Lake Como has long been an epicenter of villeggiatura—the centuries-old Italian tradition of decamping from the city for extended stays by the water or countryside—drawing Milanese high society and European nobility for months at a time. More than grand architectural showpieces, the region’s famed lakeside villas were designed to make this seasonal migration feel as effortless (and glamorous) as possible, allowing pleasure-seekers to carry on their soirées and salons, albeit with a side of fresh Alpine air and shimmering lake views.
Today, many of these storied estates have found second lives as Lake Como’s most see-and-be-seen hotels, offering visitors a taste of the villeggiatura high life that was once tantalizingly out of reach. Set amid manicured gardens and along private stretches of shoreline, these five-star retreats trade in a particular brand of old-world recreation: long, unhurried lunches, afternoons on clay tennis courts, invigorating swims in the lake, and quiet contemplation of the green mountains and immaculate gardens that inspired figures including Lord Byron and Giuseppe Verdi.
Vogue’s Guide to the Best Hotels in Lake Como:
- For the hotel everyone’s talking about: Passalacqua
- For fans of modern architecture and design: Il Sereno
- For a hushed hideaway with breathtaking lake views: Villa Làrio
- For a wilder, more windswept version of Lake Como: Casa Olea Hotel
- For the lake’s ultimate grand dame: Villa d Este
At its heart, however, Lake Como is defined by the art of gathering beautifully. It’s no surprise, then, that the region has evolved into one of Europe’s most coveted backdrops for destination weddings, where vows are exchanged in terraced gardens, beneath frescoed ceilings, and by fountain-dotted pavilions. Whether it’s one such celebration or just a luxurious Lombardian holiday that brings you to the area, your trip is sure to be a memorable one.
Below, the 10 best places to stay on Lake Como.
Passalacqua
This 18th-century villa-turned-lakefront retreat caused serious ripples in the hospitality arena when it opened in 2022, racking up nearly every award imaginable (including best hotel in the world). Owner Valentina De Santis and her family spent three years painstakingly restoring the mansion, which spans three buildings, pouring more than $22 million into its refurbishment. Now, with just 24 rooms set across five acres of private land, Passalacqua gives travelers the rare feeling of having a slice of the lake to themselves—which is saying something, considering that former guests have included composer Vincenzo Bellini, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Winston Churchill. (Passalacqua is also reportedly one of the few places on the lake where George and Amal send their houseguests for meals.)
Interiors brim with rare antiques and objets sourced by the De Santis family on trips across Italy; they also commissioned Murano glassmakers Barovier Toso to create spectacular handblown chandeliers and enlisted Milanese designer J.J. Martin of La Double J to dress the gardens and pool area in maximalist textiles and bright furnishings. The result is a visual feast: Grand in spirit yet intimate in scale, like staying in an opulent family home.
Address: Via Besana, 59, 22010 Moltrasio CO, Italy
Amenities: Restaurant, bar, spa, gym, tennis and bocce court, swimming pools.
Bonus Tip: The recently unveiled spa takes residence inside the hotel’s underground tunnels (created by Count Lucini Passalacqua in the 18th century) as well as in an ancient greenhouse. Guests can indulge in a Seed to Skin Tuscany massage beneath vaulted grottos or opt for an al fresco treatment overlooking the lake, followed by a restorative soak in the 18-meter indoor pool.
Il Sereno
You can imagine the bureaucratic hoops Venezuelan-born hotelier Luis Contreras and Milan-based architect Patricia Urquiola had to jump through to secure permission to build a Rationalist glass-and-wood structure on the site of a crumbling villa—an ambitious feat that required building over the water and carving into the solid rock of a cliff face. The collaboration set a new benchmark for luxury on Lake Como; the 40-suite hotel combines Italian modernist furniture (Flos lamps, B&B Italia chairs), floor-to-ceiling windows, and a rich palette of natural materials to create a seamless dialogue with the spectacular setting. All rooms feature private balconies with lake views; book the penthouse for expansive wraparound terraces and shoppable furnishings you’ll definitely want to take home.
A petite sandy beach provides direct access to the water, while a sleek heated infinity pool sits beside the sanctuary-like spa, which offers anti-aging treatments by Swiss brand Valmont. A highlight is chef Raffaele Lenzi’s Michelin-starred Il Sereno Al Lago, where vegetable-forward tasting menus spotlight local produce with subtle Asian influences (think savoy cabbage tempura with marinated char and cod dashi). Make the evening extra special by beginning with a wine tasting in the hotel’s extensive cellars, sampling white wine made with the local Verdese grape or the alpine reds of Valtellina.
