Youhosty - Varenna Panoramic Dream

Everything about this property was exceptional and it made our short stay on the banks of Lake Como really special. After a horrendous travel experience to reach the property, we were pleased to see that the house and especially the views were as good or better than we expected. The house itself is relatively basic but very well equipped, comfortable, spacious and well located. The views from all the windows and the THREE terraces are just exceptional. The contactless check-in via the key safe is convenient (especially when you're forced to arrive at 1am after a nightmare travel day!). Within a short walk you have some basic shops, access to the ferries that let you explore the lake and its towns, and Varenna Esino train station, with connections to Milan in one direction and Tirano in the other (for the Bernina Express to Switzerland - one of the world's most scenic train journeys).

It would have been nice to see something in the fridge when we arrived - perhaps some milk, juice or just water, especially as we arrived so late. But the owner was kind enough to leave a little ground coffee and supplies for the washing machine, which was ultimately more useful!

Unbelievable views Good location, close to train station (trains aren’t currently running though).

PARKING VERY BAD - the path barely fits the car on (see photo). My wheel was slightly hanging over the curb and I could easily have scraped the wall to try and fit it on (not ideal for a rental). It’s also a small car - a bigger car will struggle. If not fully on curb, you will get fined, also do not park on lined road before the curb. THIS SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED AHEAD OF TIME. Poor WhatsApp communication when I messaged, only responded on the day of the booking, I was pretty worried about parking beforehand and received no reassurances ahead of time on WhatsApp. Hill a bit ropey to walk up, but easily doable. Would be a lot more difficult without cases however.

The house was great. It had 3 good beds, fridge, oven, microwave, TV etc and stove top coffee machine which we made good use of. The A/C was good as it was so hot. The electric blinds on all the windows were also very handy to keep the sun off during the day when we were out. Very close to the train station (if the trains are running). Close to Varenna and to the ferries. A short walk to Villa Monastero which is worth a visit. There is unfortunately no super market in walking distance, but we got a bus up to Bellano, which is another nice town, but has more shops and a good supermarket.

The keys were not in the lock box. We were stood outside the property by the side of the road after dragging the cases up the hill in 34 deg heat only to find we were locked out of the property. After calling, messaging in the Booking.com app and via Whatsapp, a lady finally arrived and handed over the keys. Not a great start. Also, we found that the trains were not running for the entire summer, surely the host could have advised of that. We chose the place due to it being close to the station. We instead just got construction noise as they were working on the train lines and station everyday. We planned to use the train for some of our visits up and down the lake, but had to get a replacement bus service instead. It didn't ruin the holiday though, as the property and location were excellent.

Beautiful view, spacious & good customer service

Power outage twice - the first time is when we turned on aircon and also used the electric kettle. The second time is when we turned on the aircon and the used the iron. But both time the customer service had responded very fast to help us to restore the power supply.