The Veranda
Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the season, open to non-residents; an autumn tasting menu at €210, and a jacket for men at dinner.
Villa d’Este
Villa d’Este, at Cernobbio on Lake Como, is Cardinal Gallio’s villa of 1568, a hotel since 1873, with a pool that floats on the lake.
For travellers who enjoy dressing for dinner and lingering in the gardens, Villa d’Este starts at €890 for 2 adults, the lowest seller price Google showed for one night in November. If you prefer an informal dinner, the Veranda’s requirement for men to wear a jacket, long trousers and closed shoes may decide against it.
Villa d’Este restaurant: the Veranda and the other tables, menus and prices Check rooms and rates on the official site Restaurants and bars The poolsWould you go?
Keep it among your hotels and see it on the budget globe, month by month.Like a regular
Ask for the lake
I would ask for a Deluxe Room for its front-facing lake view: 35–40 m² in either the Cardinal’s Building or the Queen’s Pavilion. The hotel cautions that layouts, furnishings and details may differ between rooms.
The quieter November bill
From 14 to 20 November 2026, each night shows €890 in the calendar read on 13 October 2026. The dearest night it shows is 13 June 2027, at €3,840.
No supplement for parking
Hotel guests park free of charge in the private car park. The Deluxe Room also lists a complimentary minibar: these are inclusions to keep in mind when comparing what each booking covers.
To Como by Rusco
For a trip to Como, reserve a place on Rusco, the complimentary shared boat service for resident guests, with bookings accepted up to 24 hours before departure. The first sailing from Villa d’Este is at 10.30am; the last from Como at 6pm.
What Villa d’Este is
The villa was designed in 1568 by Pellegrino Pellegrini, known as Il Tibaldi, as the summer residence of Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio, Bishop of Como; in 1815 it was bought by Caroline of Brunswick, Princess of Wales, who named it Villa d’Este, and in 1873 a group of Milanese businessmen turned it into a hotel. The park, 10 hectares, has been a national monument since 1913. It is not the Villa d’Este at Tivoli, whose gardens are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
There are 151 rooms and suites, 124 in the Cardinal’s Building and 27 in the Queen’s Pavilion, built in 1856; the park also holds 4 villas to rent, from Villa Cima, the only one on the water, to the Mosaic House beside the nymphaeum. On the site rates start at €1,150 for a Classic Room, €8,500 for the Cardinal Suite and €4,500 to €13,500 for the villas. In 2026 the MICHELIN Guide gave the hotel 2 Keys.
The floating pool, here since 1966, sits on the water beside the Jacuzzi and the children’s pool; there is also an indoor pool in the Sporting Club, with a gym open around the clock and 8 tennis courts. The restaurants are the Veranda, under chef Andrea Guerini since 2026, the Grill in the garden, Il Platano on the lake and the Sundeck for hotel guests; Bar Canova has been open since 1873. The Beauty Center, 6 rooms, is for hotel guests aged 16 and over.
On Google it scores 4.7 out of 5 from 3,322 reviews; the 403 of the past year average 4.69. On Tripadvisor it scores 4.7. Guests praise the staff, the view and the gardens, the floating pool and the pianist in the evening at Bar Canova, where cocktails cost €26 to €30. The “Villa d’Este” listings on Booking.com and Expedia belong to another hotel, in Grado.
One Lume
Lumina Guide 2027
Gives more than the other hotels of its place and price range.
Villa d’Este, at Cernobbio on Lake Como, is Cardinal Gallio’s villa of 1568, a hotel since 1873, with a pool that floats on the lake.
How Lumi are awardedGuests
500 reviews read: the location pleases almost every guest who mentions it, the staff and service more than 8 in 10.
Critics
Ours (exceptional)
We found a 10-hectare park that has been a national monument since 1913, the Mosaic’s nymphaeum, 151 rooms between the Cardinal’s Building and the Queen’s Pavilion, and a cellar of over 10,000 labels.
Those who come back
Among the hotel’s regulars, a guest writing in April 2025 recalls the team’s kindness, attention to detail and genuine care. Another, writing in July 2025, describes continuing renovation and a warm, professional team. A guest writing in April 2024, after 2 previous stays, would spend a future holiday entirely at the hotel, relaxing.
