Mattia and his newly launched Lake Como Water Taxi is a luxury speed boat taxi and tour service…read morethat's a welcome addition to the old-school water taxi businesses that used to dominate the scene here. After earning his degree in mechanical engineering, Mattia decided to invest his money in a custom designed high-performance speed boat that he and his father designed and built. This young Italian entrepreneur is working hard to demonstrate the best in luxury service and custom-designed guided tours. Just outline what you'd be most interested in seeing, how much time/€£$ you'd like to spend, and Mattia will curate a memorable time! Mattia knows a great deal of history regarding historical buildings and towns along Lake Como (from ancient bridges and waterfalls, to famous olive orchards, to natural scenery and grand villas). Mattia is a consummate professional boat captain with years of experience as a Lake Como police officer as well as a captain and guide before starting his own premium service in May of 2015. His English and his restaurant recommendations are both excellent and he accepts credit cards as well as cash. His rates are comparable to other water taxi services with a captain, but they don't all include an eloquent guided tour for the same money. Be sure to call or text him to reserve your time slot during the peak summer months!

If I could go back in time, I would not have booked this service because now I am out a LOT of…read moremoney. I booked a water taxi to take us from Varenna to Bellagio so that we wouldn't have to deal with the chaos of the ferry when getting off of the train in Varenna. We took a morning train from Milan to Varenna and it was delayed which is out of my control. While sitting on that train, as soon as a knew of the delay, I contacted the company to let them know (which was an hour prior to my scheduled water taxi reservation so that they wouldn't be inconvenienced) and have someone waiting for us. Unfortunately they were unwilling to work with us. I was told that 15 minutes after the reservation they could no longer provide the service and I would be charged the full amount. I stayed in contact with them the entire time as a courtesy and they don't care. I paid a LOT of money for a 10 minute ride that was never provided. The provider claims that the charge is because they lost out on other business because we were booked but being only a 10 min ride, they really didn't miss out on very much business. This is not how business is done in America. I know because my father ran a transfer company for years. Had this been in the US, I would have lost my deposit and swallowed it. Americans beware of booking with this company that was inflexible with me when I tried to inform them of something that was out of my control.

There is no shortage of taxi boats and private rentals for hire in Lago di Como. As you can see by…read morethe business name, most of the boat services sound the same by name and it can get confusing! Entrusting your hotel to help you with arranging for a private charter is your best bet. The company is based in Sala Comacina, in the greater Como area, but that's doesn't really matter, because they come to you! Our hotel (Relais Villa Vittoria) had a boat dock so we picked up from the hotel, which was super convenient. They are not just limited to private tours, they also offer taxi services on the entire lake in addition to wedding and special event transport. They have several boats in their fleet that range in size, from 15 seats to 78. We really lucked out with Boat-Service! The company is owned by three partners. Our guide was one of the owners, Marco. Marco arrived on time, the boat was in pristine condition and the entire ride was super smooth. He picked us up in the Castell d'Isola- their Venetian taxi. The emerald green interior was lovely! We really enjoyed our morning with Marco and would do it again! If you've been searching the web for a boat charter in the Como area, you can stop your search now. Cash only for the private boat tour.

The best boats with the greatest guides! It is a must-do on Lake Como. We enjoyed every minute!read more

Giacomo and others were friendly and extremely helpful with restaurant suggestions and…read morereservations, tourist attractions, and a few unusual requests that we needed taken care of. Our room was extremely well constructed and very clean. The view amazing and the breakfast buffet at Albergo was always fresh and we'll stocked even during peak times, never had to wait for a desirable table either. Nice bar off lobby and large restaurant on site. Also walking distance from ferry on Lake Como, fine dining, casual restaurants and gelato. Sports bar also close and beautiful walking path along the lake. We were on our honeymoon and highly suggest recommend this property.

My wife and I were married in Lake Como on June 29th. Our reception was held at Lido Di Lenno. We…read morearrived by boat from the wedding, although it is possible to walk to it from the street. When we stepped off the boat, there was a grassy area where the staff had hors d'oeuvres set up at a long table with a white tablecloth. There were cute little white wicker furniture sets with tables so the guests could mingle, take pictures, sip Prosecco and look out at the lake. When it was time for dinner, we moved from the grassy area to our tables, which were positioned perpendicular to the lake so everyone had a great view. The dinner was in the marquee - a permanent outdoor area with tile flooring covered by a big white tent. We had the garden half of the marquee to ourselves, so our seating area was adjacent to the grassy garden area where the hors d'oeuvres were served. The sides of the marquee were able to be closed independently so that as the sun was setting, strategic flaps were folded down to prevent the sun from annoying people as they ate while still letting a breeze into the marquee. The champagne was poured just before we were seated, and we had enough of it for everyone's toasts. After the champagne, there was red and white wine for the table. The antipasti we chose was the smoked salmon. It was a huge dish of thinly sliced salmon perfectly smoked and beautifully presented. The primi piatti we selected was a pasta with prawns. The pasta was cooked al dente and the prawns were very light and fresh. The secondi piatti was the beef limousine and vegetables. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare with a pink center and was very tender and juicy. Nothing about our wedding was conventional and we stayed true to that with dessert. Instead of a wedding cake, we selected a special dessert. With a wedding party of 32, there will always be a dish that someone doesn't care for because maybe they don't eat fish or they don't eat meat. But EVERYONE LOVED the chocolate fondue. They brought huge dishes of fruit with skewers and bowls of melted dark chocolate. The staff also brought out espresso. It was the perfect ending to a great meal. We had the area under the tent (the marquee) for as long as we wanted. But after dinner and drinks and long day, some people began to go back to the hotel. We stayed at the Albergo Lenno, which was less than a mile around the lake. It is a beautiful walk and very doable, especially since there are gelateria's along the way. But we also rented a bus for those in need of assistance for one reason or another. Inside the bar area was a dance floor and a local DJ (that we did not have to pay for) who played a great selection of popular songs that you would hear off the radio at home. We danced into the night with the locals and had a blast. They closed around 2am. It is also worth noting that on the other side of the dance floor is a large opening to a beach area. This was a large area with sand and lounge chairs. The kids loved playing in the sand in their wedding clothes .

