Between Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como and Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Italy’s sparkling Lake Como is a stronghold of vaunted luxury. The irrepressible glamour that frames Italy’s third-largest lake has long inspired both celebrities and anyone chasing surreal high-end experiences, so it’s no surprise that some of the world’s most coveted hotel brands would want a slice of that pie. The latest: Ritz-Carlton. As confirmed recently by parent company Marriott International, Ritz-Carlton Lake Como Bellagio will open in 2026, making the historic brand’s debut in Italy.
And what a debut it’s shaping up to be. Ritz-Carlton hotels are often pointed to as perfect examples of luxury accommodations, so taking that reputation and adapting it to Lake Como should present an unparalleled hospitality experience as the brand reshapes the historic Hotel Grand Bretagne.
Hotel Grand Bretagne, which opened just outside the village of Bellagio in 1850, was one of Lake Como’s very first hotels and has enjoyed a solid reputation ever since. While fierce competition from the aforementioned properties has pulled some of that lustre away from the pioneering hotel, Ritz-Carlton should easily restore some glory to the 16,500-square-metre site as it opens with 59 rooms and 46 suites with various premium amenities.
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As expected, there will be both an indoor pool and an outdoor pool, a private boat dock – of course – and numerous casual and fine dining restaurants. Ritz-Carlton’s designers are working on dedicating a big part of the land to a meditation garden and somewhere between all that will be a comprehensive fitness centre.
The extensive restoration of the old Hotel Grand Bretagne has reportedly already begun. And that’s great news for Marriott Bonvoy members, seeing as Ritz-Carlton Lake Como Bellagio will be one of the surprisingly few luxury points hotels in the region. Even more so that Marriott International is also planning to open an EDITION hotel in Lake Como in 2025, just a year before Ritz-Carlton Lake Como Bellagio lands.
