Sheraton Lake Como

If you are looking to immerse yourself in Italian culture and charm, this is not the hotel for you. It's a concrete slab full of North American tour groups and European business people attending conferences at the nearby event center. Nevertheless, it's an excellent property set amidst large grounds with modern rooms, comfortable beds, good plumbing, and lots of amenities, including a pool, spa, fitness center, and three restaurants, one of which has a Michelin star. The hotel's location in Cernobbio is one town up the lake from the city of Como, a 10 minute bus ride, 15 minute ferry ride, or 45 minute walk away. Though many tourist activities originate in Como, we found Cernobbio far more charming.

It was great that the room was ready when we arrived. The hotel looks very nice and everything was very clean. The breakfast room was amazing. Not only the many options available, but the staff was very attentive and friendly. The parking situation could be a problem. They don't have many spaces and from what we could see, a lot of cars were parked on the side of what could be called a narrow street, that were not guests at the hotel. When we entered the underground garage, we saw that some spaces had a sign that it was reserved. So we requested to reserve our spot as well. Something that was not told to us when we arrived and let them know we had a car. I could not imagine where we would have parked if that was not the case. You may want to make this request when you arrive. The gentleman that was at the Bonvoy desk was not very helpful. He told us to go to the ferry stop about 5 minutes away and that the ferry would come by every 30 minutes. When we got there we were told that we had to wait 1 hr and 47 minutes for the next ferry. We called a taxi to take us to Como, had lunch and walked around. When we were ready to return, we had to wait 1.5 hrs for the next ferry to that stop. So we took a taxi back to the hotel. We heard that the ferry from Como takes 2.5 hrs to get to Bellagio. So the next day we drove to Menaggio, parked the car and took a ferry that took maybe 15 mins to Bellagio and had a wonderful day. The drive there is not for the faint of heart. Very narrow streets and a lot of traffic. Overall our stay at this Sheraton was okay, but location is definitely a concern.

My recent stay at Sheraton Lake Como Hotel was great. Located in a lovely park right on Lake Como, the hotel offered beautiful, spacious rooms and excellent amenities. While I was initially a bit disappointed that the swimming pool and the restaurant next to it weren't open yet, the staff really made up for it. Naoko, one of the staff members at the front desk, was especially amazing. From our first interaction, it felt like chatting with an old friend. We bonded immediately over our shared experiences of traveling around the world from a young age, exchanging stories about different cultures, people, and all the adventures we've had. It was really endearing because I could tell she was genuinely excited talking about it all, like this wasn't just a job for her! Hospitality from people who themselves travel is always special like that, at least in my experience. When I casually mentioned my disappointment about not being able to try the hotel's restaurant, Naoko totally got it and suggested I visit Terzo Crotto close to nearby Cernobbio instead. She insisted that the short walk would be worth it on such a beautiful day. She even offered to make the reservation for me, and I'm so glad she did! The 15-minute stroll into Cernobbio was lovely, and the restaurant turned out to be fantastic—authentic Italian cuisine, cozy atmosphere, exactly what I was looking for. Thanks to Naoko's thoughtful recommendation and kindness, what started as a slight disappointment ended up becoming one of the best experiences of my trip. I'm definitely coming back to Sheraton Lake Como Hotel on my next visit. Maybe then I can try the new restaurant — and hopefully catch up again with my new friend, Naoko!