Great staff, view, and drinks! Incredibly welcoming service. Treated me as if I were the second…read moreguitar player in a jazz band from Kansas. I hope to be back when I visit Italy again! Chau!

Erica was fantastic. Beautiful view of the lake. She created a sampling appetizer plate for us. It…read morewas delicious. And the prices are great.

My mom and I visited the Palace Hotel in Como in August. We just actually left the hotel! Como is…read moreabsolutely beautiful and the hotel itself from the outside is stunning. The location is perfect. However, everything else is not. The rooms are very dated. Very small! From the time that we arrived we received misinformation, absolutely no help - and left the same way. And was literally left standing in the rain with staff, looking at us as we struggled to bring in our bags in safely. The hotel personnel were actually extremely rude. Food was good - but there are plenty of other wonderful places to eat in Como. If you ask for water, you're lucky to get a bottle. If you ask for help or recommendations, they won't even ask you what you're looking for and just book you somewhere and expect you to go. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone. But I do recommended Como!!!

4* Hotel Palace Lake Como, Italy…read moreLocation is perfect, close to Il Duomo, ferry, shopping center Nice building Reception: shorter man was friendly; taller guy was gruff Room was nice, spacious, and clean Nice amenities PLUS: the breakfast buffet was excellent! Real fresh fruit that were delicious Decaf coffee was just okay. Nescafe? Multilingual staff.

This is a beautiful property with lots of amenities. Very good co-Ed spa, our room had a…read morespectacular view of Lake Maggiorie. It has a restaurant on property and lobby bar close to the center of town, breakfast included but very limited choices on the buffet. If you want cooked eggs it's $10 extra. For lunch and dinner we found the restaurant t to be pricey and not very good. Good gym, lots of windows and natural light, clean. I would say the big reason our review is getting a three is because almost every employee we encountered could use some training in customer service. They have a certain way of doing things at this hotel which is fine, but much better received when said with a smile, especially when the answer to your question is no. Usually in a four or five star property the staff try to accommodate guests. We didn't find that to be the case during our stay and would have enjoyed the no's and our stay there more had there been more yes's and the no's at least presented with a smile. Also the massage from the spa was not good, I paid extra for a deep tissue massage, it was like a pressure point massage not enjoyable. And the sheets and towels on property are hard and scratchy not soft as you would expect at a nice hotel such as this one. It's also strange that you cannot get two keys for your room, another no.

This is a beautiful baroque hotel - if you like that sort of thing. Everything is gilded in gold…read moreand covered in mosaics. They are celebrating their 150th year this year. While I didn't stay there, I did visit for drinks in the lounge. They have a nice full bar and all the drinks were made well. As per the usual in Italy, ordering drinks comes with complimentary snacks - little bowls of pistachios, chips, etc. Looked over the pricing for the rooms and I'd say it's reasonable for the area and level of the hotel.

We spent 18 nights in northern Italy travelling all around. Different cities, different hotels…read more All great, all different. This little boutique hotel was so nice. We were on the top floor in a corner room with doors that opened on each side to wonderful views of Lake Como. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, giving us recommendations on where to eat. And the breakfast (included) was very good with very attentive staff. This hotel is right in the heart of Bellagio and right on the water. I highly suggest this place!!

This is a charming, "old world" hotel. Great location right on the lake. Very clean and well…read moreappointed rooms; everyone in our party marveled at the quality of the bed linens! The breakfast buffet is one of the best I have had in Europe. Staff is helpful and courteous, especially the front desk staff.

I walked into a mostly empty restaurant and was told no seats outside were available. I was judged…read moreby wearing a tourist outfit and was given one of the worst seats in the restaurant as a result. As I was eating I noticed they had given a dog a chair at a table outside, to sit with his family. Nothing more to be said... save your money on far better food and service anywhere nearby. My fish was under cooked and I was given wrong silverware with my main course. Unacceptable at this price point.

Best value in Como. Great prices and the view is stupendous, right across from Bellagio. The hosts…read moreare wonderful and the restaurant is first class. We can't wait to go back.