Il Sereno Lake Como

When it launched a few years ago in Torno, Il Sereno, Lago di Como caused a sensation.

It was the first hotel in the area of Lake Como to be designed by a world-renowned architect—and Patricia Urquiola, the Spanish starchitect and a longtime resident of Milan, did a fabulous job.

The hotel blends into its surroundings thanks to the “light” building, with its many windows awash with sunlight reflected by the lake.

The garden, with around 183 varieties of plants, creates a gorgeous floral landscape that syncs up with the environment.

Even the Brazilian quartzite heated infinity pool and the ashwood deck become one with the lake in a continuous line: harmony.

From inside the hotel, you can often glimpse the waters of the Lario, the other name by which Lake Como is known, an iconic part of Italian culture and the backdrop of Alessandro Manzoni’s 19th-century novel The Betrothed, where star-crossed lovers Renzo and Lucia manage to finally reunite and get married.

Il Sereno’s lobby is elegant, soft, and welcoming, filled with the best of Italian design–furniture by Cassina, Moroso, and B&B Italia—as are the 40 rooms, all with a view, and the exquisite vertical garden by Patrick Blanc.

The delicious and simple (albeit Michelin-starred) food is courtesy of Raffaele Lenzi and features local freshwater fish and vegetables, served alongside sensational cocktails (even the alcohol-free ones).

As if so much contemporary beauty were not enough, there’s still the wooden motorboat, a beautiful Riva, ready to take you around the lake or to Villa Pliniana, a 16th-century palace with another 17 bedrooms—a perfect setting for listening to the music of the villa’s beautiful grand piano while gazing upon the waters of Lago di Como.

Best Hotels in Lake Como – Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

The Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni sits elegantly on the Bellagio waterfront, immersed within its own leafy grounds in the heart of what is one of Lake Como’s dreamiest villages.

Dating to 1873, the honey-hued villa has been owned by the Bucher family since 1918, with the fourth generation running the property today.

A welcoming family feel pervades, thanks also to a loyal close-knit team of staff, many of whom have been working here for years.

The opulent period interiors are dressed in lavish fabrics and no shortage of marble, with Murano chandeliers and grand works of art hanging above a sweeping bifurcated staircase that leads up to the rooms.

Come morning, push open the shutters of your suite, and you’ll have to pinch yourself as you take in picture-perfect lake views, Riva boats zipping past, leaving white trails in their wake.

The property’s manicured grounds hug the lakefront, with secluded paths shaded by palm trees flanked by exuberant displays of blossoming camellias and bougainvillaea.

It’s all too easy to while away your afternoons by the swimming pool, heading over to the tennis court for a game or two when the sun begins to set (therapists are on hand to soothe aching muscles at the spa).

There’s also an indoor swimming pool, kids pool, children’s playground, and a pavilion housing a fitness center, pilates room, and squash court.

Grand Hotel Victoria Lake como

Built in 1890, the Grand Hotel Victoria recently re-opened its doors with a contemporary new look following extensive renovations.

Original Liberty-style features, including a lovely marble staircase, interplay with contemporary taupe and cream fittings that firmly place the hotel in the 21st century.

Soothing tones prevail in the light-flooded rooms, with nut browns and soft blues echoing the colors of the lake.

The location on the front means you’re a 10-minute stroll from Menaggio’s ferry terminal, making it all too easy to nip out and take in the sights before retreating to the hotel for a little R&R.

The highlight is the outstanding spa, which comes with a heated indoor swimming pool, glass-fronted saunas and steam rooms, salt rooms, relaxation rooms, a hot tub, and a Kneipp path.

If sunning yourself by the pool is more your thing, there’s an open-air swimming pool in the leafy courtyard garden surrounded by comfy lounge beds; or make for Victoria Beach, the hotel’s sleek Beach Club with two swimming pools, a kids pool, and lots of opportunity for lounging—all while soaking up glorious lake vistas to the upbeat sounds of live music.