- 10 of the 813 reviews with text describe a repeat stay
- From a second stay to a fifth
- One guest recalls a previous stay in 2011
The count includes reviews with explicit evidence of repeat stays; accounts of visits without that evidence are excluded.
Our reading, point by point
What we found reading the hotel’s own pages, one thing at a time.
Location
On the lake at Cernobbio, with the ferry pier 11 minutes away on foot, Como 14 by car and Malpensa 47.
Character
A 16th-century villa, the Mosaic’s nymphaeum, a bar open since 1873 and a park that is a national monument.
Rooms
From 30 m² to 108 m², plus the villas; the Classics face the inner courtyard, the Executives the garden, and lake views start with the Deluxe.
Food and social life
5 restaurants and bars and a cellar of over 10,000 labels; the Veranda is in the MICHELIN Guide without a star.
Wellness
The floating pool, the indoor pool, a Jacuzzi on the lake, 8 tennis courts and a gym that never closes.
The stay as a whole
From €890 a night in November to €2,600 in summer, up to €3,840 in mid-June 2027, plus €7 a person in tax.
What makes it rare
A badge is an experience travellers look for, that is really here and that few hotels in the guide have.
A story inside
Here: a 16th-century villa, the Mosaic’s nymphaeum, a bar open since 1873 and a park that is a national monument.
A history that goes back to at least 1873. 31 hotels of 335 hold it.
Every hotel with this badge
The 5 things that matter, as guests tell them
What do Villa d’Este’s guests say? They write it in their reviews, even those who only came for a drink or dinner: we read every one and tell the 5 things that matter, from the location to the bill.
Location
Nearly every guest who mentions it is happy with it. The lake from the terrace, the park and the gardens: for guests the setting is the reason to make the journey.
Room
7 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. Guests describe spacious rooms with lake views and the period charm of classic Italian interiors.
Staff and service
8 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. Guests describe attentive, warm staff, from the front desk to the waiters, and remember the pianist who plays in the evening at Bar Canova.
Breakfast
8 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. Breakfast is a buffet at the Veranda, from 7am to 11am, or in the room; guests write of the tables on the terrace facing the lake and of the service.
Price
Service that matches the prices and the place is what guests who pay the bill gladly point to.
Where Villa d’Este leads
- Location
On location it comes ahead of the 3 other hotels it is compared with on Lake Como.
- Staff and service
On staff and service it shares first place with Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como among the 4 hotels compared on Lake Como.
The numbers, and how we count them
| What | Score out of 10 | Guests who mention it | Happy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | 9.4 | 202 | 97% |
| Room | 7.2 | 82 | 70% |
| Staff and service | 8.3 | 309 | 84% |
| Breakfast | 7.4 | 32 | 75% |
| Price | – | 41 | 24% |
The scores come from 500 Google reviews with text, left from 12 September 2024 to 2 October 2026. The other hotels are the ones weighed for a stay on Lake Como: for each we read its latest 500 Google reviews with text, or all of them where there are fewer, as of 5 October 2026. The score is the average of what they say, from 0 if they speak of it very badly to 10 if they speak of it very well. Where only a few mention something, the score stays close to the guide’s average: a handful of voices does not make a reputation.
The hotels we weigh it against on Lake Como:
- Tremezzo
- Passalacqua
- Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como
- Il Sereno
- Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni
Price: for two on the night of 6 November 2026, from €890 (seen on Google Hotels on 13 October 2026).
What a night costs, season by season
Displayed single-night prices range from €890 in autumn 2026 to €3,840 on 13 June 2027. I would compare November dates first, then check the price for the whole stay before choosing a room.
| Period | Euros a night |
|---|---|
| 14 October to 30 November 2026 | 890–1,300 |
| 1 Dec 2026–13 Apr 2027 | 940–1,786 |
| 14 April to 25 May 2027 | 1,320–2,400 |
| 26 May to 8 September 2027 | 1,850–3,840 |
Lowest seller price on Google Hotels for one night searched alone for 2 adults, read on 13 October 2026; no room or meal plan specified. Some nights had no price; the calendar stops on 8 September 2027. For 10 November 2026, the hotel’s own price and the lowest seller were both €990 when read on 4 October 2026. Booked as 7 nights from 16 to 23 November 2026, the lowest seller Google listed on 13 October asked €801 a night; the hotel’s own listing, €801.
