If you're traveling to the lake by train, it's handy to stay in Como proper, and this boutique inn—which reopened in 2013 after a renovation—is one of the city's nicest budget options. Guest rooms are decorated in a fresh and charming Italian country style with exposed beam ceilings and cutaway sections of wall plaster revealing centuries-old masonry. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms, which are stylish and mostly spacious, with sleek modern fixtures. Staff is friendly and eager to please, and the hotel is within easy walking distance of the train station and the city's main attractions, but, as it's a newer property off the beaten path, it offers a more intimate feel than some of the heavily-touristed traditional waterfront hotels in town.