Lake Como has more famous villas than tennis courts. Most of its grand hotels are squeezed between the water and steep hillsides, so a flat rectangle of clay is a real luxury here. A small group of hotels have found the space, and playing a set with the lake below you is a highlight of any racquet holiday in Italy. This guide covers the hotels with a court on site, the club where visitors can book, and the best months to play.
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Quick answer: the best tennis hotels on Lake Como
- Most courts: Villa d’Este, Cernobbio, with eight courts (six clay) and coaching by LUX Tennis.
- Best single court: Grand Hotel Tremezzo, a floodlit clay court above the Flowers Pool.
- Most private: Passalacqua, Moltrasio, with a clay court on the lowest terrace of its gardens.
- Best in Bellagio: Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, tennis plus a squash court on the tip of the promontory.
- Best for families: Parco San Marco, a resort on nearby Lake Lugano, a short drive from Menaggio.
If you are planning a wider Italian trip around the game, our hub on the best luxury hotels with tennis courts in Italy compares Lake Como with Sicily, Tuscany, Lake Garda and the Amalfi Coast.
Check prices and availability
Cernobbio, at the southern end of the lake, is the closest base to Como and Milan and home to Villa d’Este’s eight courts. Rooms for May, June and September go early.
The best luxury hotels on Lake Como with their own tennis courts
Every hotel below has a court on its own grounds or one it controls for guests. Floodlighting and fees are rarely published, so where we could not confirm a detail, ask the hotel before you book.
Villa d’Este (Cernobbio)
The sixteenth century cardinal’s residence in Cernobbio is the obvious first choice for anyone who wants to play every day. There are eight tennis courts inside the historic park, six of them red clay; the hotel does not state the surface of the other two. Courts are open daily from 8am to 8pm and must be booked in advance. Coaching comes through the hotel’s partner LUX Tennis, whose coaches run tailored lessons and programmes for adults and children, and racquets are available if you travel light. Floodlighting is not mentioned, so ask the hotel if you want to play after dark. There is no padel court advertised, but there is a squash court.
Off court, Villa d’Este has 152 rooms and suites, the famous floating pool on the lake, an indoor pool, a Sporting Club with sauna and Turkish bath, and a Beauty Centre using Biologique Recherche products. The Veranda is the main restaurant, with the Grill and Il Platano for more relaxed meals. The 2026 season reopened in spring and runs until 7 January 2027, longer than most hotels on the lake. Our full Villa d’Este review covers the rooms in detail.
Best for: keen players who want several courts, regular coaching and old-world grandeur, and anyone travelling in late autumn.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo (Tremezzina)
The Art Nouveau palace in Tremezzo faces Bellagio across the widest part of the lake. Its tennis court is a single open-air clay court on a terrace above the Flowers Pool, framed by jasmine. The hotel had a grass court here as early as 1910. The court is floodlit, an instructor can be arranged on request, and racquets and balls are available from the concierge. With just one court for the whole hotel, book your slots when you book the room, especially for July and August. Padel is not offered.
The rest of the stay is about water: three pools including the floating pool on the lake and the indoor double infinity pool in the T Spa, which occupies the eighteenth century Villa Emilia next door. La Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi is the signature restaurant, and T Pizza by the Flowers Pool is the easy lunch stop between sets. The 2026 season opened on 19 March and the hotel closes in early November until spring. Read our Grand Hotel Tremezzo review for more.
Best for: couples and families who want one good court, floodlit evening play and a lively resort atmosphere.
Check rates at Grand Hotel Tremezzo
Charlotte’s tip: play by the boat timetable
On the west shore, book the court for 8am, then catch a mid-morning boat to Bellagio or Varenna before the day trippers arrive. If you want more ideas for building a trip around the game, read why tennis belongs on your Lake Como itinerary.
Passalacqua (Moltrasio)
Passalacqua is an eighteenth century villa in Moltrasio, on the west shore north of Cernobbio, turned into a private-feeling hotel with only 24 rooms and suites across three restored buildings. It belongs to the same family as Grand Hotel Tremezzo. The tennis court is a single clay court on the lowest level of the terraced gardens, right above the water, which the hotel calls its “infinity court”. Floodlighting, coaching and racquet hire are not published, so ask the hotel when you book. There is no padel.
Beyond the court there is a swimming pool, refreshments served in the Winter Garden designed by LaDoubleJ, spa treatments that can be taken outdoors, and a restaurant reserved for hotel guests. Passalacqua closes for only about two months a year, from early January to early March, so it is a good choice for autumn tennis.
Best for: couples who want a quiet, exclusive setting and a court that rarely feels busy.
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni (Bellagio)
The grande dame of Bellagio sits at the tip of the promontory where the lake divides, and since July 2025 it has been part of Relais & Châteaux. Tennis is part of its sports area along with a squash court and a gym. Our research turned up contradictory information on the number of courts: the Michelin Guide and other hotel listings describe a single tennis court, while one booking platform lists two. It was not clear to us which applies, so confirm with the hotel before you book if you are travelling as a group. Surface, floodlighting and coaching are not published either, so ask the hotel.
The hotel has around 94 rooms, an indoor and an outdoor pool, a lakeside private jetty and a spa with sauna, steam bath and treatments. Mistral is the gastronomic restaurant, open for dinner with an elegant dress code, and La Goletta is the relaxed all-day option. The hotel is seasonal, open from March to November. Our Villa Serbelloni review has more on the rooms.
