The apartment
Nicolin is in a great location, with its entrance being from a large wooden door from S. Giacomo square. Accommodation comprises a lounge/diner with kitchenette, the bedroom and bathroom on the second floor. All rooms are large, light and airy, and the entire apartment is scrupulously clean. The lounge has French windows that allow a magnificent view of the lake from the dining table, whereas the bedroom and bathroom face backwards to the square. They have a small balcony which is in the shade for the afternoon and is a great place to sip wine and watch the world go by. By UK standards the apartment is not lavishly equipped, having just a two-ring gas hob a microwave and fridge; but there is sufficient to make salads etc. This suited us nicely as there are so many restaurants in Bellagio, the odd salad in the apartment made a very nice change. The shower works OK and other bathroom facilities were good.
Where to buy food
There is a minimarket just off Salita Maraffio, first right out of the door, which is open every day from 07:30 to 19:30. Here you can get milk, booze and a great deli counter with meats, salami and wonderful cheese. But no salad stuff – for this you have to go to a little shop (with no name, as far as I could see) just up the main concourse Via Giuseppe Garibaldi. Be prepared for a pleasant surprise: everything is fresh from the fields! Lettuce the size of cabbages and tomatoes to die for. Wonderful apples, peaches and everything you can think of! For some reason, basil is kept out of sight and you have to ask for it. The owners speak limited English so pointing is the order of the day, whereas they speak good English in the minimarket. If you arrive late, as we did, the Bar Sport immediately adjacent to the apartment has a small deli open to midnight (closed Tuesday)
In conclusion
Our contact Daniela was very good to await our late arrival and showed us in and around the apartment. She is located close by and was always available for help and advice. Daniela helped us enormously during our stay and being local knows the ins-and-outs of Bellagio. We had a fantastic fortnight in the apartment, walking to the local villages; using the ferries to get about and the hydrofoil to get to Como. Being lazy we pre-booked a taxi to take us to and from Malpensa airport (Eur110 each way), and money well spent in my view! Our sincere thanks to Daniela for making our stay comfortable and so memorable… I can see the lake from the window as I write!
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Older travelers |
Nicolin apartment is a modern refurbishment in the centre of the town. The furnishings are clean and modern and satisfy all your needs in the three rooms. There is plenty of storage and the kitchen is short of nothing you would need to self cater - but the restaurants are very tempting. The view from the lounge/diner is straight over the lake and to the other side is the church and the busy square. The church bells are close but not over-powering and don't ring before 7.00am or after 10.00pm. The contact for the apartment was very welcoming and when the boiler had problems after a lightning storm, the service to get it going again was immediate.
We were very pleased with the Nicolin apartment; it’s lovely -- elegant furniture and decoration, comfortable and very clean; as a matter of fact, everything looks brand new -- the furniture, the items in the kitchen, the lamps, the paint on the walls, the curtains. It’s spacious and very well lighted. It was cold when we were in Bellagio and the heating worked very well.
The apartment is on the 2nd floor with no elevator. The location is superb, in the historical centre of Bellagio on the church square. Very accessible for shopping.
There is one bedroom, bathroom, and ample living/dining room and kitchen.  The latter is adequately equipped  On opening the curtains of the bedroom or bathroom we could see the ancient cathedral right in front of us (by the way, the bells were not a problem as their sound was not loud). From the living/dining room you have a view of the lake. Â
The only problem we encountered was with the heated towel bars, which sometimes worked and other times didn’t. We didn’t report it to Daniella as we felt we could do without.
Daniella, the manager, is absolutely a delightful person; she gave us tons of information and made herself completely available to us. Â
I highly recommend the Nicolin apartment.
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Friends getaway | Older travelers |
Amazing location, everything you need is nearby. Daniella is a joy and is very helpful. I would not even dream of staying anywhere else if I was to go back.
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Friends getaway | Families with young children |
Very clean. Spacious. Superb views over lake and town square. Excellent location. Surrounded by friendly hotels, bars and restaurants. Very safe location. Daniella the rep very helpful. Enjoyed sitting on the balcony watching the world go by!
Very close to church and bells ring every half hour from 7am to 10 pm. Air con didn't get cool enough so windows open and could be a little noisy. Only one set of towels provided for seven nights. No iron,oven or complimentary milk on arrival.
Bus to Como for 6 euros. On/off boat trips very good. Babayaba restaurant pizza very good.
All in all would recommend.
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A romantic getaway | Older travelers |
I have stayed at the Nicolin Apartments twice before and plan to do so again this spring. the apartments are well managed by the same person who manages the the lovely Residence la Limonera also in Bellagio. There is one bedroom with a view of the church and the town square. The larger living room/ dining room area has a lovely lake view. this place is perfect for people who like to prepare at least some of their own meals. There is no elevator, so this is not a good apartment for the mobility impaired. However, as a single woman, I like it very much.
How easy was it to book the property? | How helpful were the directions to the property? |
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