Grand Hotel Tremezzo is the Lake Como hotel most people picture before they have ever been: a cream Belle Époque palace from 1910, a lido with a pool floating on the lake, and Bellagio sitting directly opposite across the water. The De Santis family have owned it since 1975 and keep reinvesting every winter, so it feels cared for rather than frozen in time. My one-line verdict: arguably the liveliest of the great Como grand hotels, ideal if you want glamour, three pools and a real social buzz, less so if you want silence.
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Quick facts: Grand Hotel Tremezzo
- Location: on the lakefront road in Tremezzo, part of the municipality of Tremezzina, on the western shore of Lake Como, facing Bellagio.
- Rooms and suites: 77 rooms and suites in 2026, after several rooms were combined and a new Junior Suite category was added.
- Price level: very high, especially for lake view rooms in July and August. Breakfast is usually included.
- Season: seasonal. The 2026 season opened on 19 March and the hotel closes in early November until spring. Ask the hotel for 2027 dates.
- Nearest airport: Milan Malpensa, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes by car depending on traffic. Milan Linate takes about the same or slightly longer.
- Best for: couples, families and groups of friends who want a classic grand hotel with plenty going on, plus golfers who want Menaggio within easy reach.
Check prices and availability
Lake view rooms and the rooftop suites sell out first for June to September. If your dates are fixed, compare prices early.
Location and getting there
Tremezzo sits roughly in the middle of the lake, where the three branches meet, and that central position is the hotel’s biggest practical advantage. From the terrace you look straight across to Bellagio, with the Grigne mountains behind. The Tremezzo ferry landing is a few minutes’ walk away, so Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio are all easy by public boat, and Villa Carlotta, with its famous gardens, is practically next door. The hotel stands in a private park of around 20,000 m², one of the larger hotel gardens on the lake, with olive trees, palms and lawns running up behind the main building.
The trade-off is the lakeside road, which runs between the hotel and the water like most of the western shore. It is not a secluded peninsula like Villa Serbelloni’s or a gated estate like Villa d’Este’s.
Milan Malpensa is the usual arrival airport: count on roughly 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes by car. Milan Linate is similar or a little longer. Como San Giovanni station is around 30 km away, so 35 to 45 minutes by car, or roughly 50 minutes by fast ferry from Como. The hotel arranges paid transfers and valet parking for a fee; ask for current prices. If you plan to hire a car for golf days, our guide to where to stay on Lake Como explains how the shores compare for driving and ferries.
Rooms and suites
The official count is 77 rooms and suites for 2026. Older sources quote 84 or 90, because the family has steadily combined rooms into larger units. Interiors are maximalist in the best sense: velvet, marble, antique furniture, jewel-coloured fabrics and gilded details, with modern bathrooms and Dyson hairdryers.
- Park View Prestige and Deluxe rooms: about 35 to 40 m², facing the gardens with a bow window or balcony. The quietest option, since they face away from the road.
- Lake View Prestige and Deluxe rooms: the same sizes with a balcony over the lake. The Deluxe rooms are corner rooms with two big windows.
- Junior Suites: about 51 m², with lake or park views. The park view version is new for 2026.
- Terrace Garden Suite: about 51 m² with a private terrace of roughly 28 m², sleeping up to two adults and two children.
- Historic suites: the Signature Suite, Suite Greta (about 84 m² with a private terrace) and Suite Emilia, which has its own access to the T Spa.
- Rooftop suites: three of them, the Corner, Front and Grand, each with a private terrace and a Jacuzzi mini pool. The Rooftop Grand Suite is about 84 m² with a 42 m² terrace.
Beyond the main hotel, the family also manages Villa Sola Cabiati, a historic villa with six suites a short boat or car ride away, rented on an exclusive basis with private staff. It is a separate product with its own rates.
Dining
Food is one of the reasons people return. Executive chef Osvaldo Presazzi has been in the Tremezzo kitchens for decades and trained under Gualtiero Marchesi, the father of modern Italian cooking, and the hotel presents itself as the custodian of Marchesi’s recipes.
- La Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi: the flagship, on a terrace facing Bellagio, serving Marchesi classics such as the gold leaf saffron risotto and dripping di pesce.
- L’Escale Trattoria & Wine Bar: the relaxed alternative, with Lombard dishes, steaks and a cellar of more than 1,300 labels according to recent reports.
- Da Giacomo al Lago: a seafood restaurant down on the lido, run with the team behind Giacomo in Milan.
- T Pizza: wood-fired pizza and grills beside the garden pool, the easiest lunch with children.
- T Bar: classic cocktails in the historic rooms. Try the house spritz.
- Dimmidisì: private dining for celebrations, arranged on request.
On Michelin: La Terrazza does not hold a star in the 2026 guide. Treat it as a polished, historic dining room with a superb view rather than a cutting-edge tasting menu.
Check rates at Grand Hotel Tremezzo
Spa and pools
Three pools is unusual on Lake Como, and each one has a different mood:
- The floating pool: heated and moored on the lake at the lido, so you swim with the water of Lake Como all around you. This is the hotel’s signature image and the social centre in summer.
- The Flowers Pool (Piscina dei Fiori): heated, in the gardens next to T Pizza, family-friendly and with lifeguard cover during the day.
- The indoor infinity pool: heated and adults-only, inside the T Spa, and the place to go on a grey day.
