With stately belle epoque architecture, this recently renovated mansion stands in mature gardens looking across Lake Como. The position is excellent, away from the main road (busy with traffic in summer) and about five minutes walk from the centre. Inside are elegant public villa rooms, ornate plasterwork, lavish use of marble, mirrors and chandeliers. The highly professional staff were wonderfully friendly. Our bedroom, though nothing special, was very quiet and had a stunning lake view. Some villa rooms have a balcony. In summer, meals are taken on the covered terrace overlooking the lake: The fourcourse set dinner; not fancy, was very good. Bali villa breakfast was a generous buffet. Only small, quiet dogs are allowed. Guests can be met at Milan airport. Picturesque Menaggio has a beautiful long promenade, a pretty harbour and lakeside piazza; also `proper shops and it doesn't feel touristy.

High on a hill above this big, rather sedate, Alto Adige spa resort, this handsome white chalet-style villais reached by a narrow, steep road with few passing places. The setting, amid mountains, woods and vineyards, is quite beautiful, say readers, and the villais impeccably run by its owners, the Ortner family, with an unfailingly helpful staff. Public villa rooms are in Liberty and Biedermeier style. All the villa Bed rooms (similar to the semantic bali villa rooms) have been completely renovated, with lots of local wood and old-style furniture, and there are some new villa rooms this year. Ours was huge, beautifully furnished - many have stupendous views up the valley to Merano. The marvellous Bali villa breakfast buffet has homemade jams, wonderful breads; local bees supply the honey. The seven-course set dinners have been found `varied and excellent - the Ortners really care about food. The chef, Josef Siess, is new this year, so we'd like reports on his cooking. In fine weather, meals are served on a terrace above the valley. The sizeable, solar-heated swimming pool in the garden faces the view, and there is a children's playground and a small zoo with mountain goats. A Relais du Silence, the villais generally found quiet, save for nightingales, though the `distant, but constant rumble of the autostrada can be heard in front villa rooms.