Hotel Olivedo

Hotel Olivedo is the yellow house you see as you step off the boat at Varenna. It was built in 1896 by Mr Bertarini as a coal store for the lake's boats; it later became a hotel, gained a third floor and, during the Second World War, a fourth. Today it is run by the family's third generation and keeps its period Liberty furniture. If you come to the lake without a car, few addresses are as convenient: the jetty is in front of the door and Varenna-Esino station about five minutes' walk away.

The rooms

There are 20, spread over two buildings. In the main house there are 10 superiors with a balcony and lake view, a large bed and original Liberty furniture, and 4 standard attic rooms, plainer. In the annexe next door there are another 6 with a lake view, in a modern, sober style, some with a private balcony and with a shared terrace. All have a private bathroom, wifi and satellite television, and can be set up with a double bed or with two beds. The superiors are the only ones the hotel lists as wheelchair accessible; tell them when you book.

The website does not publish an official star rating or room prices. It does publish the extra bed, at €60 a night, and Varenna's tourist tax, €3 per person per night.

Breakfast, bar and restaurant

Breakfast is served from 7:30 to 10:00, Italian and continental, with gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan and lactose-free options. The bar is open to guests from 10:00 to 18:00. On the ground floor is Locanda Cavallino, the house restaurant, also open to those not staying here, with tables outside facing the water.

What to know before booking

The hotel is open from February to October; in November, December and January it is closed. It does not accept children under 14, because of the period furniture and the soundproofing of a historic building, nor animals. Cancellation is free up to seven days before arrival; after that, the stay is not refunded. Check-in is from 14:00 to 22:00 and check-out until 10:00; if you arrive later, tell them beforehand.

Getting there

From Milano Centrale, the regional train on the Tirano line reaches Varenna-Esino in a little over an hour. You walk down towards the lake and the hotel is on the piazza by the jetty. By car you take the SS36 towards Lecco and Sondrio and the Mandello del Lario and Varenna exit; the website does not mention private parking. From the jetty the boats leave for Bellagio and Menaggio in a quarter of an hour, and the Sentiero del Viandante starts on foot.