Hear “Lake Como” and chances are you’ll image well-heeled jetsetters alighting from non-public planes with barrages of designer trunks, set for a star-studded vacation (or, for a sure HBO-loyal contingent, a descending helicopter carrying members of a media dynasty). And, certainly, the famed Italian lago welcomes its justifiable share of Hollywood insiders and international impresarios. However there’s additionally loads of historical past, serenity, and jaw-dropping design to be discovered—if you understand the place to look.
Throughout the lake from the busier city of Como, Bellagio is dwelling to one of many space’s oldest motels: The Grand Resort Villa Serbelloni first opened its doorways in 1873. Now, its headed into its a hundred and fiftieth yr in enterprise with a refreshed design sensibility and eye to fashionable journey—all whereas drawing on a storied previous on the shores of the lake (as in, immediately on the lake, one of many few luxurious motels with such entry). This simply could also be your signal to e book your dream trip.
The Resort: Historical past
An early engraving of the resort, opened in 1873 because the Grand Resort Bellagio.
Although the resort dates again to 1873, the historical past of its constructing begins in 1850, when a rely from Bergamo enlisted a gaggle of Northern Italian architects to design a lakeside villa for his spouse. Designed within the Neoclassical model with vaulted ceilings, marble flooring, and complicated carving, the constructing additionally mirrored among the stylistic parts of the Artwork Nouveau motion, which was starting to take off in Europe. The ensuing construction was offered to her for her birthday in 1854.
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JFK arrives on the resort in 1963.
Practically twenty years later, the constructing opened its doorways because the Grand Resort Bellagio and rapidly turned a popular spot for European vacationers. Following the primary world warfare, the resort was bought by the Swiss Bucher household, which owns and manages it to this present day. Over the many years underneath the Bucher stewardship, the resort has welcomed friends together with John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Clark Gable, and Al Pacino.
The Resort: Setting
The resort’s gardens prolong right down to the water.
It is not onerous to see why the resort attracts such discerning clientele: Tucked into the city of Bellagio, the Grand Resort Villa Serbelloni is accessible directly to its city space and to the lake—a rarity on Lake Como, the place most motels are separated from the water by a roadway. This makes jaunts to surrounding sights (extra on these under) straightforward, however the property nonetheless appears like a secluded getaway. That’s thanks, largely, to a 65,000 square-foot backyard surrounding the resort, whose paths wind from visitor suites right down to the water, alongside the lake to the pool space, and up the hill behind the resort in the direction of the unique Villa Serbelloni, the Grand Resort’s namesake, which is now owned by the Rockefeller Basis.
The Resort: Design
A eating space within the resort.
Whereas a lot of the Grand Resort’s design is, properly, grand, it is among the smallest particulars that make as massive an influence as hovering painted ceilings, Murano chandeliers, and trompe l’oeil millwork. The Bucher household has prolonged the design historical past of the resort and its area to each final inch of the property: the resort has an in-house seamstress, who handcrafted the visitor rooms’ coverlets within the model of Nineteenth-century Italian bedding; the household labored with Etro to plot a customized motif for the resort toiletries; slippers, robes, pool towels, and desk linens have been all given equal consideration to element.
The resort within the early twentieth century,
The resort at present.
In lots of the public rooms, just like the grand eating room and the lounge proven above, historical past has largely been preserved, with the common restoration of gilt work, molding, and different particulars to maintain them of their unique splendor. Elsewhere, although, the resort has gotten its justifiable share of design-forward fashionable updates (in 2004, it was the primary resort in Europe to construct an enclosed glass veranda, extending the season for outside eating).
The view from a collection.
Take, for instance, the loos, the place heavy unique wooden doorways swing open to disclose tasteful flooring and counters of Carrara marble, porcelain soaking tubs, and polished chrome fittings and fixtures. The modernization is considerate, with out feeling misplaced. In any case, not even probably the most ardent antiquarian desires rusty, 1800s pipes, or the bathe stress of the 1910s.
The Particulars:
- Availability: Open April–November; suites and particular person rooms.
- Eating places: The resort has two in-house eating choices, fine-dining Mistral and the extra informal La Goletta
- Facilities: outside pool, indoor pool, spa, gardens, beachfront.
- Deal with: Through Roma, 1, Lake Como, 22021 Italy
E book Your Keep at Grand Resort Villa Serbelloni
Why We Love Bellagio
Villa Melzi.
Exterior the resort grounds, there’s lots extra nice design close by. Only a brief stroll (on the lakefront!) away is certainly one of Lake Como’s most well-known properties, Villa Melzi, comprised of rolling fields of lakeside gardens dotted with architectural follies, sculpture, and different buildings surrounding a Villa, Chapel, and Greenhouse. Conceived in 1810 by Neoclassical grasp Giocondo Albertolli for Duke Francesco Melzi d’Eril, the advanced stays some of the breathtaking examples of Italian Neoclassical design on this planet.
The strategy toVilla del Balbianello by boat.
The gardens at Villa del Balbianello.
Cannot get sufficient majestic homes? Pop on a ship throughout the lake to Villa del Balbianello, a one-time Franciscan monastery, which was bought and painstakingly renovated by outdoorsman, explorer, and artwork collector Guido Monzino (chief of Italy’s first expedition to summit Mount Everest).
The Villa, which he donated to Italy’s Nationwide Belief on his dying, performs host to Monzino’s many collections and artwork sourced all over the world. The Villa’s Thirteenth-century structure and distinctive gardens—constructed into the lakeside cliff—could properly look acquainted to movie buffs: It is featured in On line casino Royale and Star Wars: Episode II Assault of the Clones amongst different movies.
Suffice it to say, the realm is camera-ready.
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