We were finally going to Lake Como in Italy, a place high on my must-visit list in Europe! One of the most exciting parts of going on vacation was doing research on hotels, and I had so much fun doing that for this trip.

Besides my initial confusion about the location of the lake, which I detailed in this post, everything else was easy. For this trip, I wanted minimum activities. I just wanted to get up, eat, enjoy the lake, eat, enjoy the lake, eat, go to bed, or something along those lines. So the hotel must have a great view, a restaurant, and beautiful grounds because I was a garden aficionado and Lake Como was famous for stunning villas and manicured gardens.

Many hotels fit the bill. Most, however, had outdated rooms. If you wanted a renovated one, the price was astronomical, and I was not willing to pay for that. But there was one hotel that checked all the boxes: Grand Hotel Tremezzo. It had everything I mentioned, and the bedroom had a balcony facing the lake. I made a reservation and couldn’t wait to stay there.

Getting to the hotel

Lake Como, or Lago di Como, is shaped like an upside-down Y surrounded by towns. The nearest international airport is Milan. From the airport, you can take a 40-minute train to the town of Como, which sits at the southern tip of the western branch of the lake. Then take a 40-minute ferry to the town of Tremezzo where the hotel is. 

But we didn’t fly there from the States. We had been in Nice, France, so we took a 4-hour train to Milan and took a local train to the town of Como and then a ferry to the hotel. 

I had to admit, when I first saw the lake at the town of Como, I was not impressed. The area looked busy, not the peace and quiet I had expected. It wasn’t until I got to the hotel in the middle of the lake that I found what I was looking for: beauty and serenity.

Pure joy

The yellow villa with the art nouveau façade stood on the western shores of the lake, opposite the famous town of Bellagio. The renovated hotel, originally built in 1910, called itself The Palace, and it certainly looked like one, especially when you stepped inside. The elegant lobby dolled up in period décor and vibrant velvet furniture. The opulent dining room and hall ways. The grand staircase. I felt like we were in a different world.

Elegant décor with modern comfort carried on in our room. I loved the gold accent, the silk curtains, and the burgundy velvet armchairs placed right in front of the tall window that led to the balcony overlooking the lake. This was the highlight of this hotel for me – the balcony with two wrought iron chairs with a direct view of the lake. It was simply breathtaking. Waking up to the crystal blue water with the Grigne mountains in the background was beyond words. I took tons of pictures, and none of them truly captured the beauty in front of me. During our stay, this was where I spent most of my time at. It was pure joy. 

The hotel had something else up its sleeve: a little park. The lush walkway behind the villa led you up a hill dotted with palm trees and all kinds of plants and flowers. I could see the lake from there, and it was unbelievably beautiful. Also hidden behind the building was a very inviting lounging area with a swimming pool, perfect for summer days. The hotel had two more swimming pools – one right in front of the hotel in the lake itself, and the other next to its spa, which I didn’t have a chance to use.  

My favorite hotel amenity was the lake front terrace where we had breakfast and dinner every day. Their breakfast spread was amazing. The dinner menu was awesome. I felt lucky to get to have a cup of cappuccino in the morning and a glass of Prosecco in the evening with this view.

We lovingly called this hotel “The Prego Hotel” because we were greeted with “Prego” everywhere we went. When we ordered something at the restaurant, they said “Prego”, and when they had served us, they said “Prego”. It appeared to be a multi-purpose word that could be used to say come in, you’re welcome, please, etc. 

Grand Hotel Tremezzo is for travelers looking for peace and quiet because the town itself doesn’t have many shops and restaurants like Bellagio or Varenna. As a result, there are not many people. The only tourist attraction is Villa Carlotta, which is famous for its botanical garden and art collection.

Have you stayed at Grand Hotel Tremezzo or any other hotels on Lake Como? How do you like it?