Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como

Blevio is a village of a few hundred people on the steep eastern shore of the first arm of Lake Como, ten minutes by boat from the town of Como. The road above it is narrow, the houses climb the slope, and the only flat ground is at the water. That is where Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como spreads its nine villas across a park of 18 hectares, with a pool moored in the lake at the bottom of the garden.

History

Giuditta Pasta, the soprano for whom Vincenzo Bellini wrote Norma in 1831 and Donizetti wrote Anna Bolena, retired to Blevio and died there in 1865. Her name is attached to the site, and the aria Casta Diva from Norma gave the resort its first name. Villa Roccabruna, the principal house, is a 19th-century villa on the shore that was restored over several years together with the other buildings in the park. The resort opened in 2013 as CastaDiva Resort and Spa.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group took over management in 2019, after a further refurbishment, and the property became the group's first lakeside resort in Europe. Blevio had never had a hotel of this class before. The resort is seasonal and closes for the winter.

Architecture and design

Villa Roccabruna holds the reception, the main restaurant and a handful of suites, with its original facade, frescoed ceilings and a terrace onto the lake. The other villas are spread across the park, each with its own name and character, some restored period houses and others newer buildings in the same proportions. The park itself, with mature trees, terraces and stone paths down to the water, is the reason the resort feels like an estate rather than a hotel. Boats arrive at a private jetty.

Rooms and suites

There are 75 rooms and suites across the villas. Most have a balcony, terrace or garden opening towards the lake, and the suites in the outlying villas can be taken as whole houses with private pools and butler service. Interiors are contemporary, with pale woods, linen and stone, and the Mandarin Oriental fan motif appears discreetly rather than everywhere.

Dining

L'ARIA, in Villa Roccabruna with a terrace over the water, is the main restaurant, serving Italian cooking built on Lombard and lake produce. CO.MO Bar and Bistrot is the all-day option by the pool, and the bar in the villa handles the evening. Breakfast is on the terrace in fine weather.

Wellness

The spa occupies its own building in the park with an indoor pool, thermal suite and treatment rooms, following the Mandarin Oriental spa model used across the group. The outdoor pool is the resort's signature: a floating platform anchored in the lake, so swimmers are at water level with the mountains in front of them. There is a fitness centre and a programme of yoga and lake activities.

Weddings and events

The resort hosts weddings and corporate retreats, with ceremonies in the park or on the Villa Roccabruna terrace and dinners in the villa or under the trees. Whole villas can be reserved for a wedding party, and the resort can be taken over in full. Meetings are held in the villa's salons. Arrival by boat from Como is part of the staging.

Location

The address is Via Caronti 69, Blevio, on the eastern shore of the Como arm of the lake, about 6 km north of Como. Milan Malpensa airport is around 75 minutes by road and Milan Linate a little more; Lugano airport in Switzerland is also close. The nearest railway station is Como San Giovanni, 15 minutes away by taxi, with direct trains to Milan. Among luxury hotels on Lake Como it is the closest to Milan, and the resort's boat makes the trip into Como in about ten minutes.