Apartment in Villa Peroni in Argegno on Lake Como… Soaking up Christmas atmosphere at Lake Como during Christmas holidays. Waving goodbey to the year 2022 and getting some fresh air with the four of us. We book an appartment in Villa Peroni in Argegno.
Villa Peroni is such a typical ocher-colored villa with four floors with green shutters, built on the hillside at the lake, just above Hotel Belvedere. It is divided into several apartments. The communal garden consists of several smallers gardens with lawn chairs. There is a communal terrace and also a swimming pool. Undoubtedly very nice to relax in the summer.
From the villa you can walk to the center of Argegno with its restaurants, marina or lido in just five minutes. Argegno is well endowed in terms of ferry connections. So one plus one makes three here!
We opt for an apartment with two rooms and a view of Lake Como. The 270° view is really beautiful: from the lounge the view reaches to Villa Balbianello, Bellagio including a part of the Western arm surrounded by the mountain peaks.
Thanks to the large windows, the apartment is bathed in light. The terrace invites you for a morning coffee, an aperitif or to read a book.
The apartment includes two bedrooms, a small bathroom and a living room with a lounge and kitchen. Absolutely homely, perhaps a bit stately and sober, but with all the necessary comfort. White walls, high ceilings and brown laminate with some antique furniture. A modern change to the sometimes somewhat older and kitschy decor that you often find in Italy.
A curtain or an eye-catcher against the walls would decorate the interior a little more. The Christmas tree decorated with gold and red Christmas baubles ensures the cozy touch. In terms of infrastructure, atmosphere and location, we consider Villa Peroni as an absolute winner.
However, we need to take the red strict pen from our pencil case: overall, the interior could use a little freshening up or some general care. In one bedroom the closure of the shutters has broken off. The batteries are missing in one of the two remote controls. The hairdryer is dirty and therefore not usable. The extractor lamp is broken. The oven could use a scrub. The small coffee maker is very poor in a country that preaches coffee culture. The apartment is superficially clean. Needs more thorough cleaning.
We are missing some basic things that you don’t immediately stuff in your luggage for a few days on Lake Como. Think of a sponge for the dishes, some coffee or coffee filters, so you can at least drink a cup of coffee right away.
No dramas of course, just minor flaws that can be resolved quickly.
You can park your car in the public car park next to the apartment or in the indoor garage. As usual, the indoor garage is very narrow and driving in and out really requires your best parking skills. A garage and/or parking on Lake Como is definitely a plus!
When we arrive we are met by an employee -we assume- of the owner. Good thing because we need a word of explanation to reach the apartment, although we can almost touch Villa Peroni from the parking lot. To the left, via the elevator to -3, through the inner car park, back outside via the garden path, down the stairs, to the right, up the stairs and then up one more floor via the entrance hall. A bit of a hassle with the kids and a lot of luggage. It would have been thoughtful of the employee to help a hand.
The explanation is limited and feels like a business conversation, the employee is clearly in a hurry. In his haste, he also forgot the cot and high chair. We put Italian hospitality under his Christmas tree with a big red bow. The friendly contact with the owner via whatsapp goes smoothly.
Would we recommend Villa Peroni? Certainly. The room, the atmosphere that the apartment brings, the view and the location are the major assets.
After a night out we walk back home. The switch of the exterior lighting in the garden is broken. In the pitch dark we shuffle up the stairs with two sleeping children in our arms. Clumsy!
When we read the reviews on booking.com, we can agree with both the positive and negative comments. A tenant indicated last year that the exterior garden lighting is broken. We also read the poor coffee maker fait pleurer. We pay off-season 270 euros per night. For that price, all details must be in order and the owner should keep a closer eye on things.
We put the cap back on the red pen. Would we recommend Villa Peroni? Certainly. The room, the view and the location are the major assets. The minuses can be solved quickly without major investments. The award of excellence from booking.com in the portal dates back to 2014. Let’s put the dots back on the Peroni – i and aim for a more recent quote!
