Our wonderful holiday in Umbria has come to an end, but we’re staying in holiday mode just a little longer. We’re putting the cherry on top with a stay at Lake Como! We’ve lost our hearts to this place, as you already know, but it’s also simply the perfect stopover for anyone travelling home from further south in Italy and looking to break up the long drive.
Rent an apartment at Lake Como at Villa Maderni Retreat. A few weeks ago, we booked Villa Maderni Retreat. We were immediately drawn in by its excellent rating on Booking.com, the beautiful photos of the apartment in an inspiring setting and, not least, the stunning swimming pool with equally impressive views over Lake Como. Villa Maderni Retreat is still a relatively new addition to the range of holiday apartments available in the area.
The day before our departure, our identity is verified during a short video call with a friendly member of the MyHomeInComo team, the company managing Villa Maderni Retreat. Afterwards, he sends us information on where to find the key, the house rules and some additional details about our stay.
Villa Maderni Retreat is located in the western hills above Como, on Via Cardano, not far from the motorway to and from Milan. It is worth pointing out, however, that there is absolutely no noise disturbance. Quite the opposite! Its elevated position above Como offers beautiful views over the southern arm of Lake Como, with Cernobbio, Moltrasio and Torno all in sight. From here, you can watch the funicular climb the mountain towards Brunate and see the Faro Voltiano light up in the evening. If you want to head into Como’s historic centre or down to the waterfront, you will need to take the car, even though it is only five kilometres away. There is no shortcut via steps or the narrow, typical pathways you often find around Lake Como.
We unload the car and make our way to our family apartment, Appartamento 20, located in one of the wings of the residence. We find the key in the lockbox, and the instructions provided by MyHomeInComo are spot on. We enter the duplex apartment through the little garden. On the ground floor, there is a small living area, a dining table and a kitchen. Upstairs, there are two bedrooms with double beds and a bathroom. It’s not particularly spacious, but it’s just the right size for us.
The apartment is tastefully decorated and has a warm, homely feel. The cupboards are well stocked with glasses, plates and cutlery. Lovely tableware, by the way! All the necessary comforts are there too, including a dishwasher and washing machine. Dishwasher tablets, laundry detergent and coffee pods are also provided, which is always convenient when you’re only staying for a short time. With the hot and humid weather, the air conditioning is definitely a welcome addition. Our apartment does not have a view of Lake Como.
MyHomeInComo rents out three apartments at Villa Maderni Retreat. Most of the residents are either permanent residents or owners of a second home. Living on the hillsides above Como comes with a considerable price tag. The people who live here are generally well off and enjoy a quiet lifestyle where peace and privacy are paramount. And there is, of course, absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Nevertheless, we do miss a sense of hospitality. There is an unspoken feeling here that you have to tread carefully. Stern looks or, at best, a restrained nod are about all you can expect from the neighbours. The endless rules and prohibition signs around the property only reinforce that feeling. Instructions on where to park, swimming pool opening hours, keeping the pool gate closed, no inflatables in the pool, no diving, tennis court opening hours, rules about footwear on the tennis court, no eating in communal areas … The day before, friends of ours were called “fucking camping people” simply for enjoying a relaxed aperitif together on a patch of grass. Forewarned is forearmed.
Let’s dwell on this a little longer. For our children, Bas and Wolf, a swimming pool means diving, floating around on inflatables and making a big splash. So it becomes a bit of a balancing act between having fun and being respectful of the residence and its rules. A definite thumbs up, though, for the box of toys in our garden. Tennis rackets, badminton equipment, pétanque, a ball … So it certainly wouldn’t be fair to say that this is an unfriendly place for children.
Someone who is decidedly unfriendly, however, is Villa Maderni’s gardener. He follows you around like a shadow, seemingly ready to catch you doing something wrong. Tennis court reserved? Check. Pool gate closed? Check.
Later that day, we’re relaxing by the pool with a few other guests, under a blue sky and bright sunshine. Suddenly, a few drops of rain fall from a stray cloud. The gardener appears on the scene and immediately starts closing all the parasols, curtly telling everyone by the pool to “close”. We are quite literally chased away. He slams the pool gate shut behind us. Bewildered, we all look up at the sunshine above our heads. We ask for an explanation, but are spoken to in a rude and disrespectful manner. We wait two minutes and then simply find ourselves another spot on the sun loungers. Fool! We raise the incident with the property manager, but they are quick to distance themselves from the situation. We have no control over this. Okay, but we are paying €900 for a two night stay, including access to all the facilities.
So we head back to our apartment and open a bottle of prosecco. The gardener certainly isn’t going to spoil our aperitivo.
The incident certainly cast a shadow over our stay, which is particularly unfortunate for Villa Maderni and also for MyHomeInComo, whose service runs like clockwork. The excellent rating on Booking.com is more than deserved. We have absolutely nothing to fault about the apartment. The spacious residence is impeccably maintained. Who wouldn’t want to hit a few balls on the tennis court with Lake Como as a backdrop? The swimming pool is an oasis of tranquillity with a beautiful view. For couples and, yes, families too, Villa Maderni can be the perfect base from which to explore Lake Como. Would we book it? Absolutely!
If you’re a rather noisy bunch, travel with lots of pool inflatables or simply don’t care much for rules, we would recommend choosing somewhere else!
