At a Glance

• Location: Cernobbio, Lake Como
• Number of Rooms: 152
• Room Stayed: Double Deluxe Room Lake View (room #427)
• Dates of Stay: July 2026
• Rates: From €1,250 per night
• Value for Money: Very poor. The rooms, facilities and service did not get close to the standard expected at this price point.
• Best For: Travellers who have always dreamed of staying at Villa d’Este and value its history more than the current quality of the physical product and guest experience.
• Would I Return? No, nor would I recommend it. We wanted to leave from the moment we checked into our room.

What It Does Well

• Magnificent lakefront location
• Impressive historic presence
• Beautiful formal gardens
• Several grand public spaces

Areas for Improvement

• Extremely dated and poorly maintained rooms
• Consistently weak and inattentive service, indicating very poor management.
• Crowded and impersonal atmosphere.
• Disappointing food and dining service.
• Underwhelming pool and aged facilities.

First Impressions

Villa d’Este has the kind of history and reputation that generations of seasoned luxury travellers have dreamed about. Its name is synonymous with Lake Como glamour, and we arrived genuinely excited to experience one of Europe’s most celebrated grand hotels.

Unfortunately, this ended up being the worst luxury hotel stay I have had in the past 18 months.

Arriving by boat was the highlight. The grand waterfront building, formal gardens and spectacular setting initially delivered exactly the sense of occasion I had expected. Once inside, however, the atmosphere changed. The hotel felt enormous, crowded and busy, more like a small private village than an exclusive luxury resort. Guests, visitors and staff filled the public areas, and there was little sense of a personal welcome.

For a hotel with such history and reputation, the arrival felt remarkably ordinary. There was no sense of occasion, anticipation or personal welcome.

Setting

Villa d’Este occupies one of Lake Como’s most desirable positions, directly on the water and surrounded by formal gardens. The estate has genuine grandeur, with imposing architecture and several beautiful public rooms.

Its scale, however, works against it. The property did not feel intimate, peaceful or particularly well controlled. There were people everywhere, including a significant number of external visitors, and the atmosphere lacked the privacy expected from a hotel of this standing.

The location is unquestionably beautiful, but a remarkable setting cannot compensate for weaknesses in the experience of staying there.

Arrival Experience

Our room was not ready when we arrived, so a member of the sales team briefly showed us another category, a junior suite in the Queen's Pavilion, which sits separate from the main building. Despite being told the suite had received recent maintenance, it was extremely dated, with tired furniture and none of the elegance expected from one of Europe's most famous hotels.

We were told the team would message as soon as our room became available, but no message arrived. After the official check in time, we returned to reception and discovered that it was ready. The team then struggled to locate the key, and we were eventually shown to the room without it, with the key delivered later.

The process felt disorganised and transactional rather than polished or personal.

Rooms

We had booked a lake view room, but the room itself was dreadful. Guests should be cautious about rooms on the fourth floor, where the windows are noticeably small. Not all rooms have a balcony, so I would suggest requesting one at time of booking.

Our room was dark and deeply unappealing. The furniture looked tired, the welcome amenity felt cheap and the overall atmosphere was closer to an ageing roadside motel than a legendary European hotel. The wardrobe was a reasonable size, but there was little else to recommend.

The bathroom was equally disappointing. The shower had no fixed overhead head, only a handheld attachment on a hose. Water pressure was poor, and maintaining a comfortable temperature was difficult. Amenities were limited to the basics, with no toothbrush or cotton buds.

The most serious problem occurred when it rained. Despite the windows being closed, water leaked heavily into the room. The hotel suggested closing the blackout shutters, which would have left us without natural light or a view during our one night stay. There was no adequate apology, meaningful recovery or offer of compensation.

The failure itself was unacceptable. The indifferent response made it worse.

There was also no water placed beside the bed during turndown. It was a small omission, but one of many details that suggested a lack of care.

Dining

Lunch began with a dress code issue. Men were required to wear trousers and a jacket in the main restaurant, while athleisure appeared acceptable for women. I have no objection to a dress code, but it should be logical and applied consistently.

We ate elsewhere on the property, where staff were disengaged and difficult to attract despite being present in considerable numbers. We asked whether a Caesar salad could be prepared without anchovies and were told that it was too difficult. After making it clear that we did not eat anchovies, the restaurant mistakenly delivered an anchovy pizza. Drinks were also removed without staff checking whether we had finished or wanted replacements.

