ALLURE OF THE LAKE Living la dolce vita at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Lake Como Written by Bridget Williams Insatiable is a word that adequately sums up my state-of-being whenever I am in Italy. It is a mindset that fnds me wanting to devour everything: the food, the landscape, the history and culture, the architecture, the frenetic banter of everyday conversations, and the hospitality and vigor of the Italian people. With each visit my appetite grows, leaving me conjuring up ways to cobble together my own version of an Under the Tuscan Sun scenario. When I find Italy calling, I always do my best to answer, and for my most recent visit I was drawn back to the shores of Lake Como and the Grand Hotel Tremezzo. Having gone the basic B&B route several years ago, my daughter and I were eager to pamper ourselves and live resplendently for a few days and nights at the storied property, which towers over the lake directly across the water from the town of Bellagio and next door to the famed Villa Carlotta, whose expansive and exquisite gardens draw admirers from around the globe (guests of the hotel can request complimentary tickets to tour the villa and gardens). 54 slmag.net
Built in 1910, Grand Hotel Tremezzo holds the distinction of being the first purpose-built hotel on the lake (other grand hotels of its era were born from repurposed villas). With 76 rooms and 14 suites, fve restaurants, three swimming pools (including one that foats on the lake in front of the hotel), a lighted clay tennis court, a children’s program, lavishly appointed common areas, lushly landscaped grounds, and the newly opened TSpa, the property is a full-service resort whose amenities rival the myriad delights to be discovered of property. Completely refurbished in 2015, the hotel’s public spaces are quite opulent, but thoughtful touches of whimsy keep them deftly skirting the line between old fashioned and au courant. For instance, in the Sala Musica, a gathering room adjacent to the lobby, tufted loveseats and armchairs upholstered in Day-Glo velvet cozy up to Empire side tables topped with traditional urn lamps with pleated shades. Contributing to the overall feeling of relaxed elegance is a family-owned company that believes in personable service at every level of guest interaction.
