Il Sereno Lago di Como
Patricia Urquiola's all-suite house at Torno — the contemporary answer to Como's frescoed villas
The Privata Perspective
The lake's one modern hotel, and a relief if the frescoes and antiques are not what you came for. Patricia Urquiola designed Il Sereno inside and out, and it opened in 2016 in Torno, a fishing village a short run up the eastern shore from Como town. Where the grande dames look backward, this looks straight out: walnut, bronze, stone and glass, and the lake in the frame from more or less everywhere.
All 30 rooms are suites, each with a furnished terrace over the water. The pool runs out along the lake's edge, and Patrick Blanc's vertical gardens climb the walls behind it — planting dense enough to read as part of the hillside. The spa is Urquiola's too, down to the tiling in the sauna and steam room.
Dining is the other draw. Ristorante Berton Al Lago, from the Michelin-starred Milanese chef Andrea Berton, is among the best tables on the lake, and it takes non-residents — worth knowing even if you are staying at Tremezzo or Villa d'Este and just want somewhere to go for lunch.
Accommodations
Sereno suite
All 30 rooms are suites
Every one has its own furnished terrace over the water — walnut, bronze and floor-to-ceiling glass, with the lake framed from the bed
Darsena Suite
At water level
The lake's only swim-up suite, set in the old boathouse with direct access to the water, two bathrooms, a dining room and a full terrace on the lake
Signature Penthouse Suite
Top floor
The widest view down the lake, furnished throughout in pieces Patricia Urquiola designed or chose — all of which are available to buy, which is not a thing other hotels do
Dining
Ristorante Berton Al Lago
Contemporary Italian
Andrea Berton's lakeside restaurant, among the best tables on Como. It takes non-residents, so it works as a lunch stop even if you are staying elsewhere on the lake
Poolside & terrace
Italian, informal
Lunch and drinks at the water's edge beside Patrick Blanc's vertical gardens, which is where the hotel is at its best on a hot day
Spa & Wellness
The pool runs along the lake edge beneath Patrick Blanc's vertical gardens, with a private beach below it. The spa occupies the property's century-old darsena — the original boathouse — reworked by Urquiola down to the sauna and steam-room tiling, and it is the only spa on the lake using Valmont. Torno sits close enough to Como town that boat transfers are quick, which is not true of every address here.
When to Go
May–September
Full season — the terraces, the pool and the boat all in use
April & October
Quieter and mild, and the easiest time to get the Darsena or the Penthouse
November–March
Closed for the winter, reopening in the spring like most of the lake
Book With Preferred Access
Experience Il Sereno Lago di Como with Via Privata
Complimentary upgrades, resort credits, early check-in, and dedicated concierge support — available exclusively through our preferred partner programme.
Enquire Now