Easy Escapes: Il Sereno in Lake Como, Italy, is the aesthete’s choice for laidback luxury

On the sun-drenched shores of Lake Como, quietly nestled behind the verdant landscaping of famed botanist Patrick Blanc, sits the now iconic Il Sereno – a contemporary design hotel with almost more architectural accolades (hello, #1 Resort in Italy, #1 Resort in Europe and #1 Hotel in Italy in Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards) than suites (40; all lakefront-facing, naturally).

The vibe

If you’re coveting an bellissimo base from which to explore the area’s storied villas and quaint, cobbled towns, it really doesn’t get more ‘quiet luxury’ than Il Sereno.

What’s more, the hotel has a chic new addition: The Darsena Listening Suite – an immersive, personal offering from owner and audiophile, Luis Contreras. Created in collaboration with lauded designer Patricia Urquiola, this stylish, innovative space offers a sanctuary of sound for guests seeking a nostalgic, cultural experience on the emerald waterline of Italy’s most glamorous lake.

The Rooms

With just 40 rooms spread out across the sprawling lakefront property, a spacious, light-filled space is guaranteed. Views out across the water (and, in my case, also the pool and bobbing Riva boats) are also par for the course. No broom cupboards. No dark corners. No roadside vistas, thank you very much.

For truly elevated views head for The Penthouse – a swanky, 100 percent shoppable suite (yes, even the designer furniture can be snapped up and shipped off for the right price) that boasts hefty slabs of carrara marble for walls, a walnut-wrapped dressing room, luxurious lounge and outdoor areas ideal for entertaining, plus an amber-hued bathroom, replete with Urquiola’s signature tactile materials and natural flair for mastering modern elegance.

Vinyl devotees – or, indeed, those seeking the ultimate Mad Men aesthetic – should look to the ground-level, though, where the hotel’s newest, sleekest suite reigns.

Launched last summer, the Darsena Listening Suite delivers 200 square-metres of nostalgic beauty and is the brainchild of Il Sereno’s music-mad owner, Luis Contreras. Positioned at lake level, Darsena is the only room to feature a charming stone staircase that leads straight into Lake Como itself; it’s also the only suite with a private garden.

Yet the true pull for guests is the immersive sound sanctuary that resides inside: a stylish sweep of state-of-the-art audio equipment, including Klipsch La Scala II speakers, a glowing McIntosh MC275 amplifier, a MacIntosh C22 Preamp, a Thorens 1601 turntable with Sumiko Amethyst cartridge and the same restored Revox deck that sparked Contreras vision shortly after lockdown – a period of time in which he found himself transfixed by the warm, analogue hum of a vintage Revox B77 reel-to-reel tape deck.

Indeed, the suite features a library of 500 vinyl records thoughtfully curated by Contreras and pulled from his own personal collection. From Deutsche Grammophon box sets to original Bowies, guests can lose themselves in the music while a private Michelin-starred meal is served at the 10-seat circular dining table, or request their own favourite tracks are sought out and added to the edit before lounging on their private sun-dapped lawn.

Food & Drink

The property’s timeless lake-facing restaurant, Il Sereno Al Lago, is a Michelin-starred oasis overseen by Executive Chef Raffaele Lenzi. Renowned for combining innovative flair and an honest approach to ingredients, his menus are unpretentious, bursting with flavour and crafted with typical Italian passion.

With a toddler in tow (the hotel’s minimalistic aesthetic may appear child-averse, but the warmth of staff and well-considered family services ensured our stay was seamless and stress-free), we opted against ordering leisurely tasting menus, choosing sumptuous dishes of porchetta, figs and walnuts; spaghetti, griffon hazelnut ‘butter’ and capers; and seared Italian endive, celeriac, bergamot and Asetra caviar from the à la carte instead.

If you’re lucky enough to have time on your hands, plump for the ‘Modo Mio’ menu, comprising gastronomic delights such as curry chicken dosa; savoy cabbage tempura; lentil plin ravioli; and spaghetti, bergamot and mullet bottarga. There’s also the ‘Omaggio alla Tradizione’ offering, which boasts broad beans, pecorino cheese and chicory; sautéed wild mushrooms, hazelnut miso and parsley broth; lamb chops, egg sauce and black cabbage; and pear and cinnamon strudel.

As a seafood fan, I loved the monkfish, cacciucco sauce, sea lard and turnip greens dish, which was devoured shortly after arriving, plus the all-day comfort-food menu designed for in-room diners. The luxury of being served succulent roast chicken, olive-oil mash, beef sirloin and crispy roast potatoes while drinking in dazzling lake views at dusk shouldn’t be passed up.

Wine pairings courtesy of the property’s expert sommelier are, of course, also part of the dining DNA (Cantine Angelinetta La Moglie Del Re is a rated local wine served), while chic cocktails made using fresh, seasonal herbs from the hotel’s chef and botanical gardens are perfect for taking in golden hour on the terrace. Oscillate between Monsoon (a Mezcal, grapefruit soda and saffron fusion) and Ennergo (gin, wild berries and kombucha) for the chicest take.

Activities

The hotel is perfectly positioned as a base for visiting the nearby quintessentially Italian towns of Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio. But if you’re only staying for a few days, I’d strongly advise hiring a car, as driving to these cobbled hilltops from Il Sereno is often quicker than exploring by boat. We booked a sleek Mini Countryman through Sixt at Milan Bergamo Airport, providing a seamless, stylish 1.5-hour transfer from Milan to Lombardy, plus the freedom to explore the region at our leisure. Having a car at our disposal meant we could nip into nearby Como for dinner; plan our days around our toddler’s needs rather than ferry times, and have a comfortable ride to rely on if the waters looked choppy.

That said, the ultimate thrill here is undoubtedly taking a spin round the lake on a stylish Italian Riva boat, of which Il Sereno owns a stunning fleet of three, plus the Vaporise del Lago water limousine – a beautifully designed wooden vessel featuring interiors by Urquiola.

Confident zipping around on your own? Ask the hotel if you can hop into one of its self-driven Jetto boats or forgo an engine entirely and take a picturesque paddle along the azure shoreline on Il Sereno’s Inglesina row boat, commissioned and built on Lake Como specifically for English tourists in the 1930s.

The Spa

Once you’re finished exploring, take a (fabulously heated) dip in the hotel’s freshwater infinity pool for what is surely one of the chicest swims in Italy, then head to the property’s five-star spa for a heavenly Harmony massage. Housed in the property’s former boathouse, this intimate, yet lavishly-appointed spa also offers up a sauna, steam room and lake-facing outdoor Jacuzzi charmingly nestled into what was once its grand slipway.

Need to know

Rooms at Il Sereno start at approx £825 per night; book through ilsereno.com, email info@serenohotels.com or call +39 031 547 7800. Car hire with Sixt at Milan Bergamo Airport starts from approximately £104 per day; book via sixt.co.uk