Villa d’Este or Passalacqua
Villa d’Este suits a stay built around formal dining at the Veranda and time in the extensive gardens. Passalacqua is the choice for a 24-room villa at Moltrasio.
| Hotel | A night, from |
|---|---|
| Villa d’Este | €890 |
| Passalacqua | €1,129 |
Lowest seller price for a single night in the week of 16–22 November 2026, searched for 2 adults on Google Hotels on 13 October 2026; room and meal plan unspecified.
What to expect
The Veranda on the lake, Bar Canova, the floating pool, the indoor pool and the Beauty Center.
Bar Canova
Open since 1873, 10am to midnight, with a pianist in the evening; cocktails cost €26 to €30, and visitors from outside must book.
The floating pool
On the lake since 1966, in summer 9.30am to 7pm, from age 12 without an adult; beside it, the Jacuzzi and the children’s pool.
The indoor pool
In the Sporting Club, 7am to 8pm, with the sauna, the steam room and a gym open day and night.
The Beauty Center
6 green-marble rooms using Biologique Recherche, 10am to 7pm, for hotel guests aged 16 and over; a 60-minute massage from €210.
Good to know before you book
At the Veranda men wear a jacket, long trousers and closed shoes at dinner; Bar Canova asks for cocktail attire from 6pm. Source: villadeste.com
Cocktails at Bar Canova cost €26 to €30; the Veranda’s autumn tasting menu is €210. Source: villadeste.com
It opens from mid-March to early January: Google Hotels sells nights to 6 January 2027 and again from 17 March. Forbes and the MICHELIN Guide still have it closing in November, but since 2022 it has stayed open for the festive season.
Visitors get in only with a restaurant or bar booking: without one, the gate stays closed. The Sundeck, the Beauty Center and the Sporting Club are for hotel guests.
Cernobbio’s tourist tax for a 5-star hotel is €7 a person a night for up to 7 nights, from 1 April to 31 December 2026.
Animals are not allowed anywhere on the property during the season, under the official rules; Google’s card lists them as allowed free.
The “Villa d’Este” pages on Booking.com and Expedia, scoring 8.1 and 7.6 and charging €10 for dogs, belong to another hotel, in Grado: for Cernobbio, go by the official site, Google and Tripadvisor.
Between October 2023 and September 2026, 15 Google reviews describe furnishings or bathrooms in the rooms that show their years; others, in the same period, write of the period charm of the same furnishings.
5 Google reviews, between October 2023 and September 2026, report that the rooms have no coffee machine or kettle; 2 guests were given them on asking the staff.
3 Google reviews, between October 2023 and September 2026, report noise in the room: in 2, cars on the street side, one of them in the Queen’s Pavilion, and in one the area by the boat dock, in the evening and early in the morning.
151 rooms and suites in 11 categories, plus 4 villas
Getting there
Malpensa is 47 minutes away by car without traffic, Como San Giovanni station 11; the vintage launch Rusco takes guests to Como free.
| Address | Via Regina 40, 22012 Cernobbio (Como), in its park on the lake’s western shore. |
|---|---|
| From the airport | Milan Malpensa: 54.7 km, 47 minutes by car. Linate: 63.1 km, 63 minutes. Lugano: 35.3 km, 35 minutes. Times without traffic; there is also a helipad. |
| By train | Como San Giovanni, with trains to Milano Centrale and Switzerland, is 5.3 km away, 11 minutes by car; Como Nord Lago, with trains from Milano Cadorna, 7.4 km, 14 minutes. Cernobbio’s ferry pier is 11 minutes away on foot. |
| Parking | Free car park and covered garage for hotel guests, with electric chargers; Google lists it as paid. |
| Check-in and check-out | The official site gives no times: KAYAK says check-in from 3pm and check-out at noon, Trip.com check-in from 2pm. |
Journeys computed on OpenStreetMap’s streets on 4 and 5 October 2026, without traffic; prices and rules from the official pages read the same days.
