Patricia Urquiola's intimate and contemporary Sereno hotel opens on Lake Como
Boutique hospitality group Sereno Hotels has announced the opening of Il Sereno Lago di Como – an “intimate, design-driven” hotel designed by Patricia Urquiola on the banks of Italy’s Lake Como.
The picturesque location is a popular beauty spot, drawing tourists with its dramatic vistas of the southern Italian Alps and idyllic small towns, and George Clooney, Madonna and Donatella Versace have all snapped up properties on the lake.
Il Sereno Lago is an all-suite hotel, with each of the 30 guest rooms coming with its own furnished terrace and lake views. It features a private beach, an infinity pool, vertical botanical gardens by botanist Patrick Blanc and a restaurant run by Michelin-starred chef Andrea Berton.
Urquiola and her practice, Studio Urquiola, were tasked by Sereno with creating “a contemporary hotel with understated décor in a contrast with the classical designs that can be found around Lake Como.”
Their design concept – which covers every facet of the hotel, from the architecture to the custom furniture, rugs, wall coverings, lamps, bathtubs, fixtures and even the scarves worn by staff and the boats that transport guests – was inspired by the hotel’s setting.
The designers have developed airy lounge areas that integrate the interior and exterior of the accommodations, with large windows showcasing views of the lake and the Alps. The furnishings come in earthy tones of grey and walnut, with touches of blue and green, to incorporate the colours found in the landscape.
At the centre of the hotel, Urquiola designed an original stairwell that serves as a focal point. Made with natural materials, including walnut wood, the large steps are encased in bronze and are designed to appear as if they are floating above the lobby.
The use of wood is intended to complement the ceppo di grè stone and marble walls found throughout the hotel, including in the signature Ristorante Berton – which utilises the same local stones used in the façade of the hotel for the restaurant tables.
Berton’s restaurant covers an indoor-outdoor space with a traditional Venetian Terrazzo covering the former boat house built over the lake itself.
Other amenities include a 60ft lakefront freshwater infinity pool surrounded by a broad sun-deck and bar, a small beach with direct access to the lake, and gardens featuring hidden passageways leading to the nearby Villa Pliniana, where Sereno recently opened another Lake Como property. In-room spa services can also be ordered.
Urquiola has also collaborated with Blanc on Il Sereno Lago’s dramatic green flourishes. He has created three distinct pieces in one setting; two vertical gardens and one green sculpture.
The most striking, ‘Le Mirroir Vert du Lac’, features over 2,000 plant types and was inspired by the both the colours and movement of the water. Covering the main façade, the garden is visible to visitors from across the lake.
This garden, formed of nearly 3,000 plants, is attached to ‘Le Canyon’, which evokes the vertical topography of the hotel’s rugged surroundings as part of the entrance to Il Sereno.
Finally, the ‘Les Racines Echasees’ green scupture sprawls from the garden floor in front of the reception area patio and rises more than 35ft in the air “to emulate aerial roots as seen in Mangroves and Banyan Trees”. It includes over 1,000 individual plants.
“We know devotees of Sereno Hotels and new guests alike will enjoy the exquisite design coupled with unparalleled attention to detail, amenities and relaxed service our brand is known for,” said Luis Contreras, owner of Sereno Hotels, reflecting on the opening.
“This project has been a true labour of love between Sereno Hotels and Patricia Urquiola; and we are excited to introduce an entirely new design concept to Lake Como.”
Il Sereno Lago di Com is the third property to join the Sereno Hotels portfolio, after Villa Pliniana and Le Sereno Hotel & Villas in St. Barthélemy.
Patricia Urquiola Sereno Hotels Lake Como Italy Il Sereno Lago di Como architecture designSereno Hotels opening second Lake Como property in stunning 16th century Italian palazzo
New spa for Saint Barthélemy hotel
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Aman sister brand Janu launching