Best for: travellers who want Bellagio on the doorstep and a hit or two during the stay rather than a tennis holiday.
Check rates at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni
Villa Sola Cabiati by Grand Hotel Tremezzo (Tremezzina)
If you are travelling as a family or a group of friends, this historic villa a short distance from Grand Hotel Tremezzo is booked as a whole, with six suites for up to 12 guests and its own pool in the garden. It has no court of its own, but guests have full use of Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s facilities, including the floodlit clay court, the spa, the pools and the restaurants, with transfers included. It is bookable all year, but Grand Hotel Tremezzo closes over winter, so check which facilities, including the court, are available outside March to early November.
Best for: groups who want a private villa with a hotel court and staff behind it.
Parco San Marco Lifestyle Beach Resort (Cima di Porlezza, Lake Lugano)
Strictly speaking this resort is on Lake Lugano, not Lake Como, but it sits a short drive west of Menaggio and solves a real problem: very few hotels on the west shore of Lake Como have courts at all. It is a four-star family resort with outdoor tennis courts, a basketball court, indoor and outdoor pools, a water park, a kids club and a wellness centre. The number of courts, their surface and floodlighting are not published, so ask the hotel. Padel is not mentioned.
The season needs checking. Our research turned up contradictory information here: one regional tourism listing gives an opening period of 4 April to 2 November, while the same listing shows a winter closure starting on 25 October 2026. It was not clear to us which applies, so confirm with the resort before you book an autumn stay.
Best for: active families who want plenty of sport and are happy to drive to Menaggio and the Lake Como ferries.
Check rates at Parco San Marco
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Prefer to stay in the heart of the lake? Bellagio puts you at the centre of the ferry network, with Tremezzo and Villa Serbelloni’s courts within easy reach.
Comparison table: tennis hotels on Lake Como at a glance
| Hotel | Area | Courts and surface | Lights and coaching | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villa d’Este | Cernobbio | 8, six clay | LUX Tennis coaching; lights: ask the hotel | Spring to 7 January 2027 |
| Grand Hotel Tremezzo | Tremezzina | 1, clay | Floodlit, instructor on request | 19 March to early November |
| Passalacqua | Moltrasio | 1, clay | Ask the hotel | Closed early January to early March |
| Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni | Bellagio | 1 or 2 (sources differ), surface: ask the hotel | Ask the hotel | March to November |
| Villa Sola Cabiati | Tremezzina | Uses Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s clay court | As Grand Hotel Tremezzo | March to early November |
| Parco San Marco | Lake Lugano, near Menaggio | Outdoor courts, details: ask the hotel | Ask the hotel | April to autumn (sources differ) |
Hotels we checked but did not include
Several famous names on the lake do not have courts, which surprises many visitors. The Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como does not list tennis among its facilities, and Il Sereno in Torno has no court on site. Grand Hotel Victoria Menaggio has no tennis court either. The Grand Hotel Imperiale in Moltrasio, which did have a court, closed for a full renovation and is due to reopen as Raffles Lake Como in 2027, so it is not an option for 2026. If setting matters more than sport, our guide on where to stay on Lake Como covers all of these in full.
Where else to play tennis on Lake Como
If your hotel has no court, or you want a second venue, there is one club near Como itself that welcomes visitors.
- Tennis Como, Villa Olmo: five courts in the grounds of Villa Olmo on the lakefront just outside Como, three of which are covered with bubbles so play continues through winter. Non-members can book a court after registering on the club’s website. It is a few minutes from Cernobbio and Moltrasio.
For a fuller list of public and club courts, see our guide to the best tennis courts on Lake Como. If golf is on the list too, our golf hotels on Lake Como guide covers Villa d’Este’s course and the Menaggio club.
When to play tennis on Lake Como
The lake’s tennis calendar is set by the hotels, since most of them close over winter.
- Late March and April: hotels reopen, gardens bloom and courts are easy to book. Mornings can be cool and spring showers are common, so pack a layer.
- May and June: the best balance of warm days, long evenings and manageable crowds.
- July and August: warm and humid, though usually less punishing than southern Italy. Play early or, at Grand Hotel Tremezzo, under the floodlights.
- September and October: my favourite months, with softer light and quieter ferries.
- November to February: most hotels are closed. Villa d’Este stays open until early January in 2026, and Tennis Como’s covered courts keep running.
Charlotte’s tip: book the court with the room
With single courts at Tremezzo and Passalacqua, the best slots go to whoever asks first. Put your court times in the same email as your dinner reservation. If you want clay by the water in midsummer with more choice of courts, compare the lake with our guide to tennis hotels on Lake Garda, or go south to Tuscany, Sicily or the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Lake Como hotel has the most tennis courts?
Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, with eight courts, six of them clay, plus coaching from LUX Tennis. The other hotels in this guide have one court each, or in the case of Villa Serbelloni possibly two.
Can I play tennis on Lake Como without staying at one of these hotels?
Yes. Tennis Como at Villa Olmo lets non-members book a court after registering online, and three of its five courts are covered in winter.
Are Lake Como tennis hotels open in winter?
Mostly not. Grand Hotel Tremezzo closes from early November, Villa Serbelloni runs from March to November and Passalacqua closes from early January to early March. Villa d’Este is open until 7 January 2027 this season.
Do any Lake Como hotels have padel courts?
None of the hotels in this guide advertises a padel court. Ask your concierge about clubs in the Como area if padel is a priority.
Flying into Milan? Our guide to where to play tennis in Milan covers the city clubs visitors can book.
