Lake Como is a star in its own right.
Having hosted celebrities for decades, this northern Italian resort town is a favourite for the rich and famous. But Lake Como, with its stately stays and acclaimed dining combined with historyfilled streets and traditional home cooking, is a star in its own right, writes Phoebe Wood.
Bellagio, one of Lake Como’s villages, is renowned for luxury lakeside villas.
Harking back to the cinematic glamour and romance of the Belle Epoque era, the historic Grand Hotel Tremezzo looms majestically at the water’s edge of Italy’s most famous lake, the glistening Lake Como, in Italy’s northern Lombardy region.
The hotel’s stylish aesthetic, Art Nouveau with bold colourful accents, is the work of third-generation owner Valentina De Santis. Colour-driven spaces are carefully curated with a selection of antique pieces, period furniture and statement fabrics and textiles. The bold ‘Tremezzo orange’ is a colour motif throughout the hotel, from bespoke plates, to velvet-covered chairs. Small private balconies open to vistas of the glacial lake and the breathtaking Grigne alps. Luxurious offerings make a stay at this hotel a sought-after experience, like the hotel’s T Spa, housed in the 18th-century Villa Emilia, complete with an upscale sauna, a Turkish hammam, and an ice bath for the brave, while treatments using products from Florentine brand Santa Maria Novella are the ultimate indulgence. Unwind by the lakeside floating pool, where a Campari spritz is in order, or lose yourself in the lake view from the heated indoor infinity pool.
The Tremezzo food experiences are clever, showcasing how multi-faceted Italian food can be, from grazing boards layered with the best local cheese and charcuterie, and generous bowls of pasta at the in-house trattoria to a fine-dining experience that can’t be missed. At the T Bar terrace, you can enjoy a casual lunch menu and at night live music and aperitivo, before heading to one of the hotel’s evening restaurants. L’Escale Trattoria & Wine Bar is the perfect introduction to classic Italian fare executed with flair and sophistication. Try speciality charcuterie like violino di capra (goat prosciutto), and a selection of stunning alpine cheeses from Valtellina. Indulge in house-made pastas like stuffed cheese tortellini and more classic, humble trattoria-fare like chicken cacciatore. The restaurant also runs cooking classes for hotel guests, where tricks of the trade are shared to achieve a rich golden-hued egg pasta dough to make tagliatelle, as well as a crisp veal cotoletta Milanese, a traditional dish of Lombardy, and the silky zabaglione (the secret is in the heavy use of Marsala!)
The hotel’s fine diner, La Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi, is the signature dining offering of the hotel. Considered the maestro of modern Italian cuisine chef Gualtiero Marchesi passed away in 2018 but his legacy lives on at the hotel – it’s the only place in the world you can experience his menu, like a decadent iteration of the saffron-spiked risotto Milanese. At Marchesi, the creamy dish is made with acquerello rice, an aged carnaroli variety, flavoured with the locally grown saffron of Lombardy. A delicate wafer of 24-carat edible gold crowns the risotto to assert its status as the most extravagant risotto in the world. Guests are also able to try wines from some of the oldest vineyards in Italy, like a chardonnay from the 26th-generation-owned Bramito della Sala in Umbria. Savour drops of history as you sip.
For those seeking the ultimate Italian getaway, Villa
Sola Cabiati is also owned by the hotelier family.
At the private villa, you can experience all of the luxuries of the Grand Hotel
Tremezzo, with the addition of a 24/7
“LUXURIOUS OFFERINGS MAKE A STAY AT THE GRAND HOTEL TREMEZZO A SOUGHT-AFTER EXPERIENCE.”