Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como

The 18th-century Villa Roccabruna is now home to the Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como, a waterfront property that brims with history and no shortage of creature comforts too.

What’s more, being a part of the Mandarin Oriental Group means that five-star standards and grand designs are always the order of the day here.

So, guestrooms and communal spaces flaunt tall ceilings, arched windows and antique-style furnishings, though only in part, as outright modernity can also be glimpsed around every corner. Take the spa: it’s a design dream of clever lighting, innovative treatments, a beechwood sauna, tile-lined vitality pools plus a sunken hot tub and additional indoor swimming pool, hydrotherapy treatments and a Himalayan salt halotherapy room; that’s as well as an outdoor pool and Jacuzzi that floats atop Lake Como itself.

In fact, certain elements of those guestrooms and suites offer the same, with their Art Deco touches and contemporary bathrooms, each category enjoying their own bespoke interior design, colour scheme and layout, often with lake views, of course.

Another highlight while staying at the Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como are its gardens and al fresco dining patios. Protected from the water by an original stone balcony that perfectly frames the lakeside villages and mountains beyond, it all makes for quite the lunch or lounging spot, lined as they are with rattan daybeds and sheltered dining tables. You then have easy access to ancient Como and numerous surrounding villages, villas and estates from the Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como, so exploring this iconic region could not be easier. Finally, to wrap it up, there’s no better way to end the day than with a cocktail on the lawn at sunset, followed by some inspired Italian fine dining courtesy of L'ARIA, the hotel’s gourmet onsite restaurant.