Lake Como EDITION Opens: A New Chapter in Italy’s Design-Led Luxury Travel
Set on the western shores of Lake Como, this highly anticipated opening redefines one of Europe’s most enduring destinations through architecture, experience and contemporary design
Photography, Nikolas Koenig, EDITION, Lake Como.
There are few destinations that hold the same enduring allure as Lake Como. A place where Alpine drama meets Italian elegance, where historic villas rise from the water’s edge and the light shifts almost theatrically across the lake throughout the day.
For generations, it has drawn artists, aristocrats and travellers in search of something slower, more atmospheric. Today, it remains one of Italy’s most coveted destinations, not simply for its beauty, but for the way it allows you to experience time differently.
It is also, quietly, one of my favourite places in Italy. A destination returned to time and again, where each visit reveals something new, whether in the stillness of an early morning on the water, or the rhythm of an evening unfolding across its towns and terraces. The arrival of the Lake Como EDITION, is I’m sure very much welcomed.
A Historic Palazzo, Reimagined for Contemporary Living
Images, EDTION, Lake Como.
Housed within the former Hotel Britannia Excelsior, the property has undergone a meticulous transformation, preserving its 19th-century façade while introducing a new architectural rhythm that feels distinctly modern.
Heritage remains, but the experience is entirely redefined.
The interiors, led by Neri&Hu alongside De.Tales, strike a precise balance between restraint and expression. Vaulted ceilings, sculptural staircases and celadon-toned marble sit alongside a softer palette of walnut, terrazzo and layered textiles, allowing the lake itself to remain the focal point.
Custom furnishings, hand-finished stone and carefully curated materials create an atmosphere that feels both elevated and deeply connected to place, where architecture, light and landscape move in quiet dialogue.
Rooms Designed Around the View
The EDITION, Lake Como, Penthouse.
Across 148 rooms and suites, including a private villa and signature penthouses, the experience is intentionally pared back to allow for one defining element: the view.
French balconies open directly onto the lake, while interiors soften into a palette of warm wood, Calacatta marble and tactile fabrics, ensuring that nothing competes with the shifting light and water beyond.This is Lake Como at its most intimate and most cinematic.
Experiencing Lake Como, Beyond the Hotel
To stay here is to be positioned at the centre of one of Italy’s most culturally rich landscapes. Days begin on the water, moving between Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio, where narrow streets open onto quiet piazzas and lakeside cafés. Private boat journeys reveal the full scale of the lake’s villas, from Renaissance estates to contemporary architectural interventions, each layered into the landscape.
At the centre of the property sits one of its most defining features: Lake Como’s largest floating pool. More than an amenity, it becomes a social stage. A place where mornings begin slowly, afternoons stretch into aperitivo, and evenings settle into something more atmospheric.
Framed by loungers, a pool bar and private dock access, it connects the architecture directly to the lake, allowing guests to move seamlessly between water, space and experience. Later in the season, The Lido will extend this offering further, introducing a second pool, bar and restaurant designed as a destination in its own right, opening the hotel to both guests and travellers.
Dining as Destination
Food is central to the EDITION experience, and here it unfolds across four distinct yet interconnected spaces. At the heart is Cetino, the first Italian restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco, where menus draw on the relationship between lake, land and sea, translating seasonal ingredients into dishes that feel both precise and expressive.
At Renzo, a pergola-shaded terrace framed by citrus trees and Mediterranean planting, the experience is more relaxed. Breakfast moves slowly into long lunches and evening dining, all set against panoramic lake views.
The Lobby Bar, set beneath five-metre ceilings and finished in celadon marble, offers a more intimate rhythm, where cocktails and light bites unfold in a setting defined by proportion and detail.Meanwhile, the Pool Bar introduces a lighter, more informal layer, with Mediterranean-inspired dishes designed for days spent outdoors.Dining here is not separate from the setting. It is shaped by it.
Wellness, Reimagined Through Longevity
Images, EDTION, Lake Como.
Wellness forms a central pillar of the experience, developed in collaboration with The Longevity Suite. The Longevity Spa introduces a forward-thinking approach, combining advanced diagnostics, biohacking protocols and holistic therapies designed to support cellular regeneration, metabolic balance and mental clarity.
Facilities include seven treatment rooms, a couples suite, Finnish and herbal saunas, steam and Turkish baths, a heated indoor pool and a cold plunge, alongside direct access to the lake’s floating pool. Signature treatments, from the Iki-Sabi Ritual to advanced biohacking programmes, are complemented by a Technogym-equipped fitness space and seasonal offerings including sunrise yoga and guided mountain hikes.The focus is not simply relaxation, but recalibration.
Italy continues to resonate with travellers in a way few destinations can. Familiar, yet always evolving, it offers a depth of experience that rewards return. Lake Como sits at the centre of that story. A place defined by its history, but never static within it.
What the Lake Como EDITION offers is a new perspective. Not a departure from tradition, but a refinement of it. A hotel that understands its setting, enhances it, and invites guests to experience it more fully. Enjoy.
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