The first thing you notice at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni is the quiet, an impressive feat for any hotel on Lake Como, where tourists flock for beautiful views, charming boat rides, and hopes of a Clooney sighting. It sits on the edge of Bellagio, aka “the pearl of Lake Como,” a picturesque town in the Lombardy region. And given its location at the promontory right where the lake splits, the property manages to feel both secluded and in the middle of the action at the same time.
I checked into Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in April, shortly after it opened for the spring season (like many hotels in the area, it typically closes during winter). Jan Bucher, the fourth-generation owner and general manager of the hotel, says that about 50% of their visitors are Americans, followed by the U.K. and then the French. “Italians don’t want to spend money to be on a lake,” he jokes, as we look out at one of the world’s most gorgeous lakes.
New hotels are opening on Lake Como, including the recent debut of The Edition, located just across the water, and a forthcoming Ritz-Carlton. Bucher acknowledges that big brands with recognizable names and loyalty programs are a challenge, but they don’t see chains—even nice ones—as true competitors. “We have the history, a perfect location, and a long-time, happy staff,” he says, noting that this combo creates a lot of repeat guests. “We also have a private beach and no roads in front. But the main thing is that our family is here and we keep putting our heart into it.”
A recent renovation
In 2025, the hotel joined the Relaix & Châteaux collection and opened for the season with some shiny new additions and updates. They launched the Baci Da Bellagio beach club, with a sandy shoreline, plush loungers, and direct lake access. And they completed the Luce del Lago spa, now the biggest wellness facility on Lake Como. It measures more than 16,000 square feet and features a hammam complex.
Villa Serbelloni also refurbished its public spaces and many of the rooms, including the Kennedy and Churchill suites—named for the erstwhile president and prime minister—and added some new furnishings to the restaurants and cigar lounge.
Suites fit for royalty
Grand elegance is the theme here, and it’s evident everywhere you look, from the gilded artwork to the antique furniture peppered throughout the 94 guestrooms. I stayed in the Churchill Suite, a massive room (OK, three rooms), with the largest bed I’ve ever seen, two bathrooms, and intricate frescoes on the ceilings. A little plaque at the door notes that this room once housed Sir Winston himself, as well as Queen Victoria of Spain, Al Pacino, and several other famous names. There are also suites named for past guests like Helmut Newton and the Queen of Sweden. Beyond the suites, every room here is spacious and features either a view of the lake or the adjacent park and village.
Dining and drinking
There are two restaurants on site, plus an elegant bar just off the lobby, a terrace bar, and a poolside bar. So, you won’t go hungry or thirsty here. La Goletta serves traditional Italian cuisine from the region, while Mistral is more of a fine-dining experience, with creative dishes, elegant plating, and wine pairings. One unexpected highlight was the peacock tortellini, a local delicacy that tastes a bit like dark meat chicken. And for dessert, there’s tableside ice cream made with liquid nitrogen.
After dinner, check out Verri’s Bar, a beautiful room with all the richly hued woods and leathers you want when deciding which scotch to pair with your cigar. The head bartender, Alessandro, is a bottle-wielding magician who makes his own liqueurs, including a comocello (his version of limoncello) for the hotel’s signature Como Spritz. Many of the cocktails are sprayed with housemade “perfumes”—aromatic toppers like citrus or cardamom meant to enhance the drinks.
Easy access to all the lake has to offer
With everything happening on the grounds, it takes some convincing to leave. But beyond the obvious reason to stay here (it’s nice), making Villa Serbelloni your home base puts you alongside all of Bellagio’s charming shops and restaurants. It also means you can hop on a boat right from the hotel’s dock and be whisked off to explore the lake or to check out other nearby towns, like Varenna, with its colorful buildings and narrow cobbled lanes.
You don’t even need a boat to visit Villa Melzi and its lakefront botanical gardens, which are just a quick walk away. Everywhere you go in and around Bellagio looks like a postcard, so while we always contend that things are best experienced through your own eyes, rather than a phone screen, go ahead and take those photos. Everyone else is—and it’s hard to take a bad one out here.
