We stayed at Hotel Larius in Como for 3 nights in early July.

Our double room was comfortable, clean and basic (though If I'm being picky, there was too much furniture for the size of room and the colour scheme was horrid!). The bathroom was a decent size, had a bath and shower with hot water at all times.

Now - air-conditioning …

Despite the fact you can't control the air-con in your room, the hotel are more than willing to switch it on for you - including at night. I'd been a bit concerned they wouldn't do this having read other reviews where people had had problems but I can confirm we had a nice, cool room at all times - very important when it's 39 degrees outside!

Breakfast is included but, to be honest, it's not up to much. The croissants are very sweet (doused in icing sugar), the bread is dry and the coffee is instant - very disappointing for Italy. Still, there are plenty of caffes serving excellent coffee in the Old Town, so I'd suggest start the day with fruit juice and cereal at the hotel then head out for a cappuccino and pastry on Piazza San Fedele.

The hotel's about a 10 minute walk from the Old Town and 20 minutes from the lake so could seem a bit out of the way if you have kids or don't like walking.

We ate at the hotel restaurant on our last night and it was great - despite the fact the outside seating area is pretty much in the car park, it's screened-off with plants and the tables were beautifully decked out in tablecloths, fresh flowers, candles and silver cutlery. It was a shame the local wine wasn't available but that's just a small gripe really as the food was very good and the restaurant manager friendly and amusing.

It's not luxurious and it's not in the heart of Como but Hotel Larius is quiet, clean and cool. I'd stay there again.

We stayed for two days at the beginning of our week-long bike trip in the lakes area, and then again for a night at the end of the trip. This involved storing luggage, and safely storing a rental tandem after it was dropped off for us, and after we left, to await pickup. In each case, the front desk was a model of helpfulness (with good multilingual fluency). They not only did what we asked, they spontaneously made several very helpful suggestions about how to handle the bike hand-off.

We were in two different rooms. At the start of the trip, we had a room that looked out on the hillside and over the adjacent historic buildings. It was light and airy. Not huge, but fine by european standards, and intelligently organized. It looked quite recently refurbished, in a fairly minimalist, simple, but well-built way (nice wood, good quality sheets). The minibar was so quiet that I opened it to check if it was plugged in.

The room at the end of the trip was on a lower floor (nice for tired cyclists!) with a larger bathroom (ditto). Perhaps not as recently redone, and a bit less light and airy, but we felt they did a great job matching us with what we really needed.

The restaurant deserves its own mention. About a third of the menu or more is derived from a cookbook / manuscript by a 15th century master chef. It also features other local specialties like pizzochieri (buckwheat/wholewheat semolina noodles with various veggies, potatoes, and some serious butter and cheese). There's nothing nouveau about the menu, and we loved it that way. Little touches like a historic mustard that incorporates ground almonds (and, I suspect, verjus)--and knowing that it was "composed" in the 1400's--that's special. The wine list and bar also seemed particularly extensive. The headwaiter is fluently welcoming, funny and occasionally sarcastic in a many languages.

Overall, There's pleasant light, airiness, and the cul-de-sac is really very quiet for being so well-situated close to several large autoroutes. It is possible to walk to and from the main train station if your bags are light (allow 20 minutes at a good clip).

As for amenities, the fitness center has a considerable selection of weights and machines for a small hotel (not that we used them). I believe pets are allowed, because one of the other guests had a dog, but there was nothing "doggy" about either of our rooms. (I'd have noticed quickly, due to allergies). Some people might prefer to be closer to the lakeshore, and pay accordingly, thus the "location" rating. The wireless internet worked well, and was free. Breakfasts were good, and nicely presented.

Larius was perfect for what we wanted, and we would very gladly return.

Just returned from a week in Como staying at the Hotel Larius. The hotel is located on a side street in a residential part of the new town about 20 minutes walk from the Lake. It appears to have been newly refurbished. Rooms are extremely clean but basic. Unfortunately the air conditioning was switched off which made for an uncomfortable night's sleep. Lack of air conditioning would, however,be absolutely unbearable in the hot summer months of July and August. My request for an extra pillow was declined on the grounds that the hotel was full and no spare was available. A situation which was not remedied over the course of the week. Breakfast was barely adequate; mainly consisting of croissant, bread (sometimes stale), jam, ham and cheese. Juice and coffee was served via a machine. Extras like internet access and the gym are subject to an additional charge. The hotel also has a restaurant which we did not try during our stay.

A quick overnight stay. The hotel is not within the old town, which is about a 10 minute walk away. It has car parking, which is a plus (as parking is quite difficult in Como). It is set off a side road, so not the best arrival experience. This position however is very quiet, allowing a good night's rest. What the hotel lacks in character, it makes up for in facilities and cleanliness. Certainly a good option if you a looking for a bed for the night, but you are best to head into town for more life.