Address: Via Torrazza, 10, 22020 Torno CO, Italy
Amenities: Restaurants, bars, pool, spa, gym.
Bonus Tip: Just a five-minute drive from Il Sereno, its sister property Villa Pliniana Lago di Como is a 16th-century lakefront palazzo with just 17 rooms set within 18 acres of private gardens—a favorite for couples looking to tie the knot in privacy and style. Exchange vows in a fountain-clad outdoor pavilion or beneath the gold-painted ceilings of its grand ballroom.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo
Opened in 1910 for the elite of Belle Époque society, Passalacqua’s older sister is no less grand—or sophisticated—and you’d be hard-pressed to find a hotel with a more show-stopping pool (actually, the property has three, but we’re referring to the famed heated floating pool over the lake). We’d argue it also boasts the lake’s most Edenic gardens, which once belonged to neighboring Villa Carlotta and are filled with palm and banana trees, olive groves, and fragrant rhododendron and rose bushes. The 77 rooms and suites are every bit as resplendent, pairing Louis XV–style furnishings with eye-watering views (of the gardens or the lake—your choice) and marble bathrooms. If money is no object, splurge on the Greta Suite—a tribute to former guest Greta Garbo, who referred to the hotel as “that sunny, happy place” in the 1932 film “Grand Hotel”—where a high-ceilinged living-dining room opens onto a vast, sun-splashed terrace with sweeping views of the lake, the Grigne Mountains, and the picturesque town of Bellagio.
Five dining venues range from a seafood-centric lakeside restaurant to a lively poolside pizzeria and the standout La Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi, helmed by celebrated chef Gualtiero Marchesi, the founder of modern Italian cuisine. Done up in glittering floor mosaics and luminous frescoes, the spa is a lakeside sanctuary with a heated infinity pool, sauna and steam room, a marble-clad hammam, and treatments featuring Santa Maria Novella skincare products created exclusively for the hotel using botanicals from the lake.
Address: Via Statale, 5401, 22016 Tremezzina CO, Italy
Amenities: Restaurants, bars, spa, swimming pools, tennis court.
Bonus Tip: For utmost privacy and seclusion, do like Taylor Swift and book Villa Sola Cabiati, a six-suite villa run by the hotel and located just a five-minute drive from the property, where there’s round-the-clock butler service, a private chef, and six suites done up in glittering chandeliers and original furnishings. Or check into the De Santis family’s newly debuted CASABIANCA villa, in the city of Como, whose 1930s-era walls are covered in around 50 artworks from the family’s private collection.
Villa Làrio
The Lake Como lifestyle has always been about retreating to a place of hushed quiet and rarefied beauty—and for that kind of serene escape, you’d be hard-pressed to do better than Villa Làrio, an all-suite hideaway tucked into the lesser-known village of Pognana Lario, where the lake tapers to one of its most narrow stretches. Architect and interior designer Pietro Castagna, a Como native, reimagined the property’s three villas and 19th-century palazzo with a sensitive touch, preserving original moldings while introducing sculptural, contemporary furnishings, clean lines, and expansive windows designed to capitalize on both the lake views and the abundant natural light. Unlike many of the region’s so-called “lakefront” hotels—which are often set back from the water’s edge or separated by a small road—it offers guests a true front-row seat to the lake, particularly in the Il Palazzo building. The property’s vertical layout makes it easy to find a quiet corner to curl up in with a book and contemplate the scenery; to convene with other guests, join a morning yoga classes, take a refreshing dip in the pool (where staff are known to hand out ghiaccioli, or Italian popsicles, in summer), or gather for aperitivo hour in the panoramic lounge bar, where botanical cocktails are paired with shareable bites like sea bass tartare or toasted brioche with anchovies. To explore further or sneak in a midnight swim, wander down to the hotel’s private jetty.
Address: Via Giacomo Matteotti 25, 22020 Pognana Lario CO, Italy
Amenities: Restaurant, bar, pool, gym, in-room spa treatments.
Bonus Tip: Local chef Davide Maci— whose résumé includes stints at London’s Sketch and the Trianon Palace in Versailles—is the talent behind the contemporary Italian fare at Villa Bianca, where the menu spotlights pristine seafood and seasonal produce (think green and yellow zucchini with avocado and pink grapefruit, or tagliolini with grilled friggitelli and baby squid). He can also whip up picnic baskets to-go for lakeside excursions.
