Hotel Centrale Bellagio

From the small pedestrian street of Salita Plinio, guests walk under a red stone archway that reads “Hotel Centrale.” The well-kept grounds, full of plants, flowers, trees, stone pathways, and benches, are shaped to form an inner-courtyard which the orange-hued hotel with green shutters surrounds. A second-floor veranda -- decorated with multiple plants and flowers and covered with a few tables and chairs -- is a nice touch to the courtyard. The lobby is quite spacious for a bed-and-breakfast and has many floral pictures and pieces, as well as wooden pieces of furniture that appear antique, such as a table, desk, bench, and chairs. This might be the case as the bed-and-breakfast was first opened in 1922. Guests access their rooms by stairs or a small elevator. There is a maroon carpet and framed flower pictures on the walls of the interior hallways.

The hotel was restored in 2005 by the Borelli family, but an emphasis was put on maintaining the romantic “Old World” charm. It should be noted that guests have reported that the family that runs the bed-and-breakfast provides exceptional service to make guests feel as if they are at home. Due to its location, affordability, and romantic charm, most guests are couples, while some are families. 

Hotel Centrale is in a quiet nook between a couple of main streets and is conveniently located for guests who wish to explore the city of Bellagio by foot. The hotel is located on a small path of ascending steps that may be difficult to find, though guests suggest heading toward Hotel du Lac when exiting the ferry to find the small path, Salita Plinio. The ferry, a three-minute walk away, allows guests of Bellagio to explore Lake Como, Tremezzo, Villa Carlotta, Cadenabbia, Menaggio, and Varenna. Furthermore, dining, bars, and shopping can be found on adjoining streets like Via Guiseppe Garibaldi or one street over on Salita Antonio Mella, less than three minutes away. Guests also have the option to check out Bellagio by tourist train which is located three minutes from the hotel. 

The wooden floors, romance-style wooden furniture, and floral bedding and pictures make up the decor of the rooms; picture more dated, though, than "old world"  charm. Beds are “double-size,” which means they are two single-size beds hitched together. Families have the option of booking the Quadruple Room, which has a double-size bed and a bunk bed. 

Rooms also have a few technological amenities such as phones, safes, air-conditioners (not very common in Italian budget properties), and TVs, but they are only tiny tube TVs with just one English-language channel. Rooms and bathrooms are small, and bathrooms are each equipped with a shower, hair dryer, and toiletries. Lastly, some rooms have balconies or terrace access, but not all. Some balconies have lovely views of the city and others, the lake, while other rooms have access to a shared terrace with a few tables.

This bed-and-breakfast provides features meant to help guests relax during their visit in Bellagio. Although the hotel offers free Wi-Fi, it also provides a computer nook where guests can use a laptop to surf the web or sit down in an armchair and delve into one of the many Italy travel guides that sit on the shelves. The best feature of the hotel is the free breakfast that is offered with either indoor or outdoor seating; the outdoor seating on the veranda of the inner courtyard has a lovely relaxing atmosphere with views of the garden and the lake. Otherwise, there's little else: no gym, spa, full restaurant, or pool.