Il Grifo

Location This b&b is located in quiter part of Lenno. From the Lenno boat stop, it is approximately 17 mins walk. There is a boat stop behind the venue called Campo. If you do not want to walk all the way to Lenno, I recommend you get the boat ferry at 10:50 in order to go to Bellagio, Varenna etc. If you miss this at 10:50, you’d have to get the boat from another stop. The boats from other places in Lake Como stop here though. At the time of writing, public transports require you to wear an FFP2 mask which you can buy from Il Grifo or the nearby supermarket. You can bathe in the lake behind this b&b as well. The bus stop and closest supermarket called Sigma are 5 mins walk from this place. Just be careful of walking as there’s no pavement in the motorway. There are a few options to eat out in. Il Grifo has a restaurant open from 12-3pm for lunch then 7pm onwards for dinner. It gets very busy so note you have to make a reservation. The b&b itself It looks newly refurbished. I love the rooms. We stayed in the attic room with a kitchenette which is the best room in the hotel. It has air-conditioning, automated blinds, shower and bath, a balcony that opens up to a beautiful lake view, fridge and freezer. It was a big space for a family of 4. We booked our other family members to the other rooms of the hotel. Room service was also available to the guests. The cons were that the wi-fi was slow but that’s probably common in the hotels around Lake Como and that there was no lift. I would say this is a minor inconvenience for strollers and big luggages but would honestly say it doesn’t deter from the experience of the place. The hosts were helpful in transporting our heavy luggages in the first day. Hosts If we love the charm of the venue, the hosts were the main factor in giving 5/5 review. This is a family-run business and you can see the care they put in everything. The hosts are very welcoming. Although some do not speak fluent English, they all go out of their way to provide us support we require daily, and always greet us with a smile and Bonguirno everyday. 1. Alice, the main English speaking host, has helped me booked private transportation for me and my wedding guests to go on day trips to Lugano, Switzerland and Milan at very short notice. This added to the entire experience of our party. Alice was very communicative even on the emails. From the beginning, she has helped me blocked booked a couple of rooms and was very patient with all my questions. 2. Her mum offered to transport our friends back to their own accommodation so they can enjoy a longer evening with us. 3. Her father helped us with the boat schedule, even printing it out for us and helped us with a certificate print-out too. 4. They were thoughtful in giving me and my husband a wedding gift. Food They currently offer continental breakfast. The croissants with apple jam, cheese and meats were the best in my opinion. I also suggest that they offer hot breakfast options even

What we liked: + Very good location! Near the villas: Balbianello 15 min on foot, Carlotta 20 minutes by car. The hotel is situated in a nice medieval village (borgo) where you can make a pleasant walk and sit on the small embankment (but not to swim – it’s not comfortable and dirty). There is a road near the hotel, but it wasn’t disturb us + Room was simple but recently renovated, with a good bed (great sleeping!), air condition (it help a lot in summer), light and comfortable bathroom. View from the room to the mountains and neighboring houses + You can have breakfast both inside and on the terrace (but it can be noisy cause the road) + In general the hotel was good, but there were a lot of small discomfort things and there was no traditional Italian hospitality What we didn't like: - Room was too small and not very comfortable. Not enough light in the evening, no mirror and waste-bin (only in the bathroom). No fridge for cooling water, but TV for NOT to see the monuments? There weren't bedside tables and a second chair (Double room!). Just one free socket under the window, far from the table and bed - A lot of insects (live & dead) - blackflys at the head of the bed and on the pillow, cobweb in the corner, beetles entered from the window and from behind the radiator - Window didn’t closed good - there was a puddle under it after the rain and our suitcase was almost flooded! Never seen anything like this, although we lived in a rainy region! Probably in the winter this window let you feel some cold air from outside. - No bidet in the bathroom - Breakfast was varied but it’s quality didn’t seem so good. Ham, cheese, salami, bread, croissants, muesli (without milk?), jams, butter, tea/coffee, juices, water. Due to covid it was portioned but too small, we had to asked almost everything twice - Parking near the hotel is public, not organized good and sometimes full - Pets are allowed in this hotel in ALL the rooms, it can be a problem for allergic person - Hosts weren’t very friendly (until we paid for the room), although they paid attention for the special booking request. On the check-in they didn’t give us some useful tourist information, seemed that they didn’t have time for us. They have also a restaurant and on weekends they pay more attention for it’s guests. - There is a wedding villa near the hotel. Saturday evening we heard a loud music until 23:00 (even with the closed window). So don't go to bed early in weekend during wedding season!