Lake Como
Belle-époque villas & mountain air
Lake Como is the most aristocratic hotel landscape in Italy — a glacial lake 50 kilometres north of Milan, enclosed by the Alps, where the villas of the European nobility have stood since the 17th century. The hotels here are not purpose-built; they are the villas themselves, converted with varying degrees of ambition and care. The best — Villa d'Este, Passalacqua, Grand Hotel Tremezzo — are among the most beautiful hotels in the world.
Villa d'Este in Cernòbbio, built in 1568 as a cardinal's summer residence and converted into a hotel in 1873, is the most historically significant hotel on the lake. Its floating swimming pool — a pontoon anchored in the lake — is one of the most photographed hotel amenities in the world. Passalacqua, the 2023 World's Best Hotel, is a 24-room villa in Moltrasio that represents the most intimate and refined expression of the lake's hospitality tradition.
The Grand Hotel Tremezzo, opened in 1910, is the most complete hotel on the lake — a Belle-époque palace with three pools (including a floating pool on the lake), a spa, and a restaurant that is among the finest on the water. Mandarin Oriental Lago di Como, opened in 2018 in a converted 19th-century villa, is the most contemporary address — the most design-forward hotel on the lake and the most complete spa.
Lake Como is best explored by boat. The public ferry service connects all the major towns; private water taxis are available from every hotel. Bellagio, at the point where the lake divides into two branches, is the most beautiful village on the water — a 20-minute boat ride from Tremezzo or Varenna. The lake's fish — lavarello, persico, agone — are the basis of a simple, lake-forward cuisine that is among Italy's most underrated.
Lake Como's roads are extremely narrow and traffic in summer is severe. Arrive by train to Como and take a boat or water taxi to your hotel — it is faster, more scenic, and far less stressful than driving.
Passalacqua books out months in advance — it has only 24 rooms and was named the World's Best Hotel in 2023. Book as far ahead as possible; last-minute availability is essentially non-existent in high season.
Villa d'Este's floating pool is open to day guests for a fee. It is the most extraordinary pool experience in Italy and worth visiting even without a room reservation.
The lake's best light is in the early morning and late afternoon, when the Alps are reflected in the water and the villages glow in the low sun. Plan boat trips for these hours; midday is harsh and the light flat.
May–June and September–October are Lake Como's best months: warm, the lake at its most beautiful, and manageable crowds. July–August is peak season — very hot, extremely crowded, and the most expensive period. November–March is quiet and mild — the hotels are less crowded and the lake has a melancholy beauty that is entirely different from the summer spectacle.
For the most intimate and refined hotel experience on the lake, Passalacqua in Moltrasio — the 2023 World's Best Hotel — is the definitive choice: 24 rooms, extraordinary service, and the most beautiful garden on the lake.
For the most historically significant and complete hotel experience, Villa d'Este in Cernòbbio — a 1568 cardinal's villa with a floating pool — is the most celebrated address on the water.
For the most contemporary and design-forward experience, Mandarin Oriental Lago di Como in Blevio is the most recently renovated hotel on the lake — the best spa and the most modern aesthetic.
For the most complete Belle-époque palace experience, Grand Hotel Tremezzo — opened in 1910, with three pools and a floating pontoon — is the most theatrical and romantic hotel on the lake.
