In the summer of 2014, my brother and I pedaled our bicycles uphill, above spectacular Lake Como and the beautiful town of Bellagio, past a hotel that offered a sweeping view of both the lake and the surrounding mountains.
Intrigued by the location of the hotel, we stopped to take a closer look. Hotel il Perlo Panorama turned out to be bike friendly! My brother and I promised ourselves that if we ever returned to Italy and Lake Como, we'd stay at the hotel. And we did just that in the late summer of 2018.
The hotel (il Perlo - "the Pearl" in English) -the name of a close-by stream - definitely rates a five-star review. It's not a luxury hotel, though. There's no 24 hour room service, the telephone isn't gold plated, there are no walk in closets, no gaudy chandeliers. There isn't pool or a spa (but there is nearby and magnificent Lake Como).
What the hotel does have is three stories with rooms offering either a view of the lake or a view of the mountains that rise above the lake. The rooms have air conditioning and wifi. There is a broad terrace behind the hotel which, like the lake-side rooms, offers guests stunning views over Lake Como.
A restaurant offers a continental breakfast, lunche and dinner, all worth lingering over. Although there is indoor seating, during our few days at the hotel, with pleasant temperatures, meals were served outside.
The hotel is family owned, and the owners and the hotel staff could not have been more pleasant or attentive. The price for a room, even during high season, was very reasonable. We enjoyed meeting Piera, who is the grande dame of the hotel, and her son, Carlo, both of whom took great care of us.
For the reasons above, a lot of people who stay at the hotel don't arrive with bicycles. The come for the out-of-the-world view, the excellent meals, the pleasant rooms and the fine service. For those who do come to cycle, there is bike storage room onsite and van transfers to other locations around the lake. Free overnight laundry service for bike clothing is included in the price of a room.
The ComoLagoBike shop is associatd with the hotel and is just a few steps below the terrace. The shop has its own awesome view of the lake. It's where you can get a quick bike repair, rent a road or mountain bike, pick up a souvenir jersey or find out where great places to ride around the lake are. You can also book a tour of the surrounding area led by the shop staff.
We enjoyed meeting the manager of the shop, Alberto Elli, a former cycling pro who led the Tour de France one year for you an impressive four consecutive days (his yellow jersey is on display in the shop) and we met the second in command at the shop, too, former U.S. racer Jill Greco Bodnar.
The Ghisallo del Madonna is about 4.5 miles up the road from the hotel. It's a one-room religious shrine dedicated to bike racing. The shrine contains a number of bikes and jerseys that have belonged to some of the greatest names in the sport. Next door is a modern, large museum dedicated to cycling.
The shrine is a magnet for dedicated, in shape cyclists. The hotel is the perfect starting point.
I would love to return to the Hotel il Perlo Panorama, which will always rate five stars from me! read more