Cadenabbia, Hotel Britannia Excelsior Review

Overall Rating

Hotel good, location handy for the local ferry where you can go over to Bellagio. There is an Anglican church next door where the service is in english. Picnic lunches are an option should you want to go out for the day. The cooked lunch and eve meals are good, but don't expect to be served pizza. I would say the meals are geared up for the english pallet.

The cooked breakfast are not brilliant but you can have as well or instead lovely bread and croissants. The continental style breakfast is wonderful.

The all inclusive package is excellent value for money. We went at a time of a local bank holiday Aug 15th. It was a shame that the hotel didn't let its guest know of the local festival held up in the village. We had been here to the hotel this was our 4th visit so we were aware that on a Friday there were musical concerts at the Villa Carlotta well worth the 10 euro, a stunning setting for an evening concert. Also concerts at the St Georgio church over at Bellagio entry was free. Also one Saturday a concert over at villa Melzi Bellagio, Menaggio had a massive firework display the Saturday over the bank hol weekend. If you go read the local posters to find out about these events.
If you are up to walking the hotel gives you a map of local walks all graded as to how hard. San martino church is a hike up a steep donkey path but well worth it. The best place I have hiked to is Capelli Alpini (alpine chaple) the alpine meadow with its butterflies and flowers and a view like no other, then Varenna has Villa Ciprisi and Vila Monestero beautiful gardens and Varenna also has a small castle called Castello Vesio its a hike up a mountain path the castle is small but its worth it for the view up there. Villa Balbionelo down at Lenno is also a beautiful place. If you walk back to Cadenabbia you can go on the green path its about 5 km but takes you a lovely safe route back, I stress safe as it takes you away from the busy lake side road. If you want a lovely souvenier of your holiday pop up into the village behind the hotel, its like going back in time. Just across the village pub is a shop that sells art work done by the local artist he sells the small oil paintings for 10 euros they are stunning and the artist sells them to you himself. He is usually working in his shop in the mornings but if the shop is shut just go across to the pub his sons run the pub. If you want to bring back a scarf as a souvenir the little shop next to the hotel is the cheapest place and she had some lovely scarfs there. I bought back about 5, they worked out at 7 euro each but they were fab.