Lake Como has a long history of hosting world elites in villas along its sunlit shores. This week it welcomed quite a few more: Sofia Coppola, Lupita Nyong'o, Keira Knightley, and The White Lotus stars Beatrice Grannò and Sarah Catherine Hook were among the many boldfaced names to take their seats on the terrace of Villa d’Este for Chanel's cruise collection presentation.
Originally built in 1568 as the summer residence of one Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio, Villa d’Este was transformed into a luxury hotel in 1873. Brands and world travelers alike come for the royal pedigree, making the property an ideal destination for the rich and famous. Its hallowed halls and gardens have seen the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, Jennifer Aniston, and even George Clooney, presumably when he's not installed at his own villa in nearby Laglio.
Located in Cernobbio, a commune that’s just under an hour from Milan’s Malpensa airport, the hotel is convenient to get to by car or train. It has 151 rooms spread across two buildings, the Cardinal Building and the Queen's Pavilion. There are also four private villas available for rent; three restaurants including a fine dining restaurant, Veranda; a floating pool; and a gym, sauna, and green marble-clad spa. The decor is classic, with a color scheme of blue and yellow throughout the communal spaces and rooms and suites.
Spanning 25 acres in total, the property boasts a helipad, multiple tennis courts, and a series of fortresses carved into the side of the mountain that were built at the beginning of the 19th-century by one Vittoria Peluso for her husband, Count Domenico Pino, a Napoleonic general, so that he could stage mock war battles.
Even if just for a night, Villa d’Este will make you feel like royalty. And if pricing is still an issue, you’ll be glad to know that the local ferry stop is within walking distance from the hotel—and rides across the lake start at just 2 Euros. Ciao!
