The Lake Como hotel everyone is talking about these days is Il Sereno. With a Michelin-starred restaurant and all-encompassing lake views, it’s no wonder this lakeside gem is so hot. Take a peek inside this glamorous, yet understated, Lake Como hotel and start packing.
It’s hard to think of a destination with more at stake than Lake Como. Famous for extravagant villas, breathtaking views, Neoclassical hotels, decadent food, and the Clooneys, of course. Lake Como has a lot to live up to. Choosing a Lake Como Hotel, however, is a no-brainer.
Where is Lake Como?
Lake Como is about an hour from Milan airport, but in many ways, a world apart from the busy city. It’s a wonder there aren’t more accidents on the narrow, winding roads that curve serpentine around the lake. We aren’t the only ones with mouths agape, trying desperately to catch a view as we peel around corners. It’s like we are in fear that the lake may vanish if we didn’t see it at that very moment.
Boats dot the water, looking computer-generated and perfectly placed Truman Show-style. Sailboats mix in with wooden Rivas, Vaporetto water taxis, and other flashy speedboats. One especially unique sight is of two nearly naked Italian men in a narrow canoe, most certainly intoxicated, rowing their hearts out to American jazz. The lake offers all kinds of entertainment!
When it comes to Lake Como Hotels: Research pays off
After a fair amount of hotel research, we opt to go against the Renaissance and Neoclassical grain. We choose a new, mid-century modern Lake Como hotel. Il Sereno sits quietly on the edge of the lake, in one of the prettiest spots on the eastern bank.
It’s a stark contrast to the lakes’ expected architecture. A contrast that calls for a moment’s pause, as it somehow naturally feels like it belongs in that very spot. A wondrous feat by acclaimed Milan-based designer, Patricia Urquiola/ She created it in tandem with botanist Patrick Blanc in 2016. I read that she didn’t want to produce a ‘fake, old’ hotel. Instead, she was inspired to be modern in a sea of tradition.
The gardens are wild, yet elegant, with an ever-so-slightly haphazard feeling. But, make no mistake—each plant, flower, and tree has been purposefully and thoughtfully placed by Mr. Blanc to achieve this laissez-faire effect. One of the best moments of each day is the short walk to the hotel’s entrance. Vivid flowers line the entryway and spill out onto the path.
Lake Como’s Lake Drama
Part of what makes Lake Como so dramatic is how it looks magically dropped between the tall mountains like a puddle. No beaches, just the idyllic villages that cluster at the base of the mountains and on the edge of the water, usually with a church tower in sight.
Villas of all sizes creep up the steep hills, which makes Lake Como feel hidden away from the rest of the world. The ubiquitous Italian terra cotta and slightly sloped rooftops lump together. They form a soothing warm palette against the green mountains and the brilliant blue lake.
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Lake Como’s Glitzy Side
Lake Como, the third largest lake in Italy, is famously shaped like an upside-down ‘Y’, with the glitzy town of Bellagio at the crux of the three branches. We take a water taxi one morning from Il Sereno to the bustling village. It’s clear early on that Bellagio is destined to be a tourist trap, and we settle into a café for a cappuccino to discuss our next move.
Bellagio is pretty in a fairytale kind of way. It’s home to many Lake Como hotels along its steep, narrow lanes and cobbled streets. But, it’s heaving with uninspired and uninspiring boutiques, souvenir shops, and tourists. We think ahead to what lies beyond Bellagio.
The Other Bellagio
Google Maps pinpoints we are a 20-minute walk from the ‘other’ Bellagio. Quiet, unassuming homes, cobbled streets, and only one restaurant—a world away from the masses. We finish our espressos and take a scenic walk through Villa Melzi d’Eril Gardens en route to find the other Bellagio.
The villa and gardens of Villa Melzi d’Eril date back to the 1800s. While the villa itself is not open to visitors, the stroll through the gardens is a highlight of our trip. We pass Japanese maples and koi ponds with large flowering lily pads. Enormous trees, oversized rhododendron, and clusters of mature hot pink azalea bushes line the paths. Some trees are so old and knotted they hang precariously over the lake like frail, flowered limbs.
Ancient cedar trees and various Egyptian and Roman sculptures complement the botanical scene. Twenty minutes later we find ourselves in a little village where time seems to have completely stopped.
