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After spending a night at the Park Hyatt Milan (review here), we drove out to Lake Como and the charming Casa Olea Hotel. The hotel is located in a renovated 18th century vicarage and was a nice respite from the city. It’s a small boutique hotel with only 13 rooms and suites. When I booked it, the only choice was the Superior Double with Courtyard Views. This was fine for our two-night stay. The property is part of Mr & Mrs Smith and Hyatt loyalists will be happy to earn points here.
Anthony’s Take: We enjoyed our stay at Casa Olea with one exception. The air conditioning was blowing cold air, but the room never got below 80 degrees. We were uncomfortable with the temperature and should have done a better job addressing it with the hotel. The property was sold out, so I knew we couldn’t be moved and we made the best of it. It was extremely hot while we were there and I think the air conditioning could just not keep up. That said, the pool and grounds are lovely. It’s great to have the lake and several restaurants right outside your door. Breakfast was nicely prepared (even if I did not like to have to order it the night before). I’d return to Casa Olea when visiting Lake Como. The owners have done a great job in restoring this unique hotel and the staff we encountered were friendly.
Booking
I booked my stay on Hyatt.com on a “Bed and Breakfast” rate for a Superior Double with Courtyard Views room. The rate was surprisingly inexpensive at €219 including tax. If you’re not paying cash, World of Hyatt® points can be redeemed here at rates that vary by night as Mr & Mrs Smith properties are dynamically priced. I found paying cash to be the better option.
Transportation to/from the Hotel
We drove our rental car from the Park Hyatt Milan to the hotel. It took around one hour and 43 minutes for the 93 kilometer trip. Leaving, we drove to the Sheraton Lake Como Hotel, which was a much shorter ride.
Location
Casa Olea is located in the tiny and charming town of Cremia. The lakefront at the hotel offers several restaurants and a gelateria. We ate at the same one two nights in a row because the food was so good. The lake is beautiful and was perfect for strolling each evening.
When arriving by car, you need to enter a code to open a gate. After passing through, you’ll find a driveway with a garage.
An elevator in the garage takes you to the lobby and reception. The spa is also located here. We did not use it as it must be rented and paid for hourly.
When you exit the elevator, you’ll get your first view of the lake and the hotel’s pool.
We never saw anyone in the lobby during our stay. It’s small, but there is some seating.
Check-In
I arrived around 3:30 PM and our room was ready. The agent checking me in was nice and she explained how breakfast works (it must be ordered the night before). The hotel was booked, so we did not get any sort of upgrade. Late checkout is not offered and I did not ask. Benefits are limited for World of Hyatt® members. Go in knowing that you will not get much.
We were handed the keys, cards for pool towels, and others for drinks at the pool. The drinks were offered for booking through Hyatt.
We then took the stairs down to our room (it was one floor below reception).
Superior Double with Courtyard Views (5)
There are 13 rooms and suites at the hotel.
The room opened with a bed, two nightstands, and a chair to the right.
A table with an ashtray, water, a kettle, coffeemaker, coffee, and condiments were all found here.
A small safe was inside.
A TV was across from the bed.
A chair and luggage rack were next to the bed.
There was not much of a view of anything from the window.
An exposed closet was down the hall near the bathroom. Two robes and towels were found here. Be warned, these are not fluffy towels.
The bathroom was large and contained a sink, stool, toilet, towel warmer, and glassed-in shower.
A bottle of Comfort Zone brand hand soap was near the sink. No bar soap was provided.
The shower was spacious and offered good water pressure and temperature.
Additional Comfort Zone toiletries were mounted to the wall of the shower.
The toilet was spaced away from the shower and sink. It was also oddly high off of the floor.
We did not use the towel warmer.
The room included a patio with two chairs and a table. The lake was visible from here.
Breakfast
Breakfast was served on the lower floor. We ordered the night before, chose a time, and it was ready when we arrived. You can order as much as you want and we tried many dishes over the two mornings. The quality was very good.
Tables are assigned by room.
Croissant and chocolate croissant
Cappuccinos, orange juice, cheese, and berry cheesecake parfait
Meats and cheeses as well as ricotta cheesecake
Scrambled eggs and bacon
Berry pancakes
Water and yogurt are self serve
Natural light filters through breaks in the rocks that make up the building.
Public Areas & Amenities
The hotel has a spa for rent, outdoor pool, Wi-Fi, and the restaurant for breakfast. Other than that there are no real amenities to speak of here.
The grounds are lovely and it was nice to sit by the pool.
We had our welcome drinks there.
A station for washing your feet is near the pool.
I love that the lake is so accessible.
The greenery is gorgeous.
Overall Impression:
Aside from the air conditioning issue, we loved our stay. It’s quiet and offers the perfect spot to relax by the lake.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
