What’s the first thing you think about when you hear ‘Lake Como’? For me there are a few things that come to mind: money, George Clooney, money, luxury villas, money and, of course, Aperol Spritz - and let’s just say this trip did not disappoint.
This is a destination with so much to offer the incentive travel market.
The easiest way to reach Lake Como is via Milan, which is where we spent our first afternoon of the trip. We went for lunch at Giacomo Arengario with incomparable views of the Piazza del Duomo. As we were in the centre of a city famed for its food, I chose a traditional Italian dish of prawn and asparagus risotto and was ‘eccelente’. After admiring the Duomo di Milano at lunch from a far, we headed to the top for a rooftop guided tour – don’t worry there is a lift – and delighted in the panoramic views over Milan.
We hopped on the bus and took a drive to Lake Como which took around an hour, arriving at our hub for the duration of the trip. Hilton Lake Como, is an elegant hotel which boasts beautiful views of the western lake front. Having recently opened in 2018, the sky bar and rooftop pool are the standout features of this hotel. Closely followed by the Terazza 241 restaurant. This was hotel dining at its best. The grazing menu was undeniably Italian and was complemented perfectly by an Aperol Spritz (or two!).
We started day 2 with a tour of the hotel including its event space (the meeting facilities offer sleek and minimalist spaces perfect for any corporate event) and then it was off to explore Como. There are numerous villas and gardens around the lake that can be explored. My favourite was the 17th century Villa Parravicini Revel - the perfect venue for a gala dinner overlooking the lake; it even has a private dock for guests to really arrive in style.
One of the best ways to explore Lake Como is on the water. We were lucky enough to channel our inner Sophia Lorens’ on a classic wooden Riva speedboat for a leisurely spin around the lake – headscarf, giant sunglasses and prosecco a must.
I think my ultimate highlight of the trip was lunch, where we stopped the boat off at a tiny, tree-covered island in the middle of the lake. There we were welcomed by Benvenuto, manager of Locanda Dell'Isola Comacina restaurant and chief showman. As you enter, one wall of the restaurant is covered in photos of him with various celebrities, including Mr Clooney. It serves a single six-course set menu. The menu has not changed since 1947. One of the courses is a bizarre but ingenious carvery where a waiter bearing an enormous half wheel of parmesan gouges out a wedge of cheese for each diner. It was a lunch I will honestly never forget.
The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering along the lake front and window shopping in the tiny medieval town, after which it was of course time for more food! After an extremely Italian Aperitivo stop off at a local taverna it was time for dinner at Figli dei Fiori. A florist in the day and a bistro by night, the menu is inspired by nature, offering colourful and beautifully presented dishes, with a tiramisu that I regularly still day dream about.
On our last day we woke up to glorious sunshine and a fleet of cherry red Fiat 500 convertibles waiting at the front of the hotel, ready for us to explore the Lombardy countryside. It really was like something out of a film, zipping around the lake with the backdrop of the Swiss Alps.
First stop on the driving tour was Villa Carlotta. The thing that stands out about Village Carlotta is its expansive gardens. While the interior is pretty similar to many other villas, the gardens stretch out as far as the eye can see, and there are a lot of different paths you can take depending on how much time you want to spend there. The rooms and gardens of the villa, not to mention the olive grove, are ideal settings for conferences, corporate events and gala dinners.
After a white-knuckle drive climbing the very steep, twisting, sometimes one-car-wide roads, we arrived at a large estate that had been transformed into a restaurant and four-star hotel for our last meal. This time lunch at la la Locanda del Notaio. Situated just a stone's throw from Switzerland, this Michelin star rated restaurant is well off the beaten track. Each course was finer than the last but the bread served with 4 different flavoured butters has ruined Hovis and lurpak for me for life!
This trip to Lake Como was magical. I’d wanted to visit for years and the moment I laid eyes on the place I knew why. Lake Como epitomises ‘La Dolce Vita’ (the sweet life) – conjuring up images of 1950s film stars speeding across its sparkling waters on motorboats or zipping through narrow streets on a Vespa. Como wasn’t what I had imagined. It was so much more.
