Of the Lake Como hotels, I have chosen 3, all on the western shore and each for a different trip. Villa d’Este, at Cernobbio, is the historic grand hotel with a pool that floats on the lake; Passalacqua, at Moltrasio, a villa of 24 rooms with terraced gardens and Viviana Varese’s cooking; Grand Hotel Tremezzo, further north, the 1910 palace facing Bellagio, with its own pool on the lake.
All 3 have the lake; what sets them apart is scale: a grand hotel of 151 rooms with 4 villas in its park, a private villa of 24, a palace of 77 in the middle of the lake.
| Hotel | Suits | The trip | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Hotel Tremezzo | Couples, families too | The pool floating opposite Bellagio, the lido and the Gualtiero Marchesi terrace | Awkward as a base for nights out, and open from March to early November |
| Passalacqua | Couples and celebrations | The gardens, vintage boats from the jetty and Viviana Varese’s cooking | The gym and pool are compact; from outside you get in only by booking the restaurant |
| Villa d’Este | Couples, families and celebrations | The floating pool, aperitivo at Bar Canova and dinner in a jacket at the Veranda | No pets; it closes from January to mid-March |
3 addresses on the same shore: Cardinal Gallio’s 1568 villa at Cernobbio, the late-18th-century villa at Moltrasio where Bellini wrote La Sonnambula, and the 1910 grand hotel at Tremezzo.
Tremezzo, Lake Como
A pool floats on the lake; the 1910 palace and its park give you reasons to linger.
Spas and pools: Lake Como spa hotel
Discover Grand Hotel TremezzoMoltrasio, Lake Como
The 18th-century villa where Bellini wrote La Sonnambula: 24 rooms, 3 hectares of gardens and Viviana Varese’s cooking.
Food and drink: Passalacqua restaurant
Discover PassalacquaCernobbio, Lake Como
The 1568 villa in its park: a pool that floats on the lake, Bar Canova since 1873 and dinner in a jacket at the Veranda.
Food and drink: Villa d’Este restaurant
Discover Villa d’EsteLoading map…
Recommended for you
2 of the 3. At Villa d’Este the floating pool has sat on the water since 1966, open in summer 9.30am to 7pm, with a Jacuzzi and a children’s pool; at Grand Hotel Tremezzo the pool floats in front of the palace, across the Regina road. At Passalacqua the outdoor pool is on a garden terrace above the lake, and the indoor one is in the spa tunnel.
Villa d’Este, which has stayed open for the festive season since 2022 and closes from 7 January to 16 March 2027. Passalacqua closes from 3 January to 11 March 2027; Grand Hotel Tremezzo opens from March to early November.
Yes, with a booking. Villa d’Este’s Veranda is open to all; Passalacqua’s restaurant has taken outside guests since November 2024, by email or phone (contacts); at Grand Hotel Tremezzo La Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi takes public bookings. Without one, Villa d’Este and Passalacqua turn visitors away at the gate.
It depends heavily on the date. On Google Hotels, read on 4 October 2026 for 2 adults, Villa d’Este started at €890 on 16 November and Passalacqua at €1,128 on 30 November 2026; in summer they started at €2,600 and €2,750. Grand Hotel Tremezzo asked €1,100 for the nights of 13 and 17 April 2027, read on 27 September.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo and, according to Booking.com and Expedia, Passalacqua. Villa d’Este does not: its rules allow no animals during the season.
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