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We stayed in the luxurious JFK suite, complete with a lake view snug, two bathrooms, a grand bedroom complete with gilt bed frames and marble pillars (seen below) and a balcony overlooking the hotel entrance. We couldn’t quite get over the fact JFK had slept and woke up to the same view of the ornate floral ceiling fresco. If you want a room (or rather suite) to impress then this is it!
You’ll really want for nothing here – my only tip would be to take your own hairdryer if you are a blow dry pro. The bathrooms come with a deliciously scented products made with herbs from the hotel garden, but the hair dryer is the slightly outdated wall fixed variety that’s no match for a Dyson. Alternatively, there is a private hair salon in the hotel spa.
What about food and drink?
One of our favourite spots was The Darsena Terrace Bar overlooking the pool and Lake. Make time in your afternoon for an aperitif here, it’s the perfect vantage point shaded from the afternoon sun. Then head into one of the two restaurants on site, La Goletta is the informal dining down overlooking the pool, serving salads, pizza and meat and fish.
Upstairs on the veranda is the formal dining restaurant, Mistral, with food by renowned Chef Ettore Bocchia. Here you can indulge in his 7 course tasting menu, order a la carte or alternatively pick a sharing dish or two. Our pick? A delicious lobster and tomato spaghetti sharing plate that gets cooked at your table and the pineapple ice cream dish, made with liquid nitrogen as you watch, was also a show stopper.
But really it’s the 180 view of the lake out front and the show that unfolds as the sun sets and the stars twinkle overhead that really steals the show. On a warm balmy night the glass walls of the restaurant come down and the roof recedes allowing you to dine under a night sky canopy. We’d say it has to be one of the most romantic places in Italy to have dinner. So it’s another add for the bucket list.