newly renovated modern place. Also, during our stay the the hotel was experiencing some water problems, so we had no hot water for a while.

It is a 15-20 min walk uphill from the center of town

Negative: breakfast very poor, rooms spacious but basic furniture and inadequate heating, unfriendly owner


Positive: amazing views from the rooms with balcony ( superior rooms ) private funicular to get to your room !

This hotel is located just outside Varenna. It sits on a steep hill above Lake Como and above the magnificent Villa Monastero, which lies along the shoreline. We arrived by train and walked to the hotel. It took less than a half hour, and we stopped for brief rests along the way. There is a taxi service available for those who do not wish to walk. We took the taxi back to the train station at the end of our stay. The Hotel was originally a home for the Vocationist Fathers, a priestly order founded in Naples. Today it bears many of the charming remnants of its history, including attractive marbles and stonework, along with a small chapel. There are lovely pathways and gardens on the hillside surrounding the hotel, as well as little devotional grottoes. To reach the upper part of the hotel where we stayed, there are two small funiculars. We found this quite unique. There were two staff members we encountered regularly during our stay, a young woman and an elder gentleman. The young woman spoke fluent English. She was very helpful. The elder gentleman was generally quiet, but helpful whenever we asked for assistance. We stayed for five days. For us, the place was serene, and the view of the lake and the mountains from the several terraces and from our room was astoundingly beautiful.

my wife and i spent three nights here in early october 2012. this hotel is clean and well run with amazing views of lake como. the rooms are modern with well-equipped ensuites including showers. the property is interesting as it was an orphanage, including the original chapel. how many hotels have you stayed in where you had a funicular to yourself just to get to your room ? the staff speak very little english and, although helpful, tend to be reserved. the downsides are basically two...first, the breakfast was fair, at best. the coffee machine produced only adequate products and the juice machine on all three mornings produced an undrinkable watery ade..virtually everything on the buffet came out of boxes from the closet or refrigerator. second, the location is as far as one can get from the train station and town center and still be considered varenna. unless you are able to walk considerable distances (minimum 1/2 mile) in whatever weather it is at the moment, you will have to take a taxi (at 12 euros) every time you go to the ferry, train, or town. it is no doubt a "romantic" and unusual place, but there are real tradeoffs. for us, returning would be a matter of the offered price and what else was available.