Filario Hotel & Residences

Lezzeno is a quiet little town with far fewer tourists, and it’s only a 15-minute bus ride from Bellagio. We were upgraded to a Junior Suite, a huge, modern, clean, luxurious room with a private patio, cabana, pool, and a priceless lake view. The breakfast buffet was delicious, and the hotel provides water bottles and handy guides to restaurants, transit, and activities. The staff were incredibly helpful. They walked us through the grounds, helped us figure out the public transport schedule, booked a taxi to Como, and adjusted our room temperature. Bikes and kayaks are free for an hour, though we didn’t use them. There’s a ferry terminal and a few bus stops, but you’ll need to plan ahead. In fall, public transport to Lezzeno stops by 8 PM, so we had most dinners in town. The restaurants are very good, but that schedule does limit your options. The hotel restaurant is fine dining and very pricey. Most other restaurants are downtown, about a 10-minute walk, and part of that route has no sidewalk, so take care.

The weather was unusually stormy for September, with torrential rain affecting much of the lakeside area, so we couldn’t enjoy the beach amenities. Even so, Camilla and the team kept us comfortable and helped us make the most of the trip. They updated us about ferry schedules and arranged other rides when needed, which made a big difference. We loved our stay at the Filario. The town has some incredible restaurants, and the locals we met were warm and welcoming. We’re already hoping to return with sunnier weather.

The design and location at Filario Hotel are beautiful, but several room problems were hard to overlook at the high nightly rate. There were flying insects in the room, and the lighting wasn’t enough for basic things like putting on makeup. The bathroom fan didn’t work, so it couldn’t clear moisture properly. At night the balcony light switched off automatically, with no manual way to turn it back on, making the balcony difficult to use in the evening. The hotel has a lot of potential, but room upkeep and comfort need improvement to make the premium price feel justified.

The views are the one truly beautiful, “luxurious” part of Filario Circus. I came with my wife for our honeymoon in May 2025, and for the price, the hotel itself was a major disappointment. The biggest issue was the cold. It was around 10 degrees Celsius outside, and heating was necessary, but they had shut it down and had no solution. After arguing with staff, I was given a fan that only blew cold air. After a big dispute, they offered us their most prestigious rooms. They had stunning views and lots of space, but they were cold too. Not having heat while it’s cold outside and the hotel is full is unacceptable. From arrival, things went badly. The luggage porter kept asking me to hand over my bags, so I agreed because I understood that to be standard at a five-star hotel. He dropped them several times, was very clumsy, and even fell while carrying the trolleys. At reception I was asked to pay immediately, before I’d had a few seconds to see the hotel or my room. They also took a huge deposit that hadn’t been declared anywhere. Once payment was done, I just wanted to go to my room, but a staff member first took us on a tour of the reception and told us “interesting” facts about the hotel. My wife found the surprise I’d arranged in our room, but we also found insects coming in through the windows, which had no nets. A housekeeper was kind when I asked for help, but had to spray the whole room to kill them. I then followed a staff member in a golf cart for three minutes to the “special” parking lot. He left me there, and since it was my first time, I had no idea how to get back. I eventually found my own way to the hotel. Breakfast didn’t offer many options, and the waiters were clumsy. Even getting coffee took a long time. The hotel looks very nice and has potential, but the staff were disastrous.