Luxuriate at Lake Como

By Valentina Valentini

I wrap myself in the plush white robe, step out onto the balcony overlooking Lake Como and the striking Grigna mountain peaks in the near distance, and I feel just like a princess. The Grand Hotel Tremezzo can do that: transform an ordinary day into a luxuriously carefree jaunt fit for a royal.

Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s original proprietors, Mariuccia Gandola and her parents, weren’t royals, but they hosted many notable figures in the early days. They sold the hotel in 1910 to the grandparents of the current woman at the helm, Valentina de Santis. She has ensured that the hotel lives up to its name and legacy with grandeur seamlessly intertwined throughout the Belle Epoque halls.

After my early morning cappuccino on the balcony, I head to the gym, which looks nothing like a gym, instead invoking a modest lake-stone three-story home and blending into the floral and ivytrellised walkways of the property. My semi-private class is held on the third floor with, of course, views of the sparkling lake.

I saunter down the steps to T Spa for my deep muscle massage next. Renovated in 2016 and home to an indoor infinity pool (one of the property’s three aquatic offerings), the multi-floor stone building is quiet and serene, a perfect sanctuary. Even the sauna offers a view of the lake.

By this time, I’m famished, and can’t quite believe my eyes upon entering the Sala Regina dining room. A buffet breakfast spreads across nine tables: meats and cheeses, too many to count, fruits of every variety, yogurts and cereals, a hot buffet with the fluffiest scrambled eggs. It’s a foodie’s heaven on earth.

Italian architect and designer Venelli Kramer. Though it called for rain, luck is with me and the sun is bright and hot. My small group and Captain Giorgio speed our way across the lake to the Villa del Balbianello, a magnificent late-1700s structure built atop a peninsula. If it was good enough for Star Wars and James Bond movie scenes, it’s good enough for me.

Back at the hotel, and in need of relaxing after my lake adventure, Piscina dei Fiori (Flowers Pool) is everything I could dream of in a perfect pool experience. Tucked away among a serene terrace of Riviera palms and banana plants, thanks to the area’s special microclimate, the pool glistens in the back of the hotel. The plush chaises envelope me so that I find it hard to keep my eyes open.

The WOW (Water on Water) floating pool on the lake is quite special too, with filtered lake water and full food and drink service from T Beach, where chefs will prepare any dish in front of guests, giving them their own impromptu northern Italian cooking lesson. But it’s chef Martin Vitaloni who wows me with his smooth pasta moves in a secondary kitchen that overlooks the lake. He gives me a short lesson on making linguine from scratch, and afterward, I enjoy an Aperol spritz on the veranda with a view of the sun setting behind the Grigna as my eventful day draws to a close.