GQ Australia - 08.2018

GRAND HOTEL TREMEZZO

I

t’sdificulttoignorethe‘George’factorthat

illstheairaroundItaly’sglitzyLakeComo,

likethescentofazaleasonthebreeze.No

surnamerequired–everyoneinComoknows

who‘George’is.But,ifyoulookalittlefurther–

pastacertainstar’sassuminglakesidevillaatLaglio

• you’ll ind yourself face to face with another
  celebrityofthelake:TheGrandHotelTremezzo.
  SimilartotheClooneyresidence,askany
  TabacchiowneralongtheViaReginawherethe
  Grand Hotel Tremezzo sits and they’ll direct you
  withease.Openedin1910asaluxury,family-
  ownedlodgingforelitevisitorsandopportunistic
  travellers alike, thepalazzo,whichstilllauntsmuch
  ofitsBelleÉpoqueglow,hasastoriedreputationof
  itsown.Andforgoodreason.Aweekendspent
  swilling seasonal peach bellinis on the hotel terrace
  abovetheaquamarineexpanseofLakeComoisan
  impressionableexperience.Notunlikearun-in
  with Mr Clooney.
  OurstayattheGrandHotelTremezzobeganwith
  thewarmestofItalianwelcomes:abowlofrisotto
  mantecato,toppedwithpan-friedperchilletsfromthe
  lake.Despiteitsinternationalclout(andvisitor
  database)thehotel’smenu–whichisdeliveredviaive
  mainrestaurants:theedgyL’Escale;themore
  traditionalLaTerrazza;TPizza,whichsitsalfresco
  inthegarden;thehandsomeTBar;andthewaterside
  TBeach–remainsdevotedtotheLombardyregion.
  Therisotto mantecato(washed down with a glass of
  Verdèse) was essentially just an amuse-bouche for
  whatwastocome–fromamoderniterationof
  cotolettadivitello(vealcutlet,aMilanesespecialty)at
  L’Escale to in-house chef Osvaldo Presazzi’s homage
  to Maestro Gualtiero Marchesi’s saffron and gold leafrisoatLaTerrazza–itbecameincreasinglyclear
  wemaynevereatthiswellagain.Disclaimer:anydietisbestleftatthedoorstep.
  Whileitwouldbeeasytocontinueonthetopicofthehotel’sculinaryendeavours,thatwouldmean
  neglectingotherkeyingredientsthatmakethiseclecticestablishmentsing.Undertheassuredeyeof
  CEOValentinaDeSantis,thehotel’soriginalArtNouveaudecorblendselegantlywithcontemporary
  pieces,achievinganear-impossiblebalancebetweenexclusivityandwarmth.
  It’seasytogetcomplacentintheself-suficientconinesoftheproperty–theaward-winningTSpa
  (trythearomatherapymassage),ininitypoolandthree-storeyitnesscentrejustpiecesofthehotel’s
  thrivingecosystem.ButpartoftheGrandHotelTremezzo’smagicisitslocale,andastaywouldn’tbe
  completewithoutatriptothepicturesquevillageofBellagio.
  However, it’s the characters of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo that lend the institution its warmth.
  Fromthebusboytrottingbehindthemaîtred’,everyounceofhisconcentrationonkeepingthe
  linguineupright,tothecheersofthebellboysastheywelcomeyouinfromamorningjog–it’sall
  totallyendearing.You’llvisitGrandHotelTremezzoforthevistas,thefood,andthesheeropulence
  oftherooms.ButlikeHollywoodstars,goodlooksmightbeabletodrawacrowd,butit’sthe
  charming ones that keep them coming back.Rooms from $600 per night; grandhoteltremezzo.com

ABOVE
Theopulentfoyersets
thetoneforthehotel’s
aesthetic; inside the
Lakeview Prestige room.

ABOVE
Theentrance to Grand Hotel
Tremezzoisasighttobehold;
dining at La Terrazza offers
stunning vews of Lake Como.

OPPOSITE
Themusic room, filled with
jewel-tonedsofasthatlook
likethey’vebeenplucked
from a Wes Anderson film;
thepoolsitsjustashortwalk
from T Beach restaurant.

WORDS: AMY CAMPBELL.

76 GQ.COM.AUAUGUST 2018

A NIGHT AT...