The Orange House is conveniently located near the railway station (just down the hill, so UP the hill with luggage on the way back), and close to Lake Como and the town centre. The owner communicated with us via WhatsApp prior to arrival and met us at the station. We had both the Orange and Red rooms. As the name suggests, they are decorated in these respective colours. The rooms were basic but spotlessly clean. A delicious and comprehensive breakfast was provided by the lady of the house, including delicious apricot croissants one morning and that orange Italian bread/cake that is also very tasty. There was ample hot water in the bathrooms and the Orange Room was quite spacious (the Red room is smaller and is on the ground floor).

Most of the power outlets were the older Italian type meaning our adapters didn’t fit them. Fortunately a more modern adaptor was available in the room so we could charge phones etc. There are also stairs up to the property so be warned if you have heavy luggage.

This was a very authentic Italian experience as the room is in Stella's home and the breakfast is served in her kitchen. Mr Pirelli communicated well with us (although sometimes I had trouble understanding his lovely Italian accent). Stella is his co-worker and as Mr Pirelli could not meet us that day, Stella stood in the pouring rain to meet us at the gate. She did not speak English but did a great job of showing us our room and private bathroom. Everything was extremely clean and well cared for. The location is not far from the train station and the ferry. It is helpful to use Google Earth before you arrive to work out your directions, as there are different routes you can take with the option of steps, or walking on the road

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Excellent communication from the hosts at Orange House prior to check in (via WhatsApp) so we could let them know our arrival time and they could meet us at the gate. This all worked well. We stayed ion the Orange Room. The location in Varenna is excellent, a couple of minutes walk from the lake (you can see this from the bedroom window) and near shops, restaurants and the lovely lake promenade. Very comfortable and clean room, with tea/coffee making facilities (not often seen in European hotels) and a large bathroom. This is a small property (2 rooms only). Breakfast is done one room at a time (8am or 9am), as the dining area isn't big enough to host everyone at once. However, the breakfast spread was excellent, everything were could have wanted, and our hosts were friendly and helpful. A lovely place to sty in Varenna.

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Location was perfect, near the bus and train station yet quiet. And more convenient to the ferry than the main part of Varenna. My hostess was so kind and helped with my luggage and made sure I understood the keys and how the windows and shutters worked. She also made a very substantial continental breakfast with a crepe an extra bonus. I especially liked the option of bright reading lights in my room as I do a lot of writing

The steps might be a bit much for people with mobility issues but no problem for me, though I was glad my hostess carried my case up.

Stella was wonderful: pragmatic, helpful, engaged, so kind and maternally attentive with everything from feeding us bread and ham when we arrived after everything was closed, 23 hours in transit from the US to loaning us needle and thread for our own repairs. Her breakfasts delicious. Her manner, bruskly loving.

Our communication with Mr Amilcare Giuseppe (who does the communication for Orange house) was challenging. We didn’t have wifi on the train. We sent him word upon leaving the Milano train station with ETA. We couldn’t honor his request for contact 30 min prior to arrival with no SIM card and European cell service. Consequently we had difficult actually entering Orange house and finding Stella (the owner). I would strongly advise you get very precise directions for your arrival to ensure smooth and easeful travels.

The hotel is a short walk down the hill from the train station. I had informed them that I was arriving by the train from Milan, so my hostess was waiting outside in the rain to let me into complex and show me my room. We discussed breakfast and arranged for an early time on the second morning so that I could catch an early train. The breakfasts were tasty even though much was not healthy as I enjoyed the crepes, pancakes, and powdered cream filled croissants. The room was comfortable. I was surprised to have a bathroom outside my room but found it not to be an issue since I only shared the general living space with the guests in the upstairs room. I did not share the bathroom.

Guests only interact with the hosts at check-in and during breakfast. It is important to let them know your arrival and do not book with them if you are uncertain or especially if you might arrive late. Be aware that the entrance is not on the side closest to the station but is on the street below.

Great location. Only two rooms so our group of four had the place to ourselves. The host can configure one room to have twin beds and the other a queen bed. The downstairs room has the bathroom across the hall, but it is no problem since no one else will use the bath. They supply two nice robes to wear downstairs if you would like. The washer is in the downstairs bath, too.

The shower was a little tight, but plenty of hot water.

There was good communication regarding our upcoming stay. The apartment building was a short walk down the hill from the train station, Varenna-Elsinore. Our hostess met us at the corner, so we knew where to go, and she helped with my case ro access the few sets of 2 steps to reach the apartment. The room was clean and nicely furnished, with a mini fridge, comfortable bed, air-conditioner and set of double windows we could open, but also close the roller shutter to keep out the heat. Our bathroom was a few steps across the hallway. Stella gave us all the necessary instructions. The breakfast each morning was beautifully presented and was an excellent variety. The location was wonderful, with a short walk to access the ferries, tourist attractions and restaurants, and we found a laundry service nearby. When our aircon made an unusual noise, our host was quick to deal with it.

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What a fabulous find in Varenna on Lake Como! We loved the location near the train station (to avoid hauling luggage long distances over lots of cobblestone pavements in the town) - the house is right outside the river from the mountain that drains into Lake Como so we had lovely sounds of running water! (The central part of Varenna near the tourist office and San Giorgio is a few minutes walk away - we preferred being away from the action and were literally a stone's throw from the ferry terminal which was super convenient). We had views of the mountains and a small part of the lake from the windows that opened for fresh air and beautiful views. (When the weather is warm the room can get a bit stuffy but this is easily fixed by opening the windows!). As we arrived on an earlier train, we were also able to arrange an earlier check in - and were greeted near the entrance by a waiting staff member. The orange room in the orange house is definitely very orange! But it was comfortable and had lots of amenities - twin beds, bar fridge with tea/coffee and plenty of shelves to store snacks (and a tray of sweet lollies and bottled water were provided). A large wardrobe with extra blankets (not needed) and storage space. Bathroom had a small but wonderful shower and a bench that you could use to sit or store extra towels (and we had extra large towels!). Breakfast every morning was enormous! Croissants, bread with cheese/deli meats, cereal, fresh fruit, yoghurt with many sauces, juice... and fresh coffee/tea! We even had breakfast earlier than scheduled on the day of departure so we could get our train. Communication and staff was very efficient and friendly and helpful. We absolutely loved our stay in the Orange House in Varenna! If we return to Lake Como in the future, we know where to stay!

Nothing - we absolutely loved our stay!

Room was very clean, cozy and quiet. Breakfast was great and Stella was a great host, working to get us brochures and other information to inform us on sightseeing options.

Check in process was confusing, we did not understand that Orange House is basically a flat in a larger apartment building. The host was to meet us at the gate, but there were some timing and communication issues that led to this not happening. We also messed up the number of guests on our reservation that created some confusion at first.