Casa al Lago, B&B on Lecco's lakefront with spacious rooms
Casa al Lago is a bed & breakfast in Lecco, Lombardy, on the lakefront with the town centre right behind it. It offers roomy bedrooms with lake or mountain views and a restaurant run by the same owner. I recommend it for couples and for anyone who wants to stay central, as long as they book clearly.
Written by Valeria Romano
Published .
Updated
Mapiola is a travel blog: this is not the official website of Casa al Lago.
Where Casa al Lago is in Lecco and how to get there
Casa al Lago is a bed & breakfast on Via Battisti, on the lakefront of Lecco, with the town centre right behind it. Guests who have stayed here describe a great spot for getting around on foot, with shops and cafés nearby and the lake right outside the door.
To get a sense of the wider area, the property description puts the boats to Bellagio and the Giardini di Villa Melzi about 22 km away, Como and its Duomo at a similar distance, and Bergamo-Orio al Serio airport about 40 km away. These are rough figures, not guaranteed journey times.
What the rooms are like
The rooms are spacious and very often have a view of the lake or the mountains. One guest said theirs felt more like an apartment than a room, and the word spacious comes up in a great many reviews.
The description lists air conditioning, a flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, a coffee machine in the room and a private bathroom with a bidet and toiletries, with linen and towels provided. Many rooms have a balcony or terrace, ideal for watching the sunrise over the lake. A detail I like: from the bathroom window of one room you can see the bell tower nicknamed the matitone.
Breakfast is served on the first floor, with a good espresso, and on the ground floor there is the restaurant run by the same family, serving local dishes. A few guests found a basket of fruit waiting in the room, but I would not count on it.
What guests say
On Google, Casa al Lago has a rating of 4.6 from 85 reviews. The positive comments tend to say the same kind of things, and for me that is reassuring.
- The owner's welcome, described by many as very kind, helpful and full of tips on what to do in the city.
- The cleanliness, called spotless in several reviews.
- The view and the location, with the lakefront in front and the centre behind.
- Value for money, judged by one guest as well below average for what you get.
- Coming back, because several guests say they stop here every time they pass through Lecco.
What stands out is that the story is the same over the years, from an easy and flexible check-in to the pizzoccheri from the family restaurant.
What to know before you book
The serious drawback has nothing to do with the rooms but with how things are organised. Among the worst reviews there are three one-star ones, and they describe similar problems: a room no longer available at the last minute, a booking that found no bed on arrival, and an owner who could not be reached by phone late in the evening.
These are few compared with all the praise, but they count, because they can leave you without a bed. Here is what I would do.
- Write to the owner and ask for the booking to be confirmed in writing.
- Give your arrival time and, if it changes, let them know in advance.
- Keep a phone number to hand and a backup plan in case you arrive late.
- If you want a room with a balcony facing the lake, ask in advance, because the description says many rooms have one, not all.
A last note on the centre. One guest appreciated that with the windows closed the room is very quiet, which makes me think that with the windows open, on the main street, some noise gets in. If you are a light sleeper, keep that in mind.
Who it suits
I see Casa al Lago in Lecco working well for a couple who want a weekend by the lake without taking the car. It also suits anyone looking for large rooms in a well kept place and a bill that guests consider fair.
I would not choose it if you arrive at unpredictable hours and want a reception desk that is always staffed. The reviews make it clear that the welcome depends a lot on the owner, so it works very well when you agree the details and less well when the contact stays vague.
Things to do in Lecco and nearby
There is plenty to do in Lecco just by staying around the lake, and the good news is that Casa al Lago is already on the lakefront. The promenade and the centre, with its shops and cafés, are a short walk away.
For day trips, the description mentions the boats to Bellagio and the Giardini di Villa Melzi, and further afield Como with its Duomo and the Basilica di San Fedele, plus the Circolo Golf Villa d'Este for golfers. If you are thinking of a wider tour of Lombardy, take a look at Villa Noce - Guest House in Brescia, another base in the region with a very different character.
Passionate about travel and about the kind of places that turn a getaway into something unforgettable. I love writing about hotels, country houses and charming hideaways, helping every traveller find the perfect place to rest and feel at home.
