Grand Hotel Tremezzo

Grand Hotel Tremezzo Review We had not been to Lake Como in somewhere between 35-40 years. We wanted to stay at one of the best places, and Grand Hotel Tremezzo had gotten lots of wonderful press so we booked a Junior Suite overlooking the lake. Sadly, it was a big disappointment. We had communicated with the hotel and made dinner reservations in advance. Our first night was to be in their pizza restaurant as it had great reviews and recommendations., and we wanted something light after traveling from Rome. The problem was the restaurant is outside and the weather was cold, and they do not have heat lamps. This is ridiculous. So they had us go to their L’Escale Trattoria and wine bar as it was inside. We ordered pasta with tomato sauce, and it reminded me of Chef Boyardee. The waiter was pretty snooty too. I guess it was because we wanted only something light. A bottle of water, a glass of wine and 2 pasta dishes was $100. We were reserved for their seafood restaurant across the street the next night, but cancelled early as they said there was no heat lamp. They recommended another place and called to make a reservation but got no answer. We came down to go on a boat tour, and the person who was handling this had gone to lunch. 4 hours later, when picking up our key, still no answer from the concierge desk, and they said they would let us know. No message ever came and we decided to just walk and find our own place. There simply is no excuse for this. The hotel has a tremendous breakfast buffet. The problem is you cannot serve yourself. No matter what you want, you have to have them dish it out. This is not the kind of service I like. I like taking what I want, how much or how little I want, when I want. It’s a buffet after all. I assume this is not Covid related but a hotel policy as we travelled Italy last September for 3 weeks in 5 star hotels, and buffet breakfasts were serve yourself except for your cooked order and drinks. Our waiter on day 1 was snooty. Day 2 was no better as only 1 of 3 different waiters aimed to please. When my wife asked at the buffet what kind of bread they had ( there were several) the lady in a snooty response said “ Italian Bread.” Lastly, the napkin at breakfast basically when folded was 4 folds of cocktail napkin size. There are no other plates on the table, so if you want to take your knife and fork and put it down after eating fruit out of the round bowl they give it too you in, you can only place it on the table cloth so strawberry juice stains it. We asked for a plate and were looked at by the waiter like we were from outer space. The next day, we just stained the table cloth to avoid a repeat. We definitely had the bad staff as there were some who were pleasant, had personality and smiles. My wife is very sensitive to smells, and there were scent sticks in a liquid in the room that we had to remove. If you are sensitive, request to have them removed before checking in. Also be aware that while the hotel is non smoking, people do smoke on their terraces, and if you have your terrace doors open, the smoke may come into your room. With all of these complaints, the highlight of our stay was a 4 hour boat tour around the lake on their boat RUY. Carlo was a wonderful captain, his English was excellent, and his knowledge of the lake was amazing. And he had some great stories to tell too. Do not miss this opportunity. They didn’t admit it, but they are having issues with their WiFi. I am very tech savvy, and am using both an iPhone 14 Pro and an iPad Mini 6. On the first night, I was unable to get internet. I called and when I told them I couldn’t connect, a lady had to come to the room. She tried too and was unsuccessful. I was connected to the WiFi, but the WiFi was not connected to the internet. The next day. I went to the front desk and after several tries, they got to the sign on screen and got me on. But it didn’t last long. While it says I’m connected, I was not. Fortunately I had good cel service and had paid to roam. But I wanted to Stream HBO( I have a VPN app on my phone) and connect it to the tv using their chrome cast, but it cannot be done without WiFi. PS: I wrote this during the stay and noticed from my room on my last night, a single fire by the seafood restaurant across the street. I assume this may have been for heat. Had they said this was available, we might have liked to have kept our reservation. If we decide to come back to Lake Como since we travel Italy often, we will choose a different property.

Just had an amazing stay at Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como. The lift up to reception from the drive is lined with mirror and is very pretty, heralding the glamour to come. The lobby is stunning, with long stemmed roses fully submerged in cylindrical vases - looks fantastic. And the scent of roses as you walk in is gorgeous. A great selection of restaurants. All staff were charming and friendly. Even the lovely ladies who cleaned our room every day were smiley and welcoming. Delicious food and canapés before dinner. Best cup of tea after a fun day taking the ferry to Como and back again. Pillows fantastic - soft, but not too soft, with one feathery pillow and one synthetic. Mattress was a brilliant combo of soft top yet firm. Best night's sleep. Breakfast was incredible: so much choice. Pretty decoration at breakfast of a cupcake made of flowers. Excellent pizzas at the hotel pool (hill-side). Didn't swim in the main hotel pool (in the lake) as it was too cold. But the sand round the sun loungers was a nice touch. The attention to detail made the whole visit truly memorable. A very stylish and elegant hotel. Highly recommended.