Grand Hotel Tremezzo

My family and I stayed at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo for four nights. We’ve been fortunate to stay at many luxury hotels around the world, and while this property is absolutely stunning, unfortunately, we felt the overall experience fell short of what we expected from a hotel of this caliber. Even before arriving, I had some concerns about the level of service, as it took over a week to receive a response to an email I sent prior to our stay. I would have to email over and over, I finally had to get my travel agent involved. Unfortunately, some of those concerns carried over into our visit. PROS * The property: Absolutely breathtaking. The hotel and grounds are beautifully maintained, and the décor throughout is gorgeous. The setting on Lake Como really is spectacular. Hands down, this is one of the prettiest hotels I’ve ever stayed at. The entrance in particular is breathtaking. * The pools: There are three pools, which was a huge plus for our family. My kids loved them, and we never had an issue finding chairs, which made our stay very relaxing. The lake pool was amazing and was the perfect temperature after a hot day. The garden pool was also great for kids. Unfortunately, children are not allowed in the spa pool. * Breakfast: Wonderful selection each morning in a beautiful setting. Definitely one of the highlights of our stay. * Certain staff members: The staff stationed by the road were AMAZING and did a fantastic job directing traffic and helping guests safely cross the very busy road. Marco at the front desk was also wonderful and deserves special recognition. * Kids’ amenities: There were several thoughtful touches for children, including kids’ bathrobes in the rooms (my daughter was so happy!), a candy table in the lobby, and a trail where kids can search for Bobo the Bear up the mountain. * The rooms: The rooms are gorgeous and beautifully decorated in keeping with the Lake Como setting. We loved the high ceilings, abundance of natural light, complimentary sodas in the fridge, and shutters that provided complete darkness at night. CONS * Service: This was by far our biggest disappointment. Many of the staff members seemed very young and inexperienced, and the level of service simply didn’t match what we expect from a luxury hotel. On several occasions, our drinks sat empty for long periods while we waited for someone to approach us. Eventually, we had to get up and go to the bar ourselves, even walking in our wet bathing suits through restaurants while people ate. Our last night, as we got dropped off for our dinner reservation, which GHT made, we were told no reservation existed and sat at the worse seat. We finally decided to let the hotel know how we felt. They were apologetic but it was too late. * Prices: We fully expect Lake Como and especially a luxury hotel, to be expensive, but some of the pricing felt excessive. Approximately $40 for a simple buttered pasta and $20 for a side of fries for a child felt difficult to justify. * Housekeeping: Housekeeping lacked attention to detail. Empty champagne glasses remained in our room for days, along with half-finished water bottles and old drinks outside. We stayed in the Garden Suite with a pullout sofa, and we felt the bed should have been converted back into a sofa each morning and then made into a bed again during evening turndown service. The room is already a relatively small space, so leaving the pullout open all day made it feel even more cramped. These may seem like small details, but at a hotel of this caliber and price point, those details matter. * No sunscreen at the pool: This was a small thing, but something I found surprising for a five-star resort. Sunscreen was not provided at the pool, which is an amenity we’ve come to expect at luxury resorts. * Lake swimming area: While having direct access to the lake was wonderful, the water immediately around the hotel felt dirty at times, and the area could become congested with boats. OVERALL Grand Hotel Tremezzo is undeniably beautiful, and there were many things we enjoyed about the property. However, when staying at a hotel at this price point, exceptional and attentive service is a major part of the experience. We will NOT be returning. One recommendation (besides service improvement), the hotel should not allow any non-guest into their restaurant/bars unless they have lunch/dinner reservations. It’s a blogger’s paradise, with the orange & white decor and lake pool, it got annoying. TIPS * Walk to Casa Aquadulza for dinner. Make a reservation in advance. It is right next door. We had a great meal there, and the prices were much more reasonable than at the hotel. It’s a great option when you want a break from hotel dining. * Explore the restaurants near the hotel. Once you turn right onto the main road from the hotel, there are several restaurants that are great for families, as well as a wonderful gelato shop. You don’t need reservations for lunch, dinner we had to wait tops 30 minutes. * Passalacqua Lunch. It’s expensive, but the service was amazing and it was one of the highlights of our trip. If you are considering staying there, however, I found the atmosphere very quiet, possibly a little too quiet for families with children. GHT made our reservation, and we happened to get the best table. * Make dining reservations in advance. This applies not only to popular restaurants around Lake Como, but also to lunch at Grand Hotel Tremezzo itself. * Rent a boat for the day. We rented a small wooden boat for six hours, Alexandra was our tour guide and she was amazing. GHT arranged this for us. * DO NOT GO TO AL VELUU for dinner.