This Lake Como Hotel Is One of T+L Readers' Favorites in Italy — and It Has the World's Largest Floating Infinity Pool

There’s no shortage of luxury hotel competition in Lake Como, but Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como is worthy of being ranked among the world's best.

There’s no shortage of luxury hotel competition in Lake Como, Italy. In 2022, Passalacqua opened to much fanfare for a newbie, while classics like the family-owned Grand Hotel Tremezzo have been welcoming everyone from Greta Garbo to Taylor Swift for over a century. Then Il Sereno, Lago di Como, opened a few years ago with immediate accolades, thanks to its modernist architecture by Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola.

But just three nights at the Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como in Blevio were enough to convince me this property, too, is worthy of being ranked among the world’s best.

I arrived in early June with my newly minted husband for the midpoint of our honeymoon. We’d just spent a week in coastal Italy, soaking up the sun at Capri’s iconic beach clubs and enjoying the views from Ravello, and we were off to the South of France in a few days. To say we’d already been spoiled would be an understatement.

But nowhere more so than at the Mandarin Oriental. The Hong Kong-based hotel group acquired the property in 2018 and opened the hotel after a complete renovation in 2019. Upon arrival, we were led to a sitting room overlooking the lake for check-in and sat in splendor with everything from custom Italian chinoiserie wallcoverings by Eric Egan for Fromental and sculptural artwork by Marta Sala to original coffered ceilings and antique inlaid parquet flooring that were lovingly restored upon Mandarin Oriental’s takeover.

During a quick tour of the property, our guide told us the 19th-century main estate, Villa Roccabruna, once belonged to famed opera singer Giuditta Pasta. Legend has it that Pasta often serenaded composer Vincenzo Bellini, a neighbor across the lake, at night. The rumor is Bellini later wrote Casta Diva from his opera “Norma” for Pasta. And romance truly does permeate the property — fellow honeymooners snuggle during aperitivo on the terrace of the CO.MO Bar & Bistrot, while an events team set up for a wedding in the hotel’s centuries-old botanical garden (we took advantage of the lakeside fireworks show that night) and couples in matching hotel robes hold hands while flip-flopping their way to the spa.

We’d arrived with ambitious plans to explore all of Lake Como’s charming towns, like Bellagio and Varenna, but ultimately only left the property once for a two-hour classic wooden boat tour with Como Classic Boats. On just our second day lounging by the floating infinity pool — an architectural marvel by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron that was just unveiled in 2023 — we looked at one another and said, “I never want to leave.” So, we didn’t. It’s that good.

Instead, we woke each morning to the sunrise reflecting off the lake (nearly all the hotel’s 75 rooms have balconies and lake vistas). Then, we leisurely made our way to the property’s lakefront restaurant, L˜ARIA, for a standout gourmet buffet breakfast, which is included in the rate. They sprinkled my husband’s coffee each morning with phrases like ‘Good Morning’ and heart symbols, a tradition we quickly warmed to. I never skipped the chocolate chip cookie, a sweet treat to set the tone for the day.

We’d then grab chic white sun loungers and a Tuuci umbrella on the bamboo wood-planked pool deck and alternate between naps, dips in the glossy 130-feet pool to cool off, waving to the boat tours that’d drive by hourly to see the hotel, and ordering the Diavola pizza for lunch and edamame with Maldon salt later in the day for a snack. In the late afternoon, we’d retire to our room for a siesta, a practice we picked up in Capri, then decide whether we’d rather have a casual dinner at CO.MO Bar & Bistrot or something finer at L˜ARIA.

If the itinerary sounds like heaven on Earth, it was. In just 72 hours, I quickly learned there are no better accommodations on the lake — or perhaps anywhere in the world.

Here, my honest thoughts on Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como.

Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como

• The newly unveiled floating infinity pool — designed in Switzerland by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, constructed in Finland, and assembled in Italy — is the largest in the world.

• Nearly all the hotel’s 75 rooms (24 guest rooms, 49 suites, and two private villas) offer lake vistas and balconies.

• Chef Chef Massimiliano Blasone expertly blends Italian and Japanese cuisines at the hotel’s lakefront fine dining restaurant, L˜ARIA.

The Rooms

Housed in a centuries-old botanical park on the eastern shore of Lake Como, the hotel offers 75 guestrooms, suites, and private villas set amongst nine buildings. Designed with modern Italian elegance in mind, the rooms are decorated in light and bright earthy hues that don’t detract from the lake views — even the entry-level rooms have balconies and lake views.

All rooms feature custom furniture, luxuriously sized walk-in showers, Diptyque toiletries, and marble bathrooms. We were greeted by a welcome amenity of freshly baked bread from a local bakery when we arrived, and turn-down service each night included not just one chocolate but an entire box to choose from.

