Tour Lake Como’s Magnificent Villa d’Este with Lee F. Mindel

More than just a hotel, the Villa d’Este on Lake Como retains the spirit of a classic Italian villa and holds a special place in my heart. Its magical lakeside location is an ideal launching point for boat rides to famed places like Villa Carlotta and Villa Melzi and picturesque towns like Menaggio and Bellagio. As the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley once said, “This lake exceeds anything I ever beheld in beauty.”

Built in 1568, the villa was designed by Pellegrino Tibaldi as a summer residence for Tolomeo Gallio, a wealthy cardinal and art enthusiast. Transformed into a luxury hotel in 1873, it became an essential stop for the European aristocracy on any grand tour. A colorful late-19th-century structure called the Queen’s Pavilion was also added, along with two private villas, bringing the overall occupancy to 154 rooms. Today, Villa d’Este is a fascinating synthesis of modern comfort and old-world charm, with unobtrusive updates and new facilities that never undermine the building’s patina.

The villa’s 25 acres of parks, gardens, fortifications, sculptures, and hiking trails offer prime examples of Italian Renaissance landscapes, and luminaries like Gustave Flaubert and Edith Wharton found inspiration here. Other noteworthy visitors, to name just a few, include Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and Elizabeth Taylor and Conrad “Nicky” Hilton, who started their romance at the Villa d’Este.

Today’s modern amenities include a spa, squash courts, and multiple swimming pools—one of which actually floats on Lake Como. But for all the updates, Villa d’Este’s Veranda dining room still requires gentlemen to wear a coat and tie, showing that some very civilized classic elements simply never go out of style… la dolce vita.

Join me on a tour of the legendary Villa d’Este.