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni
If you’re set on staying in the heart of storybook-like Bellagio, there’s only one truly luxe option: this 150-year-old lakeside villa-turned-Relais Châteaux hotel, which has been in the hands of Switzerland’s Bucher family for more than a century. Over the course of its illustrious history, the 94-room property has hosted a roster of notable figures, from Franz Liszt (whose piano still resides in the hotel) and Mary Shelley to Sophia Loren, Winston Churchill, and John F. Kennedy. Today, it’s a magnet for honeymooners and art- and food-loving travelers drawn to its elegant interiors (picture: classical sculptures, Murano chandeliers, neoclassical frescoes, and handwoven rugs) and its pair of destination-worthy restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Mistral and the poolside La Goletta, both helmed by Italian molecular chef Ettore Bocchia. And don’t skip breakfast: local delicacies and freshly baked ciambella (a ring-shaped cake) are served beneath gilded columns and twinkling chandeliers in the grand Salone Reale, the property’s former ballroom.
Address: Via Teresio Olivelli, 1, 22021 Bellagio CO, Italy
Amenities: Restaurants, bar, tennis courts, pools, spa, gym.
Bonus Tip: Once you’ve explored Bellagio’s boutiques and winding streets, retreat to the hotel to lounge at the lakefront beach club, complete with a private stretch of golden sand and a waterside pool shaded by retro parasols. Or opt for a treatment (lake mud ritual, anyone?) in the 16,000-square-foot spa.
Villa d Este
One of the most mythical hotels on Lake Como, the 150-year-old Villa d’Este is inseparable from the destination’s rise as a playground for the rich and famous. Alfred Hitchcock made his first film on the estate, while Elizabeth Taylor often retreated to one of its palatial suites to escape the bright lights of Hollywood. More recently, Lady Gaga decamped to the lakefront Villa Cima for a month while filming “House of Gucci,” and Chanel staged its 2026 resort collection on the hotel’s waterside terrace. The secret behind its enduring allure? Beyond its classical interiors, white-glove service, and status as a world heritage site, the megamansion is flanked by 25 acres of gardens planted with centuries-old cypress, magnolia, and chestnut trees, along with cliffside chapels and trickling fountains. It’s the kind of timeless place loyal guests return to season after season, settling into its 152 Renaissance-style rooms and private villas dressed in Loro Piana fabrics, stretching out beside its outdoor floating pool (the lake’s first!), and exercising al fresco on the 18-hole golf course or clay tennis courts.
Address: Via Regina, 40, 22012 Cernobbio CO, Italy
Amenities: Restaurants, bars, swimming pools, tennis courts, spa, gym, golf course.
Bonus Tip: Getting around Lake Como isn’t always easy in the busy summer season, but Villa d’Este makes it frictionless with a menu of luxe transportation options and excursions—think helicopter tours over the mountains, boat outings in a fleet of glamorous vessels (from vintage vaporinas to Tullio Abbate yachts and sleek electric speedboats), and e-bike rides through the Swiss vineyards of Canton Ticino.
Palazzo Albricci Peregrini
Prefer a more personalized, homestay-style Lake Como hotel? Consider the family-run Palazzo Albricci Peregrini, set in the historic heart of Como town. Owners Lidia and Max Galli live in the palazzo themselves and have thoughtfully transformed part of their 15th-century home into a modern boutique hotel. In lieu of lake views or a swimming pool are ten individually designed rooms—some featuring original oak ceiling beams, Venetian marble terrazzo floors, and balconies overlooking Italian and English gardens—spread across the piano nobile floor and the former stables. Breakfast is legendary, with homemade breads, cakes, jams, and yogurts, alongside cold cuts and cheeses sourced from award-winning local producers. While there’s no restaurant on site, the Gallis can arrange on-site cooking classes or private courtyard dinners and are always happy to secure reservations at their favorite local restaurants.
Address: Via Giuseppe Rovelli, 28 - 22100 Como, Italy
Amenities: Gym, spa treatment rooms.
Bonus Tip: One of the few properties open year-round, the hotel is also within walking distance of the city’s two railway stations—Como Nord and San Giovanni—both with direct trains to Milan, making it an ideal, car-free escape in any season.