Dinner was at the hotel's Michelin starred restaurant. The restaurant enforces a formal dress code, and men arriving without a jacket are offered one from the hotel's collection. Earlier that day, we had asked the sales team to help secure a good table, to which they agreed, yet we were seated directly beside the doorway. When we asked to move, we were offered another table only two places away, despite better positioned tables remaining empty. Guests arriving after us appeared to receive more desirable seating, and we also noticed people who were not staying at the hotel being given priority tables, leaving us feeling like an afterthought.

The wine list was excellent, but the food was average. The hotel had been advised in advance that one of us was vegetarian, yet no vegetarian menu was provided. The petits fours were also identical to those served beside the pool earlier that day, which felt lazy for a restaurant of this standing.

Breakfast had a beautiful outlook, and we appreciated being given a good table. Unfortunately, the avocado toast was terrible, the juice was poor and the coffee was weak.

Facilities

Villa d’Este’s floating pool is one of its most recognisable features. In photographs, it appears to offer an idyllic swimming experience directly on Lake Como. In person, I found it deeply underwhelming.

The pool sits low within the surrounding structure, making it feel enclosed and disconnected from the lake. Rather than creating the sensation of swimming on Lake Como, it felt more like sitting inside the hull of a boat. The structure also moved and creaked beneath us, making the experience feel considerably less polished than expected.

The wider facilities reflected the same gap between appearance and experience. Although the hotel has extensive grounds and numerous public areas, too many spaces felt dated, crowded or insufficiently maintained. The jacuzzi beside the outdoor pool was barely warmer than the pool itself, making its purpose questionable. The Sporting Club was equally disappointing, with changing rooms that felt closer to those at a municipal swimming pool than a five-star hotel.

One unexpected highlight was the public bathroom near reception. Finished in beautiful pink marble, it had the detail and quality largely missing from our room. It is not ideal when one of the most memorable interiors in a luxury hotel is a public bathroom, but it was genuinely impressive.

Service

Service was the most consistently disappointing part of the stay, with the bar providing the clearest example. Despite only a few occupied tables and approximately seven or eight staff present, nobody appeared to notice empty glasses or guests waiting to order. Staff collected our glasses without asking whether we wanted replacements, and after approximately 25 minutes, we gave up and called someone over.

When we raised the issue, a staff member blamed one of the younger employees. Management later appeared to do the same. Guests do not need to hear which junior employee is supposedly responsible. They need an apology, ownership of the problem and confidence that it will be corrected.

Used snack plates and dirty tables also remained uncleared while staff stood nearby. Even the evening lighting appeared to be abruptly switched rather than gradually adjusted to create atmosphere. These details may seem minor, but together they revealed a broader lack of attention.

Our departure transfer was similarly disorganised. We asked the concierge to arrange a boat to Passalacqua, then called before leaving to confirm that everything was ready. We were asked whether we had booked space for our luggage. The hotel had arranged the transfer, and we were guests checking out with suitcases. The question was baffling.

After our stay, the hotel sent us its standard guest satisfaction survey, which we completed candidly and in detail. Despite outlining many of the issues raised above, we received no response. That silence said as much about the management culture as the problems themselves. Whether guest feedback is simply not a priority, or the team cannot keep up with the volume of complaints, I cannot know. Neither possibility inspires confidence.

Would I Stay Again?

No. Villa d’Este may appeal to travellers determined to experience its history, but I would not recommend it to anyone seeking a genuinely luxurious stay.

An older hotel can remain deeply charming when it offers warm service, character and soul. During our visit, Villa d’Este felt expensive, tired, poorly serviced and unpleasant.

For me to return, the hotel would need a major renovation, a management team genuinely focused on the guest experience, and a willingness to rebuild its standards rather than continue trading on its historic reputation. That reputation may attract guests, but our experience did not justify it.

Final Thoughts

Villa d’Este may still look like one of Europe’s great hotels, but it no longer operates like one.

The gap between its reputation and price point and the reality of my experience was simply too wide. A celebrated name can create anticipation, but it cannot replace comfort, care or competent hospitality.

Based on our stay, Villa d’Este no longer deserves its position among Europe’s leading luxury hotels. Lake Como has far better places to stay.

If you wish to have us assist with any bookings email us at bookings@stripetravel.com or contact us here. By booking with us, you will likely receive the following additional benefits:

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
• Daily breakfast for up to two guests per bedroom
• $100 USD equivalent food and beverage credit to be used during the stay
• Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
• Complimentary Wi-Fi