It’s hard to put into words the perfection that was Lake Como. I have fantasized about visiting it for the past fifteen years, as evident by this blog post here. When we started discussing honeymoon destinations we ended up picking Europe solely to see Lake Como, and chose to stay at the historic Grand Hotel Tremezzo. I was a little nervous that my expectations were set impossibly high, however I’m pleased to say that our experience at Lake Como and the Grand Hotel Tremezzo was better than I could have even dreamt.
The drive to the hotel is incredibly dramatic. After going through what seems like the world’s longest tunnel, you pop out into Como town and from there it’s about a 40 minute drive on the edge of the lake to the town of Tremezzo. When we weren’t passing picture-perfect towns and magnificent villas, we were gawking at the unbelievably blue lake surrounded by mountains. We arrived to the hotel, and quite honestly, the photos don’t do it justice. The hotel is decorated in a baroque style is truly opulent – it felt more like staying in a palace than a hotel. Everywhere you turn offers unobstructed views of the lake and the famous town of Bellagio in the distance. But probably the most amazing part of the hotel – the pool that floats effortlessly on Lake Como.
We were greeted by the concierge and were told that to celebrate our honeymoon they had upgraded us to a historic suite. We were both excited, but honestly neither of us had any idea what we were in for. We were given a stunning four room suite with two private balconies overlooking the lake. Inside our room was a bottle of prosecco, chocolate covered strawberries, homemade candies and chocolates, and at least ten miniature pastries. That paired with several handwritten notes through the trip plus butler service, and you can say we were definitely feeling in the honeymoon spirit!
My favorite thing to do at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo was simply lay by the pool and soak in the beautiful views – it was truly so breathtaking that I found myself not even wanting to read (or blink!) as I didn’t want to miss one second of it. After hearing that T Spa had been awarded by 2016 Virtuoso Best of the Best Award we knew we had to visit, and we were not disappointed. The spa is located in a meticulously restored villa, and from the infinity pool with stunning panoramic views of Lake Como to the steam room, hammam, ice baths, aromatherapy showers, and saunas, every single inch of the space was absolutely beautiful and designed to encourage the utmost relaxation. Definitely a must-do if you’re ever in Lake Como!
I loved eating at the hotel’s beach where they would grill fresh fish al fresco, and sipping champagne by the lake. We also enjoyed the hotel’s other two beautiful pools, one infinity pool near the spa with unbelievably beautiful views, and another nestled in the beautiful garden. Meals were amazing – we enjoyed fondue by the lake one night, pizzas made to order in their outdoor pizza ovens, and a wonderful last meal at the hotel’s fine dining restaurant overlooking the lake and the glittering town of Bellagio in the distance.
We spent an afternoon exploring Bellagio and Villa Melzi’s famous gardens, and enjoyed a beautiful dinner on a rooftop terrace with wonderful views of our hotel. But I would have to say our favorite activity was our private tour of the lake on our hotel’s restored vintage wood speedboat. It was the most beautiful day of the trip and we absolutely loved admiring the famous villas like Villa Balbianello (which served as the backdrop to James Bond’s Casino Royale). There is no better way to see the lake and I couldn’t recommend it enough!
We made it back to the hotel in time to sit at T Bar one last time and listen to the piano being played while sipping champagne and watching the sun set one last time over Lake Como. From the beautiful hotel to the picture-perfect landscape to the outstanding service, our three days in Lake Como were an absolute dream come true. We both agree that it is our favorite place we have ever visited and can’t wait to return to celebrate our anniversary.
Incredible! What lovely photos. Definitely putting Lake Como on the list