Hi everyone,
There are places you visit, and places you return to. Il Sereno, Lake Como, is firmly the latter – a quiet slice of Lake Como that has become a part of our personal story. This was our fifth stay, and this year is the hotel’s 10th anniversary – a nice reminder of how much this place has become part of our own story too.
Our Journey from Zurich
We set off over the Gotthard, choosing the pass and slipping past the ten‑kilometre queue waiting for the tunnel. The mountains were majestic, the air fresh and full of promise. The climb was easy, the descent into Ticino smooth, and before long the road curled toward the shimmering edge of Lago di Como.
Keep on reading for the full story of “10 Years of Il Sereno – Inside Lake Como’s Most Iconic Boutique Hotel”
10 Years of Il Sereno – Inside Lake Como’s Most Iconic Boutique Hotel
Arrival – and the Darsena Listening Suite’s quiet magic
Il Sereno, Lake Como welcomed us with its signature ease: warm smiles, swift check-in with a delicious refreshing welcome drink, and that unmistakable feeling of coming home. We headed straight to the Darsena Listening Suite. The hotel’s newest addition and the world’s first hotel suite created entirely around the art of listening.
Set directly on the waterline, with it’s own private water access, the suite is a calm, spacious 200m² retreat, designed by Patricia Urquiola in keeping with the quiet of the lake.
The interior combines warm woods, soft textures and thoughtful details.
But the heart of the suite is its analog stereo system: a McIntosh C22 preamplifier and MC275 power amplifier paired with a Revox B77 reel-to-reel tape recorder, a Thorens turntable and Klipsch LaScala loudspeakers.
The vinyl collection on hand is the owners’ own personal collection – such a unique touch, and one that took us straight back to our teens, when we too spent hours listening to records. It took real effort to tear us away from going through every single sleeve, one by one – left to my own devices I think it would have taken up the whole weekend.
The moment the tubes glow and the horns breathe, the room transforms. The sound fills the space – warm, rich, full of clarity. It’s the kind of sound that makes you sit down, slow down, and simply listen.
We opened a bottle of Bollinger on our terrace and watched the lake change colour as the afternoon wore on.
Dressed for Dinner
Dinner at Il Sereno Al Lago
Dinner at Il Sereno Al Lago felt like slipping into a familiar, elegant ritual.
Mr FunkyForty chose a classic three-course menu; FunkyForty opted for two. We shared the Bucatini with a five tomato sauce. So deceptively simple yet layered with such clarity that it felt like tasting the essence of Italian summer.
From the wonderfully curated wine list – with lots of local treasures – we chose the Grisone Sassella Riserva 2019. Its alpine Nebbiolo character carried that unmistakable Valtellina tension: stony, taut and poetic. The wine paired beautifully with Il Sereno Al Lago’s carefully balanced flavours. Here, the Michelin star isn’t a badge so much as a philosophy – precise but unpretentious.
Morning light
Breakfast the next morning was served at the table and came in stages – first cereal, fruit and pastries, then our chosen dish from the menu, and finally coffee, made specially for us.
Our waiter, who we’d instantly taken a soft spot to, told us stories about his grandmother over the course of the meal, and went off to make her special moka coffee for us – a lovely, personal touch that summed up the whole stay.
Alfa Spider dreams
Then came one of Il Sereno’s newest highlights: the 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider – a vivid red beauty with beige leather seats that feels like it was made for these roads. Through a special collaboration, guests can now borrow this vintage icon, alongside the hotel’s charming electric Fiat 500.
Driving the Spider along the steep shores of Lake Como was a real pleasure: the red paint catching the light, the engine noise echoing off the stone walls, every bend and straight more fun than the last.
A boat carved from tradition
After returning the Alfa, we boarded an Ernesto Riva boat. This classic wooden boat is a genuine piece of Lake Como heritage. It glided smoothly across the water, as if the lake itself was guiding it.
Half the fun was making sure FunkyForty kept a firm grip on the picnic basket so there was no danger of it going overboard – even the plates inside are specially designed for Il Sereno. We anchored near Villa Pliniana, Il Sereno’s private 16th-century palazzo. Hidden in a forested bay, the villa rises from the water like a fragment of Renaissance theatre: frescoed halls, echoing loggias, and its own natural spring.
Our picnic basket – complete with Bollinger – turned the boat into a floating salon. Teatime on the lake, with Villa Pliniana in the background, felt like stepping back in time.
Dressed for dinner
Al Tramonto – where sunset becomes part of the meal
Dinner that evening was at Al Tramonto, Il Sereno’s new bistro concept defined by the sunset views, Italian classics and only five tables.
The restaurant catches the last light as evening settles over Torno. The atmosphere is relaxed yet elegant, and the Pietrerose 2018 – a Lake Como red shaped by Merlot and Marzemino – tasted of the local hills.
The terrace, the wine, the gentle hum of the lake – it all came together for a relaxed and memorable evening.
Time to say goodbye – but not for good 🙂
Our last morning arrived too soon. Saying goodbye to the Il Sereno, Lake Como family felt like leaving home rather than a hotel. The staff’s warmth, competence and thoughtful attention are part of what makes returning so natural. They remember every last detail from our previous visits, right down to the fact that FunkyForty doesn’t eat octopus or rabbit. Everyone makes a point of coming to say hello at some point during our stay. It gives such a warm, welcoming feeling.
We left with the same feeling we always have: gratitude, calm, and the certainty that we’ll be back. Il Sereno, Lake Como has become part of our own story – somewhere we don’t just visit, but keep returning to, again and again.
For Bookings:
The hotel is less than 6km (4 miles) from the centre of Como, just a short eight-minute drive; and approximately fifty minutes from both Milano Malpensa airport and the centre of Milan.
Il Sereno Hotel, Via Torrazza 10, 22020 Torno CO, Italy
Italy: +39 031-5477-800
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Very nice I wish that I was there to it sounds allso beautiful and I love theAlpha Romeo