Best Hotels in Lake Como – Passalacqua

From a pale-amber estate, seven acres of olive groves, roses, mimosa, jasmine, and magnolia descend to the glittering waters of Lake Como, wafting their fragrance into the sleepy air.

A perfectly confected 24-suite hotel born of a 1787 neoclassical villa, Passalacqua is the second Como hotel for the De Santis family, after their beloved Grand Hotel Tremezzo.

The suites in the villa have baroque details like original frescoes and ceiling carvings, along with Como silks, etched Barbini mirrored cabinets, and Bordoni leather ottoman tables.

The Palazz contains a small spa stocked with Dr. Barbara Sturm products, with hand-painted wallpaper that replicates that of Portaluppi Herbarium in Milan’s Atellani House.

Guests congregate on the colorful swimming terrace for unfussy Lombardy lunches.

There, the sage green 200-year-old greenhouse and jaunty La DoubleJ–designed floral parasols offer a cheeky riposte to the formal villa interiors.

Passalacqua deliciously recaptures the lost art of villeggiatura, or taking to a country villa and revelling in la dolce far niente—sweet idleness.

Mandarin Oriental Lake Como

Once the lakefront estate of Italian opera singer Giuditta Pasta, Mandarin Oriental took over this 75-room grand dame in 2018.

Milan-based designer Eric Egan made over heavy interiors (also behind the Belmond Hotel Caruso revamp), sharpening the meticulous gardens and floating swimming pool.

Mandarin Oriental added a lounge for afternoon tea and a spa in the basement, bringing in Italian chef Massimiliano Blasone to oversee the resort’s restaurants and bars.

This was the Mandarin Oriental’s first European resort and a rare new arrival on the lake—yet it slotted into the scene seamlessly.

Most of the rooms have at least partial views of the lake, and balconies.

With muted tones, luxurious textiles, and custom wood furniture, the effect is cocooning, although not particularly Italian, which isn’t entirely surprising considering the brand.

Best Hotels in Lake Como – Grand Hotel Tremezzo Lake Como

In an increasingly rapacious Italian hotel scene, some iconic family-owned properties retain that made-in-Italy, one-of-a-kind elixir that the bigger players can only dream of.

The decadent Grand Hotel Tremezzo is decidedly one of these: It has been in family hands since opening in 1910 and comes with Grand Tour charm in spades.

Sitting a little back from Lake Como, looking out onto Bellagio, the Liberty-style building conjures a Grand Budapest Hotel set, an impression that grows when you enter the formal lobby with its sweeping red-carpet staircase, antique gilt-framed mirrors, and marble-encased bathrooms.

The hotel still manages to feel intimate thanks to its smaller cozy spaces: a cocooning spa with a heated swim-in, swim-out pool and Santa Maria Novella products; an outdoor pool surrounded by a forest of trees and blooming flowers; and tucked-away bars and corner banquettes in the restaurant (be sure to try the gold-leaf risotto).

The hotel effortlessly pulls multiple punches, with a covetable shop stocking brands like Bric’s Milano, Borsalino, and Chez Dede, and a beautiful vintage wooden boat for lake excursions and to avoid road traffic.

But the true pièce de résistance is the floating pool sitting on the lake—cinematic grandeur incarnate with a Lido-like beachfront, bright orange and white umbrellas, and chic custom loungers.

Villa d’Este

Preposterously and hilariously grand, this is where Elizabeth Taylor came to hide out at the start of her affair with Richard Burton.

As the great director Mike Nichols later recalled, so long as she wore a large-ish hat, nobody gave her a second glance.

Built in 1568 as a summer residence for a wealthy cardinal with a passion for art, the hotel has an immense 17th-century shelled grotto, decorative gardens lapped by water so clear you can see pebbles fall to the distant bottom, and chefs in high white hats inspecting the engraved glass on bridal tables.

In the morning, breakfast of Sicilian cannolis and iced espresso is taken as the sun starts its journey across the lake, settling on a flower-plumed promontory beyond.

Boats cut through the water, leaving a fizzing trail behind.

Everybody sits and watches—wondering where reality leaves off and dreaming begins.