The four-story Hotel Orso Bruno is a quiet, quaintly charming bed-and-breakfast with a husband-and-wife team, Antonia and Samuele. With green shutters on its modest exterior, it sits on a narrow lakefront street. The lobby has exposed brick, Italian paintings, gold touches, red carpeting, and a narrow elevator. Traditional chairs and a settee are in the small lobby lounge, and there are stone benches across the street by the ferry port. The gorgeous views of Lake Como outshine the homey interiors in the hotel. Most of the clientele are budget-minded tourists traveling as couples, but there are also family rooms for travelers with kids.

This quiet, romantic location in Carate Urio can be reached by car, bus, or boat. In fact, across the street is the Urio Pier that goes to Como, Bellagio, Tremezzo, and Verenna, among other places. It's a two-minute walk to a grassy waterfront lawn for swimming or sunbathing. The hotel is situated on a lakefront road with six private parking spaces across the street and a nearby bus stop. There’s another restaurant close by, but nothing else in walking distance. It's a five-minute drive to Laglio, where George Clooney owns his home, Villa Oleandra. Villa D'Este is a 10-minute drive. By car it's about one hour to the Milan Malpensa Airport, Milan Linate Airport, or Lugano Airport. The Orio al Serio International Airport is about one hour and 30 minutes by car. 

Hotel Orso Bruno's 10 rooms have tile floors, writing desks, and colored accent walls. Some of the top-floor rooms have skylights and exposed ceiling beams. But overall, these rooms are simple and unfancy. Upgraded rooms offer beautiful lake views from windows or balconies. There’s one Family Room with one double bed and two twin beds. Wardrobes provide storage, though some are little more than a closet rod. Basic, tiled bathrooms have showers, bidets, hairdryers, and standard toiletries. All rooms include free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, safes, and small mounted flat-screen TVs. All rooms are non-smoking.

This family-run hotel has an intimate on-site pizzeria, Il Filo d’Olio, that features lovely light blue chairs, curtains, frescoes, and a terrace that overlooks the lake. On the menu, in addition to pizza cooked in a wood-burning oven, are traditional Italian dishes: parmigiana, risotto, and focaccia. In the morning the owners serve a free breakfast of cereal, yogurt, pastries, fruit, eggs, and more. Guests often enjoy drinks downstairs in the bar that’s not associated with the hotel. Six private parking spaces are available for an additional fee, or there’s free street parking. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel. The owners will arrange bike rentals for guests on request.