Il Sereno Lago di Como: A Modern Masterpiece
There are plenty of beautiful hotels on Lake Como, but very few that have the confidence to strip everything back. In a region where history often translates to heavy drapery and gilded nostalgia, Il Sereno is a revelation.
It’s a hotel that whispers instead of winks, that swaps velvet for stone, and sentimentality for strength. It’s also one of a handful of Italian properties awarded two Michelin Keys, cementing its place among the most exceptional stays in the world.
Architecture that Breathes, Not Brags
From the moment you pull into the understated entrance, where you’re enveloped in a crisp composition of walnut, glass, and stone, it’s clear this isn’t another Como relic frozen in time.
Designed by renowned architect Patricia Urquiola, Il Sereno is a masterclass in restraint. Everything is in dialogue with the lake: the movement of the water, the shimmer of the sky, the rhythm of the mountains.
The facade is an elegant grid of local stone and teak louvers, its vertical gardens climbing in controlled chaos up the walls. Inside, Urquiola’s fingerprints are everywhere from woven chairs, sculptural lighting, and bespoke textiles, where every detail quietly anchors the space without competing with the view.
The hotel’s showstopper staircase seemingly suspended by bronze rods, spirals upward like an art installation masquerading as architecture. It’s one of those design moments that lingers in your memory long after you’ve checked out.
Interiors with Nothing to Prove
Walk into your suite, and the first thing that hits you isn’t color or clutter, it’s calm. Floor-to-ceiling windows pull the lake right into the room, while a minimalist palette of stone, linen, and timber creates the sense that someone finally understood what serenity should look like.
Urquiola’s design language is sensual but disciplined. The furnishings are tactile, sculptural, and human. You won’t find a trace of old-world fuss here, no tasseled curtains, no floral upholstery, no distractions. Just a spatial clarity that makes you feel instantly lighter.
The bathrooms, all marble and bronze, are generous without being grandiose. It’s luxury cemented in proportion and precision.
Spa Days and Aperitivo Nights
Downstairs, The Spa at Il Sereno feels like a secret carved directly into the rock. Minimalist and cocooning, it offers views of the lake through low-slung windows that catch the light before it dances away.
Treatments use Valmont products and local botanicals, and the atmosphere has that rare blend of clinical calm and Italian ease. The relaxation area, half submerged, half open to the water, is reason enough to stay in all afternoon.
For dining, there’s Ristorante Il Sereno Al Lago, which has been graced with a Michelin star. The menu is contemporary Italian without cliché, with dishes that are precise, creative, and beautifully balanced.
Even breakfast feels like an event here: a cart is rolled table side full of freshly baked pastries, local cheeses, fruit that tastes like it was chosen just for you, and coffee that tastes infused by the morning light bouncing off the lake.
Ahoy!
And then there’s the boat. Every guest has access to Il Sereno’s custom-built Cantiere Ernesto Riva motorboat, a handcrafted masterpiece of mahogany and chrome that glides across the lake. This is the ultimate way to arrive for lunch in Bellagio or an aperitivo in Varenna, with the wind in your hair and a Negroni in hand.
The Maserati Experience: Arrive in Style
For those who believe the journey should be every bit as elegant as the destination, Il Sereno offers its Maserati Experience, an arrival worthy of its setting. Guests can be collected from Milan’s city center, Central Station, or one of Lombardy’s airports in a sleek Maserati, gliding north toward the lake in quiet luxury. It’s a fitting prelude to what awaits.
A Breath of Fresh Air
In a region obsessed with history, Il Sereno is the future. It’s modern, minimal, and quietly confident. You come here not to escape Lake Como’s legacy, but to experience it through a different lens, one where architecture, design, and nature blend into a dreamy, singular horizon.
If you’d like to stay here, I can help you unlock exclusive perks, including:
Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Daily breakfast for two, complimentary
$100 dining credit at Il Sereno Al Lago
Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout your stay
Inspired to experience award-winning hotels for yourself? As a luxury travel advisor, I can help design an itinerary around them, or create a bespoke trip that reflects your own style. Contact me at louis.monoyudis@fora.travel to start planning.