麻豆APP

I recently saw a Travel and Leisure’s article Ten Best Italian Resorts. The Villa d鈥檈ste was #10. I have been lucky enough to stay in eight of the resorts on the list over the years. And to me, the one you 鈥淣eed鈥� to stay at is the Villa d鈥橢ste. The others are 鈥榤erely鈥� spectacular Italian resorts in stunning locations鈥�

Don鈥檛 get me wrong, The other seven I have stayed at should all be places you want to stay (I strongly recommend Le Sirenuse in Positano). But the Villa d鈥橢ste does something the others cannot do. In less than 24 hours, it takes you back to the 1920鈥檚. You expect to turn a corner and find F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda talking with Ernest Hemmingway. (It is George Clooney鈥檚 鈥榞o-to鈥� place to eat when he is staying at his Lake Como villa. But hey, today鈥檚 celebrities can be found at many of these wonderful resorts. Only the Villa d鈥橢ste will make you imagine that Marlene Dietrich is sunning at the pool.)

The Villa d鈥橢ste is not a large resort, 151 rooms. But it has all the amenities you could want:

Floating Olympic swimming pool (and yes, it 鈥榬olls鈥� a bit when the wake of the ferry boat from nearby Cernobbio slips by with all the tourists taking photos and wanting to stay on their next visit to Lake Como.) There is a kids pool as well, in case you need to spoil your kids. The hotel dock has all kinds of boats for you to use should you want to take advantage of the lake.

A lake setting and view to enjoy from virtually everywhere on the property. And in case you haven鈥檛 seen photos, Lake Como is as stunning as people say it is.

Two spectacular restaurants. The first time I came to the Villa d鈥檈ste, I just stopped for lunch. But, just eating lakeside some of the best Italian food I have ever had made me 鈥楴eed鈥� to actually stay here .Note: if your time or budget do not allow you to stay, please, please eat lunch and then spend an hour walking the grounds and getting a bit of the 1920鈥檚 feel. Note 2: if you are staying here, the best pizza is actually a restaurant just outside the gate and a block into town.

The town next door is perfectly cute (not as cute as a Tuscan hilltown or the Amalfi coast, but cute enough with the main road through town a one-lane affair with timed lights to avoid a traffic jam. It also has the benefit of most people going around the town to get further north on Lake Como.)

Tennis courts, spa, indoor swimming pool, putting green (Villa d鈥橢ste golf course if over the hill so about a ten-minute lift from one of the hotel staff/vehicles.)

I personally love the 鈥榮mall鈥� but surprisingly interesting garden and fountains. I especially like climbing sound the mock fortress on the hillside, built in the early 1800鈥檚 for a Napoleonic Count who lived here.

There is music on the veranda in the evening (weather permitting), which usually includes couples dancing to a waltz or other ballroom dance. I told you, think 1920鈥檚.

The building, furniture, paintings etc. will set you up for that luxury feeling. If you can 鈥榖eg鈥� for room 237, it is a corner room with both a lake and a garden view.

The history of the place is a great story itself. It was built and improved as a Cardinal鈥檚 residence in the 1500鈥檚. Then owned by English Queen Caroline (story here is delicious but too long for today). It was converted to a luxury hotel in 1873. Alfred Hitchcock directed his first movie at the Villa d鈥橢ste in 1925, The Pleasure Garden.

I could go on. But really, the title says what I think – You 鈥楴eed鈥� to stay here at least once.