Historical Traveller Reviews of Belvedere Hotel
Great hotel and fabulous lake view
from A TripAdvisor Member
Stayed 2 weeks August 2004 - great hotel, food and location. Thoroughly recommend. Lake Como and Bellagio delightful.
Drop dead gorgeous setting
from A TripAdvisor Member
Just returned from 14 days at Hotel Belvedere. Absolutely stunning setting - rooms with a lake view see all the way down to Lecco. Superb views also from swimming pool and very pleasant gardens with loungers and shade. Quiet, clean and food good. Hotel staff friendly and amenable. They coped magnificiently with my wifes food allergies.
Bellagio itself is very sweet - narrow cobbled streets with lots of bars and cafes. No good for anyone with walking disabilities and car hire unnecessary as has very good ferry links.
We visited seven local villas - best by a mile was Villa del Balbianello.
Strongly recommend hotel and resort
Not perfect, despite the setting...
from Delius17
Fabulous setting, breathtaking views...Excellent food, breakfasts and dinners. Young staff very friendly, older ones tended to have their favourites (and they weren't us!) and this manifested itself in several ways, including never making "the table- by- the- window" list despite staying on half-board basis for a week. One word of advice: check your extras bill at the end of your stay VERY carefully. Drinks were added to ours (you don't sign anything, just give a room number) and I was huffed at for querying it, then told I'd probably "forgotten" what I'd had, before the E20 were (reluctantly) taken off...Left a bad taste in the mouth, but it's well worth staying at. Incidentally, Bellagio is heaving with day-trippers by day (can't get a lunch table for love nor money) and deperately empty by evening. All the shops close at 7.00 sharp, and the cafes are playing to one or two tables (if they are lucky) at 9.00. Lacks atmosphere; a big disappointment.
Nice Hotel
from EWLTexas
My husband and I stayed in the Hotel Belvedere for five nights in June, 2004 and were very pleased. Its location in a quiet section of town a five minute walk uphill from the ferry landing was a pleasant relief from the hustle and bustle of the downtown area. When we arrived, the hotel staff gave us a choice of rooms and we chose a smallish but attractive one on an upper floor in the newer section of the hotel with a very private balcony overlooking a fantastic view of Lake Como. The bathroom was large and had a window. The air conditioning worked well (it was quite warm in Italy while we were there). The restaurant was attractive, although the best tables along the window tended to be saved for repeat customers on half board. They did, however, give us a great best table complete with a bouquet of roses on our last night there to celebrate my husband’s birthday!
EXCELLENT HOTEL
from A TripAdvisor Member
Loved our stay. Staff is the very best. Food delicious and the tower rooms have gorgeous views north to the alps. Wouldn't stay anywhere else in Bellagio.
Pleasant Hotel - Lovely View
from CreativeExplorations
We have traveled to Europe quite a bit, particularly Italy. We usually stay in 4-5 star hotels, including many luxury hotels. That said, we found the Hotel Belvedere very pleasant for a 3 star rated property. The location was magnificent. Out of the hotels in Bellagio, we preferred staying up on the hill with a lake view as opposed to down by the ferries in town. The Belvedere Hotel grounds gave us a feeling of openness and relaxation. Our room was not in the main building – it was located behind the hotel and past the pool. Our room was fairly large by European standards, very clean and the bathroom was spacious. Probably could have used some of the space for a bigger shower – my only complaint. Otherwise, we enjoyed the privacy and peacefulness. The staff was very professional, friendly and accommodating. The breakfast was good. However, we did not have dinner at the hotel. This was our first destination (late June) in a 3 week vacation throughout Europe and coming from Florida we had no real interest in the pool. Based on our personal experience and the facilities we used, we would stay at the Hotel Belvedere again and look forward to going back to Lake Como.
Lots of problems
from A TripAdvisor Member
Amazing location/views, delicious food--that's it for the positives. Pool is not cleaned regularly (besides leaves being fished out in the am). Pool towels are stained, threadbare, cheap & white, which you have to pay to use (you get stuck w/the same one for the entire time you're there unless you want to pay another E1.50 for a 'fresh' towel). Lots of nickel-diming here. E1 daily charge for use of in-room safe (never heard of this one either). E30 deposit to use their outlet converter. Can't see itemized dinner check; you just have to trust the waiters didn't make any mistakes when they add the charge to your room. Can't take your continental breakfast to your room; you might 'feed your friends for free.' Motel room decor/quality. Young staff members are nice, older ones not.
Very Pleasant Hotel
from Hous2n
The hotel was lowkey, had a comfortable, lazy feel and was very nice. My room had a large terrace and lake view that was most pleasant. The hotel is on the Lecco side of Bellagio away from the ferry side and is thus very quiet. My room had been updated and I had only one complaint. The shower was exceedingly small and shallow. You could barely turn around in it and it was so shallow, the water ran onto the bathroom floor making it very slick. The bed was firm and very comfortable. The staff was very helpful and informative. The breakfast buffet was marvelous but the evening menu could use improvement. The dining terrace is lovely but unfortunately the food doesn't meet the setting.
Great place, great hotel
from A TripAdvisor Member
The Hotel Belvedere was superb. We booked a DeLuxe room with balcony and lake view and it was worth every penny. We found the service excellent and all staff to be only too willing to help. We ate in the hotel on a couple of occassions and found the food to be of high quality. Breakfast buffets were also of a very high standard. We could not understand why the hotel does not have a higher star rating.
We believe some back facing rooms were not as good but if you come to an area with such stunning views it would be foolish not to pay the extra for a better room.
All in all a great holiday in a superb location.
Ferries
from A TripAdvisor Member
We stayed at the Hotel Belvedere in Bellagio in April. The view from our window looked out over Lake Como to the snow-capped mountains on the other side and was magnificent! The hotel's restaurant has the same view as does the pool and gardens which are very private and serene. The hotel is only a short walk to the quaint town of Bellagio which has some lovely cobblestoned paths and tree-lined roads. It is a place you could just sit and look at the view but we did get on a ferry and cruised around Lake Como for a day. The Lake District is simply gorgeous although the drive up there is a but scary as the roads are quite narrow. I recommend putting your car on a ferry at Como and letting someone else do the driving.
Top Local Tips for Bellagio
A Bit Touristy
Bellagio is a beautiful town, but it is really a tourist destination. I saw more English speakers in two days than I did the rest of the week while in Italy. For some, that takes away from the charm of the local for me. There are many good restaurants there and some good shopping, but other than the views (which are spectacular) there is not much else. You better enjoy the company of your traveling companion(s) if you wil be spending much time in Bellagio.
Dont eat out
Dont eat out. Book half board and include the meals, you wont be disappointed.
stellar restaurant
Right at the tip of the point in Bellagio is a restaurant called La Punta. The food and wine are superb and it has views up the lake towards Switzerland. We ate there twice during a 4-day stay.