Beyond the hotel
Cernobbio’s centre 9 minutes away on foot, Villa Olmo 8 by car, Como 14: the rest of the lake by ferry or boat.
Cernobbio
Piazza Risorgimento and the lakefront: 678 metres, 9 minutes on foot; the ferry pier 11.
Villa Olmo
On the lake at the edge of Como: 8 minutes by car, 44 on foot along the shore.
Como cathedral
5.2 km, 70 minutes on foot; by car Como’s lakefront is 14 minutes away.
The Brunate funicular
It climbs from Como to the Brunate balcony: 5.6 km, 74 minutes on foot from the hotel.
Villa Carlotta
At Tremezzina, on the same shore: 24.7 km, 37 minutes by car.
Bellagio
Piazza Mazzini: 36.9 km and 48 minutes by road, or by ferry.
From Villa d’Este to Cernobbio, Como and the middle of the lake
The hotel, Cernobbio, the villas on the lake, Como, the station and the airport.
Loading map…
Recommended for you
A day at Villa d’Este
7am
Breakfast at the Veranda
Take breakfast at the Veranda, framed by the Mosaic and its disappearing glass walls.
Later in the morning
Walk to the Sporting Club
Take the private passage linking the Cardinal’s Building to the Sporting Club.
12.30pm
Lunch at the Veranda
Reserve a table for lunch at the Veranda.
The afternoon
Walk to the Mosaic
Spend the afternoon by the Mosaic avenue and its nymphaeum.
7.30pm
Dinner at the Veranda
At the Veranda, dinner follows the seasonality of ingredients from the sea, land and lake.
Villa d’Este reviews
The platforms’ scores and what guests write, from the gardens to dressing for dinner.
Scores read on 4 October 2026
Guest voices
From the hotel’s Google listing: the history, dinner, the gardens and the criticism.
GoogleHistory and staff
For a September guest, an incredible hotel for its history, location, view and staff.
Google · September 2026Read the review
GoogleDinner
In August a guest found dinner at Villa d’Este an extraordinarily elegant experience.
Google · August 2026Read the review
GoogleDressing for dinner
A September guest calls it a throwback to the days when people dressed for dinner.
Google · September 2026Read the review
GoogleThe gardens
Immaculate gardens full of sculptures, mosaics, fountains and hidden corners, writes an August guest.
Google · August 2026Read the review
GoogleThe rooms
In September a guest drew the line between vintage character and a room that simply felt dated.
Google · September 2026Read the review
GoogleThe gate
In June a visitor had a very disappointing experience with the staff at the gate.
Google · June 2026Read the review
Questions before you go
Sources read on 4 and 5 October 2026: official pages and price lists, Google Hotels, the MICHELIN Guide and booking sites.
How much is a night at Villa d’Este?
On Google Hotels, read on 13 October 2026 for 2 adults, the cheapest night cost €890 on 16 November and €1,060 on 23 December 2026, €1,000 on 4 January and €940 on 20 March 2027; summer started at €2,600 on 1 June. The dearest nights were 13 June 2027, at €3,840, and New Year, at €1,786 on 30 December. For the night of 10 November the official site asked €890. Tourist tax, €7 a person a night, is extra.
When is Villa d’Este open?
From mid-March to early January. Google Hotels sells arrivals up to 6 January 2027 and again from 17 March; since 2022 the hotel has stayed open for the festive season, with the Greenhouse and the Chocolate Room. Forbes and the MICHELIN Guide still have it closed from November.
Is Villa d’Este in Cernobbio the same as the one in Tivoli?
No. The UNESCO-listed Villa d’Este, with its fountain gardens, is at Tivoli near Rome; this is Cardinal Gallio’s villa at Cernobbio on Lake Como, a hotel since 1873. Forbes wrongly gives the Cernobbio gardens the UNESCO listing.
Can non-guests visit Villa d’Este?
