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 finds 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 is 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).

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, five restaurants, three swimming pools (including one that floats 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.

The Sala Musica.

Each guestroom and suite is unique, with defining characteristics in the form of antiques, art, paint colors, drapery materials and furnishings. Recently revealed “hyper-luxe” suites on the rooftop feature panoramic terraces with heated Jacuzzis. Positioned at the center of each of the four foors that comprise the original structure is a suite named after a woman of signifcance to Lake Como. Greta Garbo refers to Tremezzo as “that happy, sunny place” in the flm Grand Hotel (1932). She was a fan of room 113, now named Suite Greta. Recently enlarged, it boasts a large private terrace for soaking up the sun.

For a property of many jewels, the center stone could arguably be the new TSpa, encompassing two 18th century villas, one for the spa and the other for a three-story fitness center. As someone who looks forward to the extra leisure time afforded by a vacation to spend a little more time working on my fitness, the gym was nothing short of heaven. Expertly outfitted with the latest and greatest in equipment, I loved the juxtaposition of the high-tech gadgets within the centuries-old structure. If the workout didn’t take my breath away, the views of the lake certainly did and made the time spent there all the more memorable.

In the TSpa, which received the 2016 “Most Glamorous Getaway” award from Tatler magazine, many of the villa’s original details, such as an intricate mosaic floor, were kept intact and mated with contemporary Italian-made furnishings by Minotti. The entirety of the facility includes five treatment rooms offering ESPA treatments and products as well as treatments utilizing herbs grown around the lake; a hammam (the only one in Lake Como); an ice fountain; the most exquisitely appointed relaxation room, which had once served as the library for nearby Villa Carlotta; a sauna with a window overlooking the lake; and, the Mosaico nail studio. Promising the ultimate in privacy and pampering, Suite Emilia, discretely located in the villa, has private access to the spa. Serenely outfitted in sumptuous velvet, damask, and heavy silk drapery, the suite’s marble bathroom must be seen to be believed!

There are 75 steps from the street to the hotel’s Art Nouveau-style grand lobby – a number that was not lost on my daughter who liked to point out that elevators were invented for a reason. In spite of her protests, I enjoyed taking the stairs to and from our explorations on and off property to both savor the view and wage a preemptive strike against the inevitable weight gain caused by my inability to resist overindulging in everything from limoncello to lobster.

The lobby of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo.

Another satisfying hike traverses through the hotel’s nearly five-acre garden, originally part of the grand botanical gardens of Villa Carlotta. The area was recently redesigned by the well-known landscape architect, designer, and botanist Emilio Trabella, who is also responsible for the gardens of Villa Balbianello and Villa Oleandra (home of George Clooney). A footpath that winds up steep hill rewards the effort at its apex with an amazing vantage point of the middle of the lake. The spot is also a popular place to pop the question, and arrangements can be made with the concierge for a rose petal and champagne arrival to set the scene for such an occasion.

Heart-stopping experiences of another nature are offered by the concierge team in the form of new T Bespoke Experiences. Among the pie-in-the-sky outings is a hydroplane ride over Como town, where an Alfa Romeo Spider will be waiting for a drive to the top of Comacina Island and a private sunset picnic overlooking the lake.

Italians know a thing or two about cooking, and the dining options at Grand Hotel Tremezzo are arguably among the best on the lake. Executive Chef Osvaldo Presazzi also leads Italian cooking classes that include making pasta from scratch. Oenophiles can enjoy sommelier-guided personalized wine tastings from specific Italian regions with an expert sommelier at L’Escale Fondues & Wine Bar, the first fondue and wine bar to open on Lake Como.

Presazzi and Chef Gualtiero Marchesi, a Milan native who is widely regarded as the founder of modern Italian cuisine, derived the menus at each of the five on-site restaurants collaboratively. To power up for our daily adventures, each morning we enjoyed a bounteous buffet at Le Terrazza. At night, the flicker of candlelight reflected in the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake serve as a fitting backdrop for Haute Italian cuisine. A highlight of our five-course feast was undoubtedly Marchesi’s signature dish: traditional Milanese saffron risotto garnished with a large square of edible gold leaf, though a fillet of veal with foie gras and black truffle competed handily to be counted among our favorites.

Offering a more casual, though no less gourmet experience, L’Escale is a dream for fans of Italian wine, as the restaurant’s cellar stocks no less than 350 regional varieties. Our affable waiter proved to be extremely knowledgeable in helping us with wine pairings that matched what was on our plates as well as our personal palette preferences. The softly lit, the cellar-like setting is distinguished by stone and brick walls, displays of wine boxes and bottles in grotto-like niches, and glass tabletops resting atop wine barrels stuffed with corks. Our server presented our first course Caprese salad with a caveat, commenting that as we were about to experience the best Campania buffalo mozzarella we’d ever eaten, we should taste it before adulterating it with salt and pepper. His bold statement was quite warranted. With each bite, we proclaimed that the dish was hands down the best version of the “Salad of Capri” we’d ever had. Though the salad was hard to beat, cooking chunks of tender beef fillet in piping hot olive oil to our level of desired doneness and then finishing each piece with a selection of gourmet salts and sauces certainly made the highlight reel of our dining experiences in Como.

The hotel’s prime location, where two branches of the lake meet, is advantageous for day tripping. A ferry stop just across the street from the hotel provides quick access to Bellagio and other ports of call. Private tours aboard Ruy, the hotel’s 1961 Venetian Lancia are also available. A 10km greenway accessible near the hotel follows traces of the Antica Strada Regina, the ancient connection road built by the Romans that meanders through charming rustic villages and garden areas.

As we discovered one evening, casual wandering is also a great way to discover hidden gems. The sounds of laughter and lively conversation led us to Cantina Follie, a wine bar and enoteca, located in a nondescript two-story building nearly indistinguishable from its neighbors on a narrow lane in Tremezzo. Sitting at a long communal table on the second-floor terrace enjoying vino and charcuterie with a large group of locals, I realized that it is moments like this that are the embodiment of la dolce vita.