Finding Silvio in Lake Como
There are no shops or boutiques in this other Bellagio, just quiet, peaceful, steep lanes. We meander towards Silvio’s. We arrive at noon, early by Italian standards, and the kitchen isn’t open. Ordering a bottle of white wine seemed the Italian thing to do. So we do it and settle into the afternoon. It’s the antithesis of our early morning start in Bellagio, which is already a distant glitzy memory.
Silvio’s is a genuine European throwback. Built in 1919, this Lake Como hotel has only 21 rooms and is simple and lovely in a timeless way. The vine-covered garden patio where we have lunch slowly begins to fill up, and a muted buzz sets in. Fresh fish, local homemade pasta, and delicious olive oil for the warm bread have us taking our time. Soon enough two hours have passed.
The Lake Como Hotel with 360 views
Our room at Il Sereno is a corner suite that boasts a long outdoor terrace and unobstructed lake views through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. This Lake Como hotel is a mix of contemporary and functional design and uses a combination of natural materials. Ms. Urquiola is adventurous in her scope. Leather, fabric, stone, wood, and metal, all feel as if they are meant to be combined.
The exterior lines of the hotel itself are a lesson in geometry—a Bauhaus lover’s dream. Offset by the lush gardens, Il Sereno, while über-modern in architecture, looks inviting and warm, rather than severe and angular.
Despite the fabulous materials, architecture, and gardens—natural light is the ultimate design component in this Lake Como hotel. And it comes at no cost. When light is used the way it is at Il Sereno, every room and detail naturally reaps the benefits.
Lake Life and Pool Life at Il Sereno
The large, rectangular pool at Il Sereno looks as if it is hovering above the lake itself. At 60 feet long and dotted with well-placed loungers and teepee-like canopies, it’s a perfect spot to waste time. The dedicated pool staff is on hand with wine, water, towels, and just about anything else we need. Clouds roll past and create different patterns on the lake’s surface. I find it impossible to concentrate on my book. Eventually, I give up altogether and succumb to the views.
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The Lake Como Hotel with a Michelin Star
One of the main draws of Il Sereno is its restaurant, Berton Al Lago. Milan-based restauranteur/Michelin-starred chef, Andrea Berton, and Executive Chef Raffaele Lenzi team up to create a chic vibe in a grotto-like Venetian stone setting.
The original stone archways are over 100 years old and create an intimate dining experience. They artfully frame the awe-inspiring mountains. Each time I walk past an archway, a new and slightly different view appears.
The food is modern Italian, using ingredients sourced from Il Sereno’s own gardens. The wall-to-ceiling glass wine cellar, with its sleek, modern fixtures, is a dramatic focal point. The wine list is equally dazzling. We choose the tasting menu and put ourselves in the chef’s hands.
It’s one of those moments when Lake Como decidedly lives up to its amplified reputation. The service may have been a touch slow, but we soon realize that is just the Italian way. Slow and relaxed, leisurely and calm. Maybe we have something to learn from Italian life?
Food for Thought in Lake Como
Having only three dinners in Lake Como, we give some thought to satiating our inner foodies. My husband had seen an Instagram post for Ristorante Crotto dei Platani, and we spontaneously booked it based on the idyllic lake setting.
The veranda at Crotto dei Platani floats above the lake, with snow-capped Italian Alps in the distance. It’s a bucolic scene worthy of its many insta-likes. But truth be told, the food is conventional, and we felt that the restaurant relies on its epic views at the sacrifice of the food.
The next night we drive inland for a Northern Italian meal. We sacrifice the lake view for an intimate, hilltop village restaurant in Cernobbio. In the early 1900s, Trattoria del Glicine was a rest stop and community center for passing villagers. Now, it’s a beautiful family-run trattoria.
Its outdoor veranda is on a quiet street and ancient wisteria hangs en masse overhead. Our waiter jokes that he isn’t sure ‘if the canopy is holding up the wisteria, or the other way around’. Either way, it’s a tranquil and serene dining experience. Diners hoping to walk in for a coveted table are sadly turned away. I try not to look smug.
The food is local, fresh, and authentic—exactly what we are hoping for. It’s worth passing on the lake for this tucked-away spot in the middle of nowhere.
Great Expectations in Lake Como
As we prepare to leave this idyllic Lake Como hotel, I’m reminded of a moment just a few days earlier when we first drove into the town of Como.
That Sunday morning the crowds were minimal, the shops closed, and from the medieval side streets, we heard only the occasional clanking from kitchens preparing for lunch. I didn’t know what to expect then. I didn’t know if Lake Como was just an overhyped tourist destination that couldn’t live up to expectations.
Sometimes, it’s nice not knowing what to expect.
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