Hotel Belvedere
Tucked high above Bellagio’s lush hills, amid terraced gardens and sweeping views of the glistening lake and surrounding peaks, this charming boutique hotel is easily one of Lake Como’s best-kept secrets. In fact, many loyal guests have been coming for periods of 30 years or more. Owner Giulia—the fifth generation of the Martinelli-Manoni family, who have lived on the property since 1880—is a warm, convivial host who encourages guests to treat the 40-room retreat like a family home. That might look like ordering French fries or ice cream any time of the day, or stretching out on a blanket for a private picnic among the trees. Accommodations range from cozy 230-square-foot rooms to bi-level suites and spacious three-bedroom apartments with living rooms and fully equipped kitchenettes—ideal for families, groups, or longer stays. The silk boutiques and harborfront arcades of Bellagio are just a 10-minute walk away; however, we recommend leaving enough time to take in the high-up views from the hotel’s heated outdoor pool, or unwinding with a massage, sauna, or ice bath in the excellent spa.
Address: V. Valassina, 31, 22021 Bellagio CO, Italy
Amenities: Restaurant, bar, spa, pool, gym.
Bonus Tip: Wine tastings, lakeside kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and guided treks of the ancient Sentiero del Viandante route are among the experiences on offer.
Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como
Like many of Lake Como’s five-star hotels, Mandarin Oriental occupies a villa steeped in history; in this case, Villa Roccabruna, once home to Italian soprano Giuditta Pasta, who legend has it would serenade composer Vincenzo Bellini from across the lake. While the Hong Kong–based group expanded the historic estate—the 75 guestrooms, suites, and villas are now spread across nine buildings set within a botanical park—the sense of Old World grandeur remains. Opulent common areas are dressed in handmade wallpaper, Venetian glass chandeliers, and neoclassical marble columns, all punctuated by breathtaking floral arrangements. The rooms skew more pared-back and contemporary, allowing the setting to take center stage; even entry-level rooms feature balconies and lake views.
Among the hotel’s most buzzed-about features is the floating pool by Herzog de Meuron, engineered to gently bob with the lake’s waves and mirror the water’s shifting hues. The property also boasts the area’s largest spa, with multiple saunas, a vast steam room, ice showers, a hydrotherapy pool, a zen garden, and treatments using 111Skin, Team Dr Joseph, and the cutting-edge Swiss Perfection line. Of the three restaurants, the centerpiece is L˜ARIA, where chef Massimiliano Blasone blends Italian and Japanese influences in a striking space with floor-to-ceiling windows and a breezy terrace overlooking the lake.
Address: Via E. Caronti, 69, 22020 Blevio CO, Italy
Amenities: Restaurants, bars, gym, spa, pools.
Bonus Tip: Those looking to tie the knot have their pick of dreamy on-site venues, including a glass-enclosed greenhouse with lake views, a classical amphitheater, and Villa del Lago. The latter is a neoclassical villa with floor-to-ceiling windows, occupancy for up to 180 guests, and a private dock on the lake.
Casa Olea Hotel
There’s more to Lake Como than aristocratic villas and flashy Riva and vaporina boats. In the lake’s wild, mountainous, and more windswept northern reaches, the mood is quieter and more lived-in, with family-run trattorias, terraced stone houses, and hikers tracing alpine paths and bike trails. It’s here, along the waterfront of the hamlet of San Vito di Cremia, that this 18th-century vicarage–turned–boutique hotel is situated, offering travelers a different window onto lake life.
Built atop a Neolithic necropolis (circa 2000 B.C.) and the remains of a Roman villa, the traditional stone property has just 13 rooms, outfitted with spare, monastic-chic furnishings and views over the garden, pool, and lake. Keep an eye on the water for kite surfers, who travel from across Europe to take advantage of the steady winds. Mornings begin with a generous breakfast spread featuring eggs, meats, juices, and yogurt sourced from local farms, alongside excellent cakes, breads, and pancakes. In the cooler off-season, guests gather in the Salus Per Aquam spa to enjoy the sauna, ice cascade, sensory showers, and a hydromassage pool.
Address: Località San Vito, traversa Antica Canonica, 22010 Cremia CO, Italy
Amenities: Swimming pool, spa.
Bonus Tip: While the hotel feels totally removed from the usual Lake Como circuit, its location (a 10-minute drive from Mennaggio) allows guests to easily catch public boats to Bellagio, Varenna, Lenno, and Tremezzo.