Holiday Challenges are like buses: none for a couple of weeks and then two in one day and both for the same region : Northern Italy ! Both Irene, a reader of this blog, and my sister, want to find some relaxing Lake Como hotels for a Spring escape.

Irene wants to take her husband and two boys, aged two and four to the Lake Como region and its surroundings. She’d like something chic but family-friendly with possible activities to keep the boys busy indoors.

The Challenge

• A hotel in Northern Italy and the lakes region
• Family-friendly
• Indoor pool or some other form of entertainment
• Budget: up to 3000 £ for a week

My sister also wants to go to Lake Como and is looking for luxury. For that reason, the hotels below range from moderate prices to a more luxury end. Hope that both Irene and my sister will find what they were looking for in this selection.

C Hotel and Spa, Cassago Brianza

• 20 minutes from the bottom of Lake Como
• From 79 Euros
• Family suite is 170 Euros
• Click here for the latest prices and book*

A very minimalist look for this hotel and spa which reminds you that Milan, not far away, is the capital of sleek interior design.  The spa has 3 thermal pool, both indoors and outdoors.  Suites are very sparse but that can be quite peaceful. Breakfast on site but no restaurant.

 VIVERE suites and rooms

• 5 km from Lake Garda
• 4 suites with kitchenette and 2 junior suites
• From 120 Euros
• Click here for the latest prices and book*

All suites have their own private entrance and private garden and are equipped with all modern comforts. Our guests also have at their disposition the romantic veranda overlooking the swimming pool where they can enjoy their breakfast or sip on drinks.
During cooler evenings guests can sit by the fire and listen to good music in the living room and try the excellent wine produced from our own vineyards

It’s more a bed and breakfast than a hotel as you can’t have lunch or diner there but with your kitchenette, you could just buy some delicious Italian produces and have a romantic picnic in your own little garden. They produce wine, olive olil and honey which you can taste and buy on site.

Lido Palace

• Lake Garda
• From 275 Euros
• There is a suite for four people with prices above 500 Euros per night
• 42 rooms
• Click here for the latest prices and book*

We are at the high end of the budget there but for that price, you get a grand old building which had been renovated to offer a design decor and a grand spa with a heated pool that spans the inside and the outside. Extra beds can be added for free in the rooms and there is a smallish kids’menu in the restaurant.

Relais Vittoria, Laglio

• Lake Como
• 12 Rooms
• From 210 Euros
• Cots and extra beds free for children under eight
• Click here for the latest prices and book*

This is a small and quiet hotel just on the shores of the lake. There is no indoor pool but the outdoor pool is heated. They can help you rent a boat or arrange picnics. Make sure to ask for a room with a lake view as the other ones don’t seem to be as nice both in decor and in space.

 L’Albereta Relais & Chateaux

• 57 Rooms
• From 250 Euros
• Cot and extra bed free up to three years old, 30 Euros per child after threee
• In between Lake Como and Lake Garda and one hour from Milan
• Click here for the latest prices and book*

There is a fancy spa here with 14 various treatment rooms and two indoor pools, one of them being family-friendly and heated in this five star luxury hotel.  The hotel is classic in style but as a Relais & Chateau is guaranteed to provide good service. Plus it’s in between all the various lakes and cities you may want to visit so a good base.

 Villa D’Este

• Lake Como
• 152 rooms
• From 500 Euros
• Website

This is definitely not a boutique hotel and it’s not cheap but it screams so much classic Italian luxry on Lake Como that I had to include it. Plus it has been hailed as one of the best hotels in the world by Travel & Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler and Forbes Traveler, so you should expect something special as with many five star luxury hotels.

This will probably be better for my sister than for Irene as there is no indoor pool, only Turkish baths and sauna. There is though a junior club in the summer which indicates that they welcome families.

Villa Arcadio Hotel & Resort

• Lake Garda
• 18 rooms
• From 135 euros
• Kids are free under eight years old
• Click here for the latest prices and book*

A different view of Lake Garda awaits you in this hotel perched on top of the hill. Rooms have old school fresco paintings and simple decoration. There is no indoor pool but in terms of activity, you can rent their motorboat !  It’s also a good location to go explore nearby Verona.