Few hotels on earth carry the weight of Villa d'Este. Built between 1565 and 1570 for Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio, later the home of Caroline of Brunswick, the estranged wife of Britain's future King George IV, it has been a hotel since 1873, which makes it one of the original grand lakeside hotels in Europe. Hitchcock filmed here and Forbes once named it the best hotel in the world. Every May, its lawns fill with priceless vintage cars for one of the most glamorous automotive shows on the planet.
None of that history feels stuffy in person. What you two will experience is the lake lapping at the edge of the gardens, white-jacketed waiters setting your table on the Veranda, a swimming pool that literally floats on Lake Como and a park so large you can lose an afternoon wandering its cypress avenues and grottoes. It is a honeymoon for couples who love tradition, dressing for dinner and the feeling of stepping into a black-and-white film where the lead characters happen to be you.
Highlights at a glance
- Renaissance villa built for a cardinal in the 1560s
- Heated swimming pool floating on Lake Como
- About 25 acres of historic gardens and park
- Veranda and lakeside Il Platano dining
- Vintage vaporina and Riva Aquarama boat tours
- Hotel since 1873, among Europe's classic grand hotels
Four Centuries on the Shore
The story begins in the Renaissance, when Cardinal Gallio commissioned architect Pellegrino Tibaldi to build a lakeside villa on the site of an old convent near Cernobbio. In the 1780s the Calderari family laid out an Italian garden. From 1815 Caroline of Brunswick made the villa her home, renamed it Nuova Villa d'Este and reshaped the park in the English romantic style.
In 1873 it opened as a luxury hotel. It has hardly stopped since. The novelist Edith Wharton, who visited in 1903, singled out its garden as the only old garden on Como that kept more than a fragment of its original design. Walk up the cypress-lined avenue behind the villa and past the mosaic nymphaeum; you can still feel the ambition of that first Renaissance plan.
Cardinal, Queen or Your Own Villa
Roughly 152 rooms and suites are divided between two buildings. The Cardinal Building is the original villa, with high ceilings, silk fabrics, antique furniture and the most classic Old World ambience. The Queen's Pavilion, a 19th-century addition, offers similarly elegant rooms, many with lake-facing balconies.
For honeymooners, a lake-view room is the essential upgrade; waking to the light on the water is the whole point. Couples planning a no-holds-barred splurge can look at the four private villas within the park, which offer seclusion and space while keeping the hotel's service close at hand. Expect classic rather than contemporary decor throughout: brocades, chandeliers and marble, polished to a high shine.
Dinner on the Veranda and Beyond
Dining is a central pleasure here, with several restaurants to rotate between over a long stay.
- Veranda is the signature dining room, a glassed-in terrace overlooking the lake, ideal for a formal celebration dinner.
- The Grill, in a more relaxed setting, focuses on premium ingredients with Mediterranean character.
- Il Platano sits at the water's edge beneath a great plane tree and pairs Mediterranean flavors with Japanese technique.
- The Sundeck serves light lunches and cocktails reserved for hotel guests.
After dinner, Bar Canova is the classic nightcap spot, with signature cocktails and fine spirits. Dress codes lean elegant in the evening, so pack accordingly.
Why guests fall for it
The Floating Pool and the Park
Villa d'Este's pool is one of the most famous on the lake: a heated pool floating on Lake Como itself, so you swim with the water and mountains all around you. Spend a morning there, then wander the 25-acre park, where formal Italian gardens give way to winding paths, follies, a towering plane tree and views back across the lake.
The hotel also has a spa and fitness facilities as part of its sport and wellness offering, handy for a rainy afternoon. And the lake is never far away: the hotel's boat program includes tours aboard a vintage vaporina and a Riva Aquarama, as well as picnic cruises. A private Riva ride past the villas of Tremezzina and Bellagio is the Lake Como experience to beat.
Why Couples Keep Coming Back
Many guests are returning visitors, some celebrating anniversaries at the hotel where they honeymooned. That tells you something. Reviews consistently praise the impeccable, old-school service, with staff who manage to be formal and genuinely warm at once.
The gardens are another constant highlight, as is the floating pool, which guests single out as a swim they won't forget. Couples also love the sense of occasion: drinks on the terrace, dinner on the Veranda and the feeling that every moment is part of a grand tradition. The hotel's long list of accolades, from Forbes naming it the world's best hotel in 2009 to recognition in the Michelin Guide's Keys, reflects the same thing guests notice: very few places do classic luxury this well.
Good to Know
- Villa d'Este typically closes for a winter break; it has recently stayed open over the Christmas holidays. Check dates before planning a winter trip.
- Each May the Concorso d'Eleganza vintage car show takes over the grounds. Each September the Ambrosetti economic forum brings delegates. Both are fascinating but busy; book ahead or avoid those dates if you want quiet.
- Cernobbio sits on the southern end of the lake, close to Como. It is convenient for arrivals from Milan, though Bellagio and Varenna are a boat ride or drive away.
- Evenings are dressy. Pack a jacket and something elegant for dinner.
Making the Most of Cernobbio
The hotel's location gives you the best of two worlds. Cernobbio itself is a pretty lakeside town with a promenade and cafes just outside the gates. The city of Como, with its cathedral, silk shops and funicular up to Brunate, is only a few minutes away. From the hotel pier, the concierge can line up private boats north to Villa del Balbianello, Villa Carlotta and Bellagio.
For an easy, romantic day, take the funicular to Brunate for the view, lunch in Como's old town, then return by boat in time for sunset on the terrace. It is a gentle rhythm that suits the hotel's unhurried elegance perfectly.
Insider tips
- Book a lake-view room; garden-view rooms are lovely but the lake is the magic.
- Check whether your dates overlap the May Concorso d'Eleganza or September Ambrosetti forum.
- Reserve a private Riva tour through the hotel and time it for late afternoon light.
- Have an aperitivo at Bar Canova before dinner and request a window table at Veranda.
