Hotel Olivedo

Room was ready even though we showed up quite early. Very welcoming. Seemed to know what we needed before we did. Great breakfast. Nice attached restaurant for lunch or just snack and coffee. Restaurant next door for dinner (or many options close by down the lakeside walk). Get a room with a view of the lake and you won’t be disappointed. Nice balcony to stand a watch the lake, boats & crowd down below. HIGHLY recommend.

Great hotel that is convenient to the train station and ferry terminal. The train is a 5 minute walk downhill. The ferry terminal is right out front and you can watch them come and go from your bedroom window/balcony. Our corner room had views of the lake and the Alps. Gorgeous. Staff was friendly and personable. They also work the attached cafe/bar. Breakfast was good. Plenty of choices plus you can order eggs, bacon, etc. wait staff at breakfast was very attentive. I highly recommend Hotel Olivedo.

The location of the hotel is slightly problematic: on the one hand, it is reasonably close to the train 'station' and it is literally opposite the ferry stations (the other side of the road). On the other hand, it is slightly distant from what might be considered to be the centre of Varenna town. There is an excellent restaurant next to the hotel (quite possibly joint management) that is not open on Thursdays. Other than that, there's only a small bar in the nearby vicinity if one wants to eat in the evenings. The hotel is quaint and old-fashioned: I mean that in a good way. Our room (26) was very large with a separate bathroom and even a vestibule. There is a full size mirror in the room and drawers for clothes. That said, a few more electricity sockets would have helped, and the internet connection was murky at best (it may be better in other rooms). There is a small lift that is very slow. Breakfast was reasonable: yoghurts and cereals (but no jug of milk), fruit juices, eggs cooked to order, bacon, bread, cheese, cold meats, cakes, brioches and fruit. Coffee (of varying types) and tea are brought to the table by the attentive wait-staff. Considering the size of the hotel (small), the selection is suitable but by no means excessive. There appears to be no grocery store in Varenna so one cannot supplement one's diet. One minor problem: the ferry station has a strong light on all the time. The windows have no curtains so at night this light illuminates the rooms. Fortunately this light was out of sight when lying on the bed, but it may be problematic on lower floors (we were at the top, in the corner room as shown in the picture). Definitely recommended. And of course, there are excellent views of the lake!

This is a lovely family run hotel that has been in business for since the 1800s. The place is quaint and clean and in a great, but busy location. The staff were phenomenal. The rooms with a view over Lake Como are lovely and some have a balcony. They have a small outdoor restaurant cafe area and a dining area that serves breakfast. It was a convenient location as the ferry terminal for the other towns is across the road. We felt very welcomed and appreciated!

Martina, Luigi and their mother run one of the best hotels we've stayed at in terms of overall experience. They go over the top in trying to make you feel welcome, provide excellent accommodations, great staff, and excellent service. We had a lovely room that had an enclosed Juliet balcony that provided a view of Lake Como as well as the Alps. Their breakfasts were the best on our 6 city trip. When we asked for a restaurant recommendation, we were told of two "authentic and cozy" restaurants that were farther away as well as a more modern restaurant behind the hotel. We tried one of the authentic the first night which was excellent. The second night, because of the weather, we went to the more modern restaurant behind the hotel. Imagine our surprise when shortly after being seated Martina came in and took over the bar. To us, that summed up their attitude: rather than pushing their own restaurant, they gave us a variety of recommendations. By the way, the food at their restaurant (Locanda Cavallino?) was superb as was the service. The only issue we had was that we found the internet unreliable. Well done, Hotel Olivedo!

The village, the location and the hotel itself are all top notch. But the hospitality and warmth of the stuff is above and beyond! Thank you, Martina! You'd feel at home right away. Like a place you've been returning to for many years (it was my first visit). The room was very large, clean and fully equipped. The view from the Balcony – exceptional. Free parking for guests – right behind the hotel. Breakfast was just I needed. Not a huge choice but more than enough.

end of tourist season, and it showed. limited menu. hopefully it's better some other times. it does have water views, but plastic coverings for October ruined even that. 200 characters need, when did tripadvisor go to that many?

My wife and I recently visited Lake Como for the second time in five years, and stayed once again at Hotel Olivedo because our first visit was so pleasant. We reserved their Superior Double Room w/ lake view that is located on the top floor at the NW corner. It is well appointed with magnificent views of the lake and mountains thru windows that face west directly over the lake, and French doors that face north. The hotel is conveniently located adjacent the ferry dock, only a 10 to 15 minute walk from the train station, and a 10 minute walk into the heart of Varenna. There is minimal noise from the ferry passengers. The staff is friendly and helpful, and they serve an enjoyable breakfast. We highly recommend.

Review is about the an annex room and the wonderful owners and staff of this hotel. We stayed in the annex of the hotel. Initially we were concerned about the annex, but our concerns quickly disappeared. Room was very large and the bathroom was more than adequate. I would describe the decor as modern, not plush or fancy, which suit us very well. Air conditioning system system is controlled by the room occupants. Our room had a great view of Varenna waterfront and the dock area for the ferry service; windows could be opened on more moderate temperature days. I would suggest the addition of another chair to the room, but certainly would stay here again. The annex is accessed by walking up a cobble walkway; this wasn't an issue for us, but if you have mobility issues, you may want to request a room in the hotel itself. The hotel is a short walk (8 to 10 minutes) to the village proper where some stores are available for food, meat, etc. The hotel is also about 8 minutes walk from the train station in the other direction. Be advised the beauty of Varenna and the waterfront, comes with some uphill walks; I can report two 'seniors' managed fairly well. The owners, management, and staff of this hotel make the experience of staying here even more pleasant. Breakfast area attendants are an asset to the property as well. Breakfast was very good. Location is excellent for those wanting to explore using the ferry services. Also, we found a laundry service on our walk to the village area: Lavanderia Stireria, Via Venini, 31; drop one day pickup the next.