Only with a booking: the Veranda is open to all, and Bar Canova asks visitors from outside to book, on +39 031 348 400 or at restaurant.reservation@villadeste.it. The Sundeck, the Beauty Center and the Sporting Club are for hotel guests. The restaurants, prices and how to book.
What is the dress code at Villa d’Este?
At the Veranda smart casual at lunch and, at dinner, a jacket, long trousers and closed shoes for men; at the Grill and Il Platano long trousers and closed shoes in the evening; at Bar Canova cocktail attire from 6pm; at the Sundeck casual, with a shirt or T-shirt.
Is breakfast included?
In the 4 official offers read, yes, and Google lists it as free. It is served at the Veranda from 7am to 11am, or in your room.
How many pools are there, and are they heated?
4: the floating pool on the lake, the outdoor Jacuzzi and the children’s pool, open in summer 9.30am to 7pm, and the Sporting Club’s indoor pool, 7am to 8pm. The press kit calls the floating, indoor and children’s pools heated; temperatures are not published. Children may use the floating pool alone from 12 and the Jacuzzi from 13.
What is the spa like, and who can use it?
The Beauty Center, on the first floor of the Cardinal’s Building, has 6 rooms and uses Biologique Recherche, 10am to 7pm, for hotel guests aged 16 and over, by appointment. On the 2026 list a 60-minute massage costs €210 to €250, a 90-minute one €295 to €325 and a 90-minute signature facial €380.
Does Villa d’Este have a beach?
No. There is a private jetty, with mooring at €450 a night, and the Sporting Club lends SUPs and canoes without booking; water-skiing costs €80 for 10 minutes, an Ernesto Riva motorboat €250 an hour.
Does the restaurant have a MICHELIN star?
No: the Veranda is in the MICHELIN Guide, for contemporary Italian cooking, but without a star. The 2 MICHELIN Keys of 2026 belong to the hotel.
Is Villa d’Este good for children?
Yes: from 2 June to 30 August the “Ninfeo’s Land” kids’ club takes children from 3, 10am to 6.30pm, free for hotel guests, alongside the children’s pool, babysitting on request and interconnecting rooms. Cot and extra-bed rules are not published.
Are dogs allowed?
No: the official rules allow no animals anywhere on the property during the season. Google’s card, which lists them as allowed free, is wrong; Expedia’s €10 dog fee belongs to another hotel, in Grado.
Is there parking?
Yes, the car park and covered garage are free for hotel guests, with six 22 kW chargers and 2 Tesla points; there is also a helipad. Google lists parking as paid, but the official site says free.
How do I get there from Milan?
By car, Malpensa is 54.7 km and 47 minutes away, Linate 63.1 km and 63 minutes, without traffic. By train, Como San Giovanni from Milano Centrale or Como Nord Lago from Milano Cadorna, then 11 or 14 minutes by car; the hotel has a courtesy car to Como.
What time is check-in?
The official site does not say. KAYAK gives check-in from 3pm and check-out at noon, Trip.com check-in from 2pm and check-out at noon.
How much is the tourist tax in Cernobbio?
For a 5-star hotel, €7 a person a night, for up to 7 consecutive nights, from 1 April to 31 December 2026: stays from January to March pay none.
What does Villa d’Este do for New Year’s Eve?
A 6-course gala dinner at the Veranda, black tie, with fireworks, and a New Year’s Day brunch with wines included; before them, Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas lunch. The evening’s price had not been published on 5 October 2026; on Google Hotels the night of 30 December cost €1,786.
Can you book a villa in the park?
Yes, 4: Villa Cima, on the water, from €13,500 a night for 10 guests; Villa Garrovo, with a private gym, from €12,900 for 13; Villa Malakoff from €8,350 for 8; the Mosaic House, a single suite, from €4,500. All come with the hotel’s services, and an in-villa chef on request.
Can you hold a wedding or an event at Villa d’Este?
Yes: the hotel has rooms for receptions and private dinners and can be taken whole, but prices are not published.
Is the Golf Club Villa d’Este at the hotel?
No: it is a separate club in the same group at Montorfano, 14.1 km and 24 minutes by car; 18 holes, par 69, open March to December, closed on Tuesdays. Its restaurant, La Terrazza al Golf, is open to non-members.
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