Inside Lake Como’s luxury five-star hotel beloved by rich and famous

George and Amal Clooney are regulars, JLo and Ben Affleck honeymooned there, so what makes this five-star hotel so special? The answer might surprise you.

When one fantasises over an Italian summer, the mental mood board would surely conjure up visions of lazy days at beach clubs, dips in the crystal-clear sea, refreshing Aperol Spritzes and the sweet sound of a mandolins bringing the cobblestone streets to life.

Not to mention the balmy nights built around eating generous portions of fresh pasta, downing limoncello shots and dancing in the moonlight.

But it’s not usual for breakfast to form part of that Euro holiday fantasy. Perhaps because not many places have an early bird offering quite as memorable as Grand Hotel Tremezzo.

The five-star hotel, frequented by the rich and famous including George and Amal Clooney, is a jewel in the glistening Lake Como crown, having occupied the western shores of the region for more than 113 years.

Grand Hotel Tremezzo sits on Lake Como.

The property oozes art nouveau sophistication, from the old world architecture, to the decadent rouge carpeted hallways, French-style balconies and vibrant orange umbrellas peppered around the hotel’s three pools.

While the aforementioned activities absolutely occupy the daily diary, mornings are not to be wasted at Tremezzo, with a flurry of viral TikTok videos paying tribute to its legendary breakfast buffet.

To start the day, management encourages rolling out of bed, slipping into your room-provided bathrobe and meandering your way down to breakfast.

@marcoandflo

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♬ suono originale - Giuseppe Marco D’Isanto 🇮🇹

@rana.good

Beautiful breakfast @ghtlakecomo #breakfast#italy#travellife#grandhoteltremezzo

♬ so this is love - soft girl aesthetic

The buffet occupies a sprawling, palace drawing room hall overlooking the lake.

To single out the food heroes, the generous array of croissant flavours on offer could easily occupy an entire bakery window. If that wasn’t enough, there’s piping bags filled with various jams and creams to stuff the flaky pastries to your hearts content.

A chocolate fountain towers over the imperial table, supported by a giant tub of locally-made Nutella.

I’ll take the lot.

Start the day right.

For the savoury-inclined, there’s cured fish, smoked swordfish, marinated salmon, bacon. And, eleven different types of cheese.

If the ‘take as you please’ spread leaves you wanting (unlikely, but we love options), there’s a bustling kitchen adjacent the buffet promising to dish up anything you like.

A man dressed in a perfectly-pressed black-and-white suit yanks my plate from my hands and says, “Miss, what would you like?” He takes the initiative of piping me a croissant before I’ve even opened my mouth.

“I was going to ask the kitchen for crepes but they look busy, so I’m deciding on a Plan B.”

“Tut, tut,” he replies, as he links arms with me and whisks me to the kitchen, planting my plate in front of the chefs, waxing Italian lyrical as if he’s conducting a billion-dollar business deal.

Cheese, please.

The breakfast buffet at Tremezzo was an unexpected highlight.

Moments later, I’m handed a platter of toasty crepes straight from the pan, swimming in melted chocolate and dusted with strawberries.

Overlooking the cascading Grigne mountains on a sun-drenched porch, with a molto full belly, I concede it was one of the most satisfying gastronomic experiences in recent memory.

While I’ve waffled at length about the breakfast, there’s ample thrills for the night owls among us, too.

As mentioned previously, the Clooney’s are regulars at the main restaurant – La Terrazza – in the summer. This writer missed their casual midweek cameo by just two days. Though, the excitement rippled in the aftermath as guests were still buzzing at how Mr Clooney lingered at the bar and freely danced with guests.

George and Amal Clooney are regulars at Grand Hotel Tremezzo. Picture: Instagram/deuxmoi

A hotel guest leaked details of their visit to celeb gossip account, Deuxmoi.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were photographed enjoying their 2022 honeymoon there, as well as Australian entrepreneur Natasha Oakley and her husband Theo Chambers this past summer.

Over the years, the likes of Natalie Portman, Gwen Stefani, Van Morrison and Edward Norton have been among the most high-profile guests checking in.

Late Hollywood Golden era actress Greta Garbo has a suite named after her at the hotel, since she regularly stayed at the premises and even mentioned it as her “sunny, happy place” in the movie, Grand Hotel, released in 1932.

Tash Oakley enjoyed her honeymoon at the hotel.

Alongside her husband, Theo Chambers.

While the main restaurant is the hotel’s tentpole (booking in advance is necessary, even if you are a guest), it was the “more casual” eatery down by the lake, Da Giacomo Al Lago, that dished up two truly unforgettable pasta dishes.

The tortelli cacio e pepe is what King Charles would get if he requested Mac and Cheese. Tortelli filled with cheese and black pepper, with red prawns infusing expected refinement.

The linguine all-astice allows the all-important, juicy lobster to sing over a subtle tomato sauce.

Outside of hospitality delights, there’s a quaint on-site fashion boutique with locally-made pieces, a day spa and the bustling town of Bellagio is just a short ferry ride away.

Grand Hotel Tremezzo is, as one would expect from such an over-the-top offering, not cheap.

Aside from the room bill, the food and drink prices warrant a quiet gasp.

Though, if you’re looking to tick a swanky resort off your bucket list that’s actually worth those hard-earned dollars, this is the place to squander them.

And you might even share a spritz with Mr and Mrs Clooney. You can’t put a price on that.