Review: Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

Why book?

Villa Serbelloni combines the graces of a gilded past and the easy warmth of a family-run business. The only luxury hotel in the picturesque town of Bellagio, it sits at the tip of the promontory where the legendary lake forks, commanding breathtaking views of the water and the mountains no matter where you stand on its landscaped grounds.

Set the scene

For 150 years, this North Como grande dame has welcomed generations of distinguished guests from political heavyweights (think: JFK, Winston Churchill) to Hollywood stars. Its guests today are a wider-ranging cross-section of international travelers, but the Serbelloni has held on to its prime place on this corner of the lake. Its owners, the Bucher family, are rooted in the region, so expect to see well-to-do residents from Bellagio and further afield—friends of the family, if you will—visit from time to time.

One of the reasons for Serbelloni’s enduring sway is that it ticks all the boxes for what you might expect of a patinated palazzo in Como: grand marble staircases, giant crystal chandeliers, a mix of Louis XVI and Art Nouveau furniture, and ornate frescoed ceilings. In other words, not one sleek, contemporary interloper to be found. And the guests, many in their 40s and 50s, soak it in: They linger in front of the fireplace in its opulent grand salon; tread softly through vast rooms filled with antiques, and tuck themselves into the wooded American Bar for a nightcap or two.

For a reprieve from all that antiquity, step out to the palm-fringed lakeside pool—or the Italianate garden with its lush tropical plants and geometric hedges that offers the perfect counterpoint.

The backstory

Serbelloni is a family business in the truest sense of the word. The villa was built in 1854 to be the lakeside estate for a countess and her family, but just 20 years later, was converted into a hotel. In 1918, it was acquired by Arturo Bucher, a Swiss businessman with long-standing interests in the European hotel trade, and for four generations and well over a hundred years, the Bucher family, has not just owned it, but also been in service of it, juggling roles from manning the front desk to managing the spa. They’re warm and involved—and the service is all the better for it.

“Villa Serbelloni is our home—and yours,” you’ll hear Jan Bucher, the general manager, say. And it is their home: the Bucher family live in an extension of the hotel and use the same facilities that guests do. Over the years, competition has built from new entrants to the luxury hotel market in Como, but its hold on guests might have something to do with the Buchers’ attention to service.

The rooms

The rooms and suites at the Serbelloni are swaddled in opulence. Expect elaborate window dressing, parquet floors, chinoiserie, and period wall coverings. I was particularly curious about the plump silk leg-warmers at the base of our bed. It turns out they are a Serbelloni trademark—replicas of the bedcovers of Como aristocracy in the 18th century, and sewn by local seamstresses. “Guests really love them, and some ask us whether we’d consider selling them,” said Dusia.

Don’t expect many modern contraptions here (even the hair dryers are retro) but definitely know you’ll find comfort. The marble-clad, traditionally-designed bathrooms are capacious, with separate spaces for bath, toilet, and shower. The bed linen is of great quality and the mattresses on the bed are made by Dorelan, both contributing to some of the best nights of sleep I’d had in a while. Which made throwing open the louvered windows each morning even more of a delight—to the low sounds of lake water lapping on the shore, the garden awakening to its team of caretakers, and the sight (and toots) of the battelli (ferries) beginning their day’s rounds across the lake.

We stayed in a corner suite, which came with a living room, large bedroom, and two exposures of the garden and the lake. (Some suites come with balconies, so you might want to ask for one.) For a sampling of the pinnacle of Serbelloni’s glamorous past, you could book yourself into the JFK or Churchill suites—or better still, ask to combine them for the ultimate extravagance. A more realistic option is probably to request a tour of both.

Food and drink

The hotel has two restaurants, Mistral and La Goletta, helmed by chef Ettore Bocchia, who is a molecular gastronomist and someone who takes pride in his sourcing of the finest local ingredients. The poolside La Goletta is the more informal of the two, and perfect for a lounger-to-lunch maneuver, while Mistral is best kept for a celebratory multi-course dinner (a seven-course tasting menu will set you back 250 euros), although there is an a la carte menu that could include wagyu, three ways, blue lobster tail with shellfish sauce and vegetables, and peach melba with nitrogen frozen ice-cream. And then there’s the terrace bar that’s made for sunset aperitivi and watching the lake wind down. But my favorite meals of each day were the long languorous breakfasts in the Salone Reale, among the grandest rooms in the hotel. Here, you sit on Thonet chairs among grand ceilings, gilded columns, and twinkling chandeliers while local cheese, fresh honey, and freshly baked ciambella set the pace for your day.

The spa

Abutting a curiously designed indoor pool area ensconced in faux rock walls—a kiddie favorite, thanks to the water slide and jets—is a full-service spa that’s slightly aesthetically dated, although that takes nothing away from the quality of service provided. I had a 90-minute-long massage courtesy the lovely Antonella who has worked here for 13 years and had no trouble taking me to the brink of deep sleep. Afterward, a steam and sauna brought me back to life.

The neighborhood/area

It’s hard not to be seduced by the town of Bellagio, with its narrow cobbled streets that force you to throw yourself up against the shops every time a car passes (in the summer, it’s a steady stream) and its steep, store-lined steps down to the lake. From a charming church square with cafes to appease both tourists and local nonnos, salumeria and alimentari that attract long lines, and several costume jewelry stores and leather footwear shops that you’d best stick to just eyeballing, it’s easy to see why the town is a favorite with daytrippers. A word of advice: Forget about taking the perfect photo from the viewpoint on Via Giuseppe Garibaldi (unless you’re there at 7am before the ferries unload their crowds) and take a stroll through the lavish gardens adjoining the Neoclassical gem that is nearby Villa Melzi. Or you can join the traffic on the lake and take a ferry (the hotel also has a fancier Riva you can book) to glide past grand mansions like the Villa La Cassinella that featured in the third season of Succession or head to Como’s popular mid-section towns like the jewel box-like Varenna or Tremezzo.

While there’s plenty to fill your day with, the best part about Serbelloni is that once you return, and the gates close behind you, the town’s din fades away.

The service

The service here is a nod to the turn-of-the-last-century where waiters and barmen wear starched white dinner jackets and a pianist serenades your cocktails in a grand salon. Nothing seems to be too much trouble for the staff who clearly have an affection for the property and its owners, with many having worked there for decades. I’m convinced it’s the warmth of their service that keeps guests coming back for more. Case in point, a Swiss couple in their 80s that I got to know who’ve been returning every year for 30 years with a growing group of friends and family—they “can’t imagine a summer without it.”

For families

While the Serbelloni is a family-friendly hotel—the indoor kids pool, watersports, and babysitting help—its ambience definitely lends itself better to older guests.

Accessibility

Retrofitting a historic building poses challenges but investments have been made over recent years to outfit the property with ramps and elevators, and some suites on the ground floor are designed specially for guests with mobility restrictions.

Anything left to mention?

While the pool tempts, make time for the sandy “beach” nearer the water, with its path down to the lake. A swim in the lake is recommended, but go prepared with water shoes because the lake bed is rocky and can turn sharp. It’s worth the effort, just to swim out to the floating dock with its diving board and flop out under the sun.