Il Sereno’s 2026 Season Brings New Energy to Lake Como Luxury

Photo Credit: Jeremy Austin

Lake Como has long been associated with historic palaces and grand lakeside villas. Il Sereno chose another path. Since opening in 2016, the hotel has defined itself through contemporary architecture, understated interiors, and a design that keeps the lake in constant view. That approach remains one of its greatest strengths nearly a decade later.

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The 2026 season arrives as Il Sereno prepares to celebrate its tenth anniversary. It follows a year in which the property was named the top hotel on Lake Como in the 2025 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards and received Two Michelin Keys in the Michelin Hotel Keys Guide. The anniversary will be marked with a series of additions, including a commemorative tasting menu at Il Sereno Al Lago and a collection of cocktails created exclusively for the occasion.

New for this season is Al Tramonto, an outdoor dining experience overlooking the western shore of Lake Como. With only five tables available each evening, the setting favors privacy over scale. Dinner begins as the light shifts across the water, with Executive Chef Raffaele Lenzi presenting Italian dishes that focus on seasonal ingredients and measured simplicity rather than elaborate presentation. Because the experience is offered only in favorable weather, every evening unfolds a little differently.

Photo Credit: il Sereno.Photo Credit: il Sereno.

Lenzi’s Michelin starred Il Sereno Al Lago remains the hotel’s culinary anchor. His cooking has consistently emphasized balance, seasonality, and precision, earning recognition without relying on excess. Later this year, the restaurant will introduce a tasting menu that revisits some of its defining dishes while adding new courses inspired by the hotel’s first decade on Lake Como.

Photo Credit: il Sereno. Photo Credit: Nicolo Brunelli

The spa also expands its wellness program with the Crystal Serenity Ritual, developed in partnership with Valmont. Warm semi precious stones, slow massage techniques, and three personalized wellness paths, Relax, Balance, or Energy, allow each treatment to be tailored to individual preferences. Like much of the property, the experience favors calm over ceremony.

Photo Credit: il Sereno. Photo Credit: Richard Krisak

One of Il Sereno’s most distinctive spaces is the Darsena Listening Suite. Inspired by Japan’s listening rooms, it combines vintage tube amplifiers, restored reel to reel players, bespoke walnut interiors, and a vinyl collection curated by owner Luis Contreras. It is an unusual feature for a luxury hotel, though entirely consistent with the property’s appreciation for craftsmanship and thoughtful design.

Photo Credit: Richard Krisak Photo Credit: Richard Krisak

Architecture continues to shape every stay. All suites face the lake, opening onto private terraces through floor to ceiling glass. Interiors designed by Patricia Urquiola rely on natural materials and restrained detailing, allowing the changing light and surrounding landscape to become part of each room. Even the freshwater infinity pool appears to extend naturally toward the lake rather than compete with it.

Photo Credit: Richard Krisak

Exploring Lake Como remains an essential part of the experience. Guests can board Il Sereno’s fleet of custom boats, including the Vaporina del Lago and handcrafted Jetto boats by Cantiere Ernesto Riva, for private cruises past Villa Balbianello, Villa Pliniana, and the region’s historic waterfront estates. Vintage car tours through Bellagio, Menaggio, and neighboring villages provide another perspective on one of Italy’s most recognizable destinations.

Photo Credit: il Sereno.

Rates begin at €950 per night. Nearly ten years after opening, Il Sereno remains one of the few properties on Lake Como that still feels unmistakably modern while staying closely connected to the landscape that surrounds it.

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