Capanna Cao is a wonderful little Hostel / Hotel on the cliffs of lake Como. The owner is a friendly guy who can cook a lovely stew, pasta or polenta.
The reception annex bar, annex breakfast room has a terrace with a view on the Como lake / valley.
The place is over a hundred years old and used to be the weekend getaway for the wealthy from Milan, Turin etc.
Pro's:
The price for a double room is sweet. The ambiance at first glance is great and authentic. The view is priceless. The folks are of the kindest you've ever seen. The food is good and the wine's great and not expensive.
Con's:
The ambiance can be turned up a notch by lighting some candles or the fireplace in the reception area. And please put on some Italian background music.
The shared bathrooms and toilets upstairs are not in sync with the "authentic" part of the Hostel. They turn "authentic' into old and fairly crappish, The rooms are sober, but without the ambiance. Fix this, and you'll get 4 stars from me :-)
And you can hear the neighbors breathe... which I find adding to the flavour, and my girlfriend doesn't.
If you want a good place to stay after a whole day of mountain biking, climbing, hiking or you're looking for a original stopover around Como.. go here. read more