The hotel’s prize suite, the Panoramic Suite, features a massive terrace with a sundeck and the resort’s only private swimming pool overlooking Lake Como.

Because the property faces west, you’ll enjoy more hours of sun during the day and spectacular sunsets each night.

Food and Drink

The hotel has three restaurants on the property, each with a distinctive point of view.

CO.MO Bar & Bistrot is the hotel’s informal offering, but don’t let that fool you: The patio is Italian elegance at its finest and sits directly on the lake. It seemed like all hotel guests gathered here each night to enjoy an aperitivo. When the weather is nice, there’s a pizza pop-up Ape Pizza in a three-wheeler van with a built-in pizza oven that can’t be missed. (We loved the Diavola pizza with Fior de latte mozzarella, spicy salami from Calabria, and tomato.)

At L˜ARIA, Chef Massimiliano Blasone blends Italian dishes with Japanese influences (the “two best cuisines,” a passerby said to us at the hotel). The restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake and a terrace for al fresco dining. We tried the meat gyoza, prawns tempura, rocket salad with watercress, spinach, and cucumber sauce, spaghetti cacio e pepe with langoustines, and stracciatella gelato for dessert. But you must order the grilled Chilean sea bass, a dish worth traveling for.

Poolside restaurant NAMI Café offers Asian-inspired healthy and comfort food. Think pool classics like chips, guacamole, and waffle fries (I’m not ashamed to admit we ordered these daily!) alongside maki, chirashi, and seafood taglioni. The ‘Porn Star Fizz’ with Ketel One vodka, vanilla, and passion fruit soda is a popular cocktail on a menu that also includes frozen margaritas, spicy Palomas, and banana daiquiris.

Activities and Experiences

Don’t miss the floating pool by Herzog & de Meuron. It was designed to blend into Lake Como’s water when viewed from the lake and is finished in dark local Cardoso sandstone. The pool's appearance so closely mimics the colors of the lake that it’s hard to distinguish where one ends and the other begins. There’s a built-in ledge for kids to splash or adults to sunbathe.

The pool is engineered with a catamaran-like form to reduce wave impact, but it rocks with movement on the lake, lulling you to sleep and creating a boat-like feeling. Beware, the pool will close if the lake is too choppy, although it stayed open for our stay.

The hotel has experienced guides, Lisa and Giacomo, on-site who can help create personalized itineraries with adventures like water sports, hiking, horseback riding, golf, and more. The property often hosts yoga, tai chi, and personal training sessions in the gardens, and a fitness center with Technogym equipment is also available to guests.

The Spa

Guided by a holistic approach to well-being, rejuvenation, and relaxation, the Mandarin Oriental spa is a destination itself. It has a zen garden, an indoor pool and jacuzzi, a Finnish sauna and steam bath, a Himalayan salt room, and luxurious treatment rooms. It’s the largest in the area.

While I had what can only be described as a life-changing ‘Oriental Essence’ massage, my husband alternated between the spa’s cold plunge pool (with a continuous ice drip from the ceiling!), which was recommended to him by a fellow honeymooner, and the various hot tubs.

I had the tension I’d accumulated from a whirlwind eight months of wedding planning treated with custom-blended oriental hot oils (lemongrass spoke to me) and movements inspired by traditional oriental therapies. For 80 minutes, my therapist focused on stress-holding areas like the back, neck, and shoulders. I initially described any massage over 50 minutes as overkill, but I would’ve laid there all day.

Note the spa is a digital-free zone.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Rooms are in various villas throughout the property, and many are accessible via outdoor gravel and stone paths, which may be difficult for those with mobility issues. The property’s restaurants are also accessed the same way.

The hotel prioritizes sustainability. It responsibly procures the seafood in its restaurants and only serves cage-free eggs. The hotel is also single-use plastic-free and buys electrical energy from renewable resources. A switch to LED lighting is in the works, and electric vehicles are available for guest use. The hotel's renovation was developed closely with local and national heritage groups.

Location

On the eastern shore of Lake Como, the hotel is in Blevio, which is just about three miles from the Como city center — but know those three miles are on windy, narrow streets. It’s about a 60-minute drive or boat ride to Bellagio, one of the area’s more popular towns. We rented a car to drive from Milan, which took about 45 minutes, but the hotel has electric vehicles and motorcycles available for guests to rent. The hotel also has its own fleet of boats that guests can charter for a day on the Lake or a transfer.

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

The hotel is part of American Express’s Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which means card members have access to complimentary benefits like early check-in, room upgrades, daily breakfast for two people; guaranteed 4 p.m. late check-out, and a $100 experience credit to be used during your stay, applicable for all restaurant charges and spa treatments.

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