The T Spa occupies Villa Emilia, an 18th-century villa beside the main building with mosaic floors and painted ceilings. Treatments use Santa Maria Novella products, and the facilities include a hammam, sauna, steam bath, a salt relaxation room and whirlpools, plus a couples’ spa suite. New for 2026 are a 120-minute “Golden and Silk Skin” ritual, a collagen facial and an Italian hammam experience. The spa is open to outside guests, so book treatments when you book the room in high season.
Sport and activities
Tennis and fitness
There is one outdoor clay tennis court in the grounds, with views over the lake. With one court, reserve early, and ask the hotel about racquet hire and coaching, which are not published. The gym, called La Malpensata, fills three floors of a historic building with Technogym equipment and lake views, and yoga and personal training can be arranged.
Golf
Tremezzo is one of the best-placed grand hotels for golf on the lake, which is why it features in our guide to golf hotels on Lake Como. Golf Club Menaggio & Cadenabbia, a par 70 founded in 1907, is around 15 to 20 minutes by car up the hill behind Menaggio, and the concierge arranges tee times on request. Golf Club Lugano in Switzerland is a realistic day out at roughly 50 minutes. Golfer privileges and green fee discounts are not published, so ask the hotel. For the courses themselves, see our overview of golf courses on Lake Como.
On the water and beyond
The hotel runs its own boats, including classic wooden Riva launches, for private trips to Bellagio, Varenna or the Villa del Balbianello. Kayaks and paddleboards can be arranged, and the Greenway del Lago di Como walking path passes through Tremezzina.
What’s nearby
- Villa Carlotta: a short walk along the lake, with a botanical garden famous for its spring azaleas and rhododendrons.
- Villa del Balbianello: the most photographed villa on the lake, on the Lavedo peninsula a few minutes south, best reached by boat.
- Bellagio: a short ferry crossing, with the Villa Melzi gardens and Villa Serbelloni’s park. Read our Villa Serbelloni review if you are weighing the two.
- CASABIANCA: new for 2026, a restored 1930s lakeside villa where the De Santis family show around 50 works from their contemporary art collection, with a Cova café. Ask the hotel how to arrange a visit.
- Como: about 40 minutes by car. Hotel guests can also book a box at the Teatro Sociale through the hotel’s opera programme.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo vs other Lake Como grand hotels
| Hotel | Location | Standout | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Hotel Tremezzo | Tremezzina, west shore, mid-lake | Three pools including the floating pool, Marchesi’s La Terrazza, clay court | Lively stays, families, Menaggio golfers |
| Villa d’Este | Cernobbio, southern lake | Historic park and its own golf club, Circolo Golf Villa d’Este | Golfers and classic formality |
| Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni | Bellagio, the point of the lake | Relais & Châteaux, walkable Bellagio, beach club | Couples who want to stroll into town |
| Il Sereno | Torno, eastern shore | All-suite contemporary design, Michelin-starred restaurant | Design-led couples |
In short: Villa d’Este is the formal choice with golf on its doorstep (see our Villa d’Este review), Serbelloni wins on walkability, Il Sereno on modern design and food, and Tremezzo on atmosphere, pools and its central position.
Who it suits, and who it does not
It suits:
- Couples and friends who enjoy a buzzing lido, cocktails and a sense of occasion.
- Families: all ages are welcome, there are children’s menus and a family pool, and cots are free for younger children.
- Golfers who want Menaggio close by and a lot to do for a non-golfing partner.
It does not suit:
- Travellers who want total quiet: the lido is busy in summer, and the lakeside road runs past.
- Minimalists: the interiors are opulent and unapologetically traditional.
- Food lovers who want a Michelin-starred tasting menu in-house.
- Winter visitors, since the hotel closes from early November to March.
Charlotte’s tip: choose between the view and the quiet
Pick a Lake View Deluxe corner room or a rooftop suite if the view of Bellagio is the dream, and accept a little road noise for it. If you sleep lightly, a Park View room or the new Park View Junior Suite gives you the gardens and real calm, and you still have the lake from every terrace and pool. Then go in May, June or September, when the floating pool is warm and the boats are easier to book.
Practical tips
- Booking: reserve spa treatments, private boat trips, the tennis court and dinner at La Terrazza when you book, especially for July and August.
- Best rooms to request: Lake View Deluxe corner rooms for value, the Rooftop Front or Grand Suite for a special occasion, Suite Emilia for spa lovers, the Terrace Garden Suite for families.
- Season: open roughly from mid-March to early November. Early spring and late October are quieter, with fewer ferries.
- Dress: resort wear by day, smart for dinner at La Terrazza.
- Kids: welcome, with a family pool and children’s menus; the indoor spa pool is adults-only. Extra beds for older children are charged, so ask the hotel.
- Check-in: from 3 pm, check-out at noon.
Check prices and availability
Compare park view and lake view rates, and check whether breakfast and spa access are included on your dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Grand Hotel Tremezzo open all year?
No. It is seasonal. The 2026 season ran from 19 March to early November, and the hotel closes over winter. Ask the hotel for 2027 opening dates.
Does Grand Hotel Tremezzo have a Michelin star?
No. La Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi, its flagship restaurant, does not hold a star in the 2026 Michelin Guide, though it is one of the best-known hotel dining rooms on the lake.
How many pools does Grand Hotel Tremezzo have?
Three: the heated floating pool on the lake, the heated Flowers Pool in the gardens, and an adults-only indoor infinity pool in the T Spa.
Is there golf near Grand Hotel Tremezzo?
Yes. Golf Club Menaggio & Cadenabbia is about 15 to 20 minutes by car, and the concierge can book tee times. Golf Club Lugano is around 50 minutes away.
Planning more Lake Como trips?
