About this hotel
General information
Villa d’Este sits on the shore of Lake Como in ten hectares of parkland planted with cypresses, oleanders, camellias and magnolias, a 500-year-old plane tree and a 16th-century mosaic nymphaeum. Its story begins in 1568, when Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio built a summer residence here called Garrovo. Later owners included a future English queen, a Napoleonic general and the Counts Pino. It opened as a hotel in 1873 and soon became a favourite of Mark Twain, Greta Garbo, Elizabeth Taylor, José Carreras and Woody Allen.
The hotel occupies the historic Cardinal’s Building and the Queen’s Pavilion, furnished with antiques, paintings and sculpture, Venetian chandeliers, Carrara marble and the silks for which Como is known. Nine historic rooms for up to 250 guests host meetings and weddings; there are also boutiques, a helipad, limousine service and car and yacht hire. Summer brings festivities with fireworks and concerts. In the evening, jacket and tie are recommended for men at the Veranda and the D’Este Club.
Location
The villa lies on the shore of Lake Como, an hour’s drive (67 km) from Milan Malpensa Airport, 77 km from Linate and half an hour (34 km) from Lugano-Agno Airport.
Spa
The Beauty Centre offers face and body treatments using Tuttestetica products created exclusively for Villa d’Este from plant extracts, vitamin complexes and precious natural oils. An underground passage leads to the Sporting Club wellness centre, with an indoor pool, sauna, hammam and gym.
Sports & leisure
There are three heated pools: the celebrated floating pool with a Jacuzzi set in the lake itself, an indoor pool at the Sporting Club and an outdoor children’s pool. Eight tennis courts, squash, a golf simulator, mini-golf and jogging paths in the park complete the picture, while the beach offers water-skiing, windsurfing and sailing. Water-sports and tennis equipment can be hired, yachts chartered, and lake trips and excursions arranged. Golf Club Villa d’Este, with an 18-hole course designed by Peter Gannon, is 10 km away.
For children
Younger guests have an outdoor children’s pool with a sandpit and, in summer, a kids’ club; babysitting is available on request.
Restaurants & bars
Restaurants and bars spread across dining rooms, terraces and gardens facing the lake, and in-room dining is available.
- Veranda — traditional Italian cooking and a fine wine list, with a terrace overlooking the lake
- Grill — Italian cuisine and top Italian wines, served in summer in the garden beneath old plane trees
- Il Platano — a romantic restaurant with both simple and refined dishes
- Pool Bar — light bites, pasta, salads and drinks on the poolside terrace
- Canova Bar — snacks and drinks with a lake-view terrace and live piano on Friday and Saturday evenings
- Terrace Bar — an open-air bar by the lake among jasmine bushes
- D’Este Club — an elegant lounge with live music on Fridays and Saturdays, moving to the lakeside terrace in summer
Swimming
Guests swim in the heated pool with Jacuzzi built directly into the waters of the lake.
Rooms
There are 152 rooms and suites: 125 in the historic Cardinal’s Building of 1568 and 27 in the Queen’s Pavilion of 1856, with separate villas in the park. Antique furniture, old paintings, silks and brocades frame views of the lake, and many rooms have a balcony or terrace.
Rooms have air conditioning, an LCD TV, a telephone with voicemail, Wi-Fi, a safe, a minibar, a bathroom with bathtub, a hairdryer, bathrobes and slippers.
Double Classic Room
A main-building room with a king-size or twin beds and a bathroom, overlooking the inner courtyard. Adjoining rooms can be combined.
Double Executive Room
A bedroom with a king-size or twin beds and a bathroom (some with Jacuzzi), some with a walk-in wardrobe; views of the park or partly of the lake. Can connect to a neighbouring room or a Junior Suite Exclusive.
Double Deluxe Room
A bedroom with a king-size or twin beds and a bathroom, facing the lake.
Double Deluxe Superior Room
A room on the top floor of the main building with a king-size or twin beds, a bathroom and lake views.
Junior Suite Exclusive
A spacious bedroom with a sitting area, a king-size or twin beds and a bathroom; most have a Jacuzzi, shower and walk-in wardrobe, some a balcony. Park or partial lake views; can connect to a Double Executive Room.
Junior Suite Lake View
A suite in the Cardinal’s Building or the Queen’s Pavilion with a bedroom, a private sitting area and lake views; some have a balcony. Up to 3 guests.
Suite
A bedroom, living room and bathroom furnished with antiques and Como silks and brocades; most have a Jacuzzi, shower and walk-in wardrobe, some a balcony. Lake views; suites can be connected.
Junior Suite Lake View Deluxe
A light-filled suite in the Cardinal’s Building with a bedroom, a private sitting area and a balcony overlooking the lake. Up to 3 guests.
Executive Suite
A suite in the Cardinal’s Building overlooking the old park, with a separate bedroom and living room, each with its own balcony onto the gardens and glimpses of the lake. Up to 3 guests.
Presidential Suite
A suite on the second floor of the main building with a bedroom, living room, bathroom and balcony overlooking the lake and gardens, plus two plasma TVs and a hi-fi system. A second bedroom can be added.
Cardinal Suite
A second-floor suite in the main building with antiques, Venetian glass chandeliers and rare paintings: a bedroom, living room, two marble bathrooms and a furnished 90 m² terrace with sweeping lake views. A second bedroom can be added.
Mosaic House
A small villa in the mosaic garden near the nymphaeum, with one bedroom, a living room with dining area and fitted kitchen, a bathroom, a walk-in wardrobe and a guest cloakroom.
Villa Malakoff
An elegant three-storey villa built in 1860 on a low hill overlooking the lake, with finely appointed interiors.
Villa Cima
A three-storey lakeside villa built in 1815 for Caroline of Brunswick, Princess of Wales, and later home to the Counts Pino. Antiques and works of art fill a living room with a large terrace, a dining room, a kitchen and bedrooms with bathrooms and lake-view balconies.
Villa Garrovo
A three-storey villa of 1833 in the hotel park, fully restored in 2015: six en-suite bedrooms, a living room with lake views, a dining room, kitchen, a sports and leisure room, a veranda opening onto the garden and a terrace with patio.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.