Villa Bianca

Exceptional views of Lake Como. Luisa is an extremely helpful host offering advice from before the stay, helping with transfers from the station and taking us to the supermarket etc. The house itself is quite modern in decor. There is a balcony from which there are very nice views of the lake. The pictures on booking.com are accurate. As per other reviews, it is quite a climb from Varenna/the train station to the property. If reasonably fit, quite nice. Otherwise car / taxi would be needed (bus stop right in front of the property as well)

Host was really nice, she gave gave us free pick up and drop off from station to the property . She was always available to help

Luisa, who picked us up at the train station (and took us back at 7 a.m.) was wonderfully helpful and cheerful (we only speak English and her English is limited). We stayed in the upstairs unit which is 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, very clean, with incredible views of Lake Como, Varenna down below, and surrounding towns. The double (queen) bed was comfortable. In the bathroom, a towel rack that warmed up when the heat was on was nice. All the doors and windows (clean) are new and tight-fitting. The locking outside gate was easy to use.

BEWARE! You will have to show up at Villa Bianca with CASH (euros) to pay for most of your lodging. In our case of a 4 night stay, we had to have 670 euros in CASH. We stayed 4 weeks in Italy at 7 different places, and Villa Bianca is the only one to demand CASH (everywhere else took a credit card). If you're interested, here is how Villa Bianca handled our booking (and from talking to one forthcoming booking.com customer service representative, Villa Bianca always demands cash): 1) Initially when trying to pay the full amount of the lodging (1150 euros) using a credit card (one that worked perfectly everywhere else for a 4 week trip), Villa Bianca said the card was denied (the bank later said our address was incorrect--which (since this happened nowhere else) leads us to believe Villa Bianca did this on purpose. They then said that the card worked but only charged $400 something (a "deposit" on it; 2) Then a week or so later we got a message from Villa Bianca saying since our credit card was denied the 1st time (even though they later used the SAME CARD for the deposit), we must show up at the property with 670 euros in CASH; 3) We called booking.com 3 or 4 times before our trip to try and get Villa Bianca to accept our credit card (or use a different card) and booking.com assured us that when we arrived at the property we could use our credit card. Well, we got to the property and after some haggling between us and Luisa, and between us and a Villa Bianca representative, he assured us that they WOULD take our credit card; 4) Then the next afternoon, while eating pizza outside on the beautiful rainy Varenna waterfront, we got a WhatsApp message from Villa Bianca saying we must immediately get 670 euros in CASH to Luisa or we would be EVICTED. 5) So, Luisa comes and picks us up and takes us to a bank and we give her 670 euros in CASH. Thanks, booking.com for a wonderful adventure!

Staying in an elevated position up the hill offered a fantastic view of Lake Como and the surrounding area which you wouldn’t get if you stayed at ground level

The apartment and location was excellent. Only 5 minutes to the town center by car. The location is on the side of the hill overseeing the town and the lake, the view is excellent. Despite being close to the town, it was very quiet. The parking is in a private garage and very large and convenient. It is also possible to walk from the apartment to the town using the stairs that you will find everywhere. The host was very welcoming and will pick you up from the train station if you arrive by train.

There were really no negative points at all. We got exactly what we wanted and expected, and maybe even more.

The first floor apartment is moldy, musty and noisy if anyone in the upper apartment is there. There is mold all over the shower ceiling and bedroom windows. The provided towels are threadbare and at least 15 years old. The sheets are old and the mattress is stained, dirty, old and uncomfortable. The bedcover was stained and the additional bedcovers were musty smelling. When the occupants of the apartment came home at 0100 they were noisy until 5am and you could hear the chairs moving around and all of their voices- we therefore got no sleep. When I complained to the management company they accused me of lying. Our stay was so bad we left one day early and found a beautiful apartment in Bellano. I would rate this as a 1 star apartment and advise a complete update before ever recommending this to anyone who values cleanliness and quiet. In short, we were disgusted and disappointed that this is even offered on Booking.com

Luisa the manager was exceptionally accommodating, helpful and kind. Villa Bianca has wonderful views of Varenna and Lake Como. It was comfortable and spacious but had a few little quirks. This however is to be expected while visiting a foreign country.

While the views were dramatic, it was rather challenging hiking up and down the rocky path to the lake. The Villa Bianca is not a place to stay without an automobile if you are elderly or have mobility issues.

Stunning view

Manage stairs from villa to ferry or trains that is not easy for elderly people.

Location and staff

only one bathroom. a separate toilet would really add value.