Reviews of Villa Ippolita
Self catering villa in Calozzo, Lake Como, Italy
Elizabeth G.
Winchester, MA
United States
VERIFIED
Beautiful, immaculately maintained villa on the Lake Como waterfront with stunning views
June 2024 - This is a beautiful, immaculately maintained villa on the Lake Como waterfront in the Calozzo neighborhood of Pianello Del Lario, with stunning views of the lake. The kitchens and baths are completely renovated and modern. There are five comfortable double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms on the upper floor. Four of these have modern walk-in showers, while one has a bathtub and hand shower. The central bedroom has access to a terrace overlooking the swimming pool and the lake. On the ground floor are two more double bedrooms, one with en-suite bath and one without (there is a full bath off the hallway). Outdoors is a pleasant patio and pool area. Everything was clean, functional and well-kept. Bathroom tissues, toilet paper, body wash and shampoo, and laundry detergent pods in the basement laundry area, are provided. Daily cleaning is included, or you can opt for less frequent cleaning (we had them come every other day).
The property manager took wonderful care of us. She had the kitchen stocked for dinner and breakfast on the night of our arrival, which was very welcome as we arrived after the shops had closed. She was also on call throughout the week to answer any questions we had about the house or the local area. Our extended family group had a lovely, relaxing week here.
We feel very good about Summer In Italy! The experience booking the villa was very smooth and Luca and Klint were very helpful in answering all my questions. And then most importantly, the actual rental experience was very positive.
Travel tips
- There is a lakeside walkway or promenade running from Musso (north of the villa) to Cremia (south of the villa). This promenade runs between the villa property and the lake. Villa guests can access it from a locked gate on the property. It's not only a beautiful walk, but also a great way to get around. It's possible to walk beyond Musso up to Dongo (where Mussolini was captured) but one must walk on the road for a short way before the walkway/bike path resumes.
- Eateries can be reached along the promenade as well. Just to the north is a breakfast/lunch/cafe place. Just to the south are two restaurants where we had several dinners. Veranda Beach is stylish yet comfortable and offers really excellent food along with friendly, cheerful service -- we highly recommend it. Restaurant Laguna Beach, right next door, is more casual and offers Italian comfort food. Both are right on the water with lovely views. We realized too late that it's really only a 20-25 minute walk to Cremia, where two more attractive restaurants are located - we wish we had tried them. It's terrific to be able to walk because driving around Lake Como is nerve-wracking due to the narrow roads.
- The ferries are another wonderful way to avoid driving. It's just a short walk from the villa to the Pianello ferry dock. There is no ticket booth there but you can buy a ticket onboard. Although there are only a few stops per day in Pianello, the timing of those stops is good. For example, for our day trip to Bellagio, we departed Pianello around 10:30 in the morning, getting to Bellagio just in time for lunch. We then had the afternoon to explore Bellagio and the Villa Melzi gardens before catching a return ferry at about 5:30, arriving back in Pianello a little more than an hour later. Don't try to make sense of the overall schedule, which is incomprehensible. Instead, go the Navigazione Laghi website trip planner and enter "From," "To," and your approximate desired departure time and it will show you available departures within the following few hours. If the Pianello times don't work for you, you'll need to drive to Menaggio where there are frequent ferries. Ask the property manager for information about where to park. Great day trip destinations by ferry include Bellagio, Varenna, and Villa Carlotta/Tremezzo.
US$ 3,117
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