Hotel Florence Bellagio
by the TopOfHotel team
A design-led boutique on the lakefront where the home-made breakfast wins over reviewers, plus a Turkish bath you would not expect at the price.
A design-led boutique on the lakefront where the home-made breakfast wins over reviewers, plus a Turkish bath you would not expect at the price.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Hotel Florence Bellagio stands on Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini, the central square that opens straight onto Lake Como. The interior is clean and contemporary, and it plays well against the old Italian village just outside the door. Rooms run in cream and soft-brown tones that feel warm rather than minimal, and many windows look straight out at the lake. Reviewers say the rooms come up cleaner and more comfortable than the website photos suggest, with soft beds and good natural light on the upper floors. The one recurring gripe: a few bathrooms have no shower partition, so a minority of guests mention water on the floor. Even so, cleanliness and overall readiness score consistently high across the 1,600-plus reviews that put the hotel at 9.2/10.
Food and amenities
Breakfast is the part reviewers talk about most. It is broad — Italian and international dishes together, with fresh fruit, yogurt, fresh-baked bread and local Lombardy cheeses and cured meats — and more than a few guests say it beats the breakfast at 4-star hotels they have stayed in. The Turkish bath and sauna inside the building are a real bonus at this price, and if you stay here you should use them. Downstairs there is a bar and Il Ristorante for dinner and an evening aperitivo, so you do not have to go far on a night you would rather stay put.
Location and getting there
This is the best location among Bellagio's mid-range hotels. Piazza Mazzini sits in front of the ferry pier that every line uses, so the whole lake is open to you: Varenna in 15 minutes, Menaggio in 20, Como town in about 50. The well-known cafes, Gelateria del Borgo and Bellagio's boutique shops are all a few minutes on foot, and the Salita Serbelloni stairs that climb to the high viewpoints start right outside the hotel. From Milan, reckon on roughly an hour to 90 minutes by train and ferry combined.
Things to know before booking
Two honest caveats. First, some bathrooms have no shower partition or curtain, and a few reviewers note water splashing onto the floor — ask about it when you book. Second, there is no hotel parking, so you rely on the public lots in town, which are scarce and pricey in July and August; arriving by train and ferry sidesteps the problem entirely. It is also a small, popular property on the square, so the lake-view rooms sell out fast in summer — reserve months ahead if a lake view matters to you.
Our take
Hotel Florence suits couples and travelers who want the best location in Bellagio at a reachable price. The home-made breakfast, the in-house Turkish bath and the spot directly on the ferry square are why nearly every review reads as over-delivering for what you pay — from around $170 a night. Book a lake-view room ahead and it is hard to do better at this level on the lake.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Heart of Bellagio on Piazza Mazzini, opening onto the lakefront with the ferry pier a few steps away — you can boat to Varenna in 15 minutes without a transfer.
- Breakfast is the thing reviewers keep coming back to: fresh fruit, yogurt, fresh-baked bread and local Lombardy cheeses and cured meats, with Italian and international dishes on the same plate. Several guests say it beats the breakfast at 4-star hotels they have stayed in.
- A Turkish bath and sauna sit inside the building — a genuine bonus at this mid-range price, and worth using after a full day of walking and boat-hopping.
- The front-desk team gets repeated praise for being warm and genuinely helpful with planning days out on the lake.
- Clean contemporary rooms in cream and soft-brown tones, with many windows looking straight out at Lake Como and the Alps behind it.
- Some bathrooms have no shower partition or curtain, and a minority of reviewers note that water splashes onto the floor — worth asking about when you book.
- There is no hotel parking. You fall back on public lots in town, which are scarce and pricey in peak season, so consider arriving by train and ferry instead.
- It is a small, popular property right on the square, so lake-view rooms book out fast in July and August — reserve months ahead if you want one.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Insider Tips
- Book a Piazza-facing lake-view room ahead — the view straight onto Lake Como is best in the morning, and breakfast taken in the room becomes a memory in itself.
- The Turkish bath and sauna usually open in the evening, so plan to use them after a full day in Bellagio and you will arrive at dinner properly unwound.
- The Salita Serbelloni stairs that climb to the high viewpoints start right at the hotel — go up just before sunset for the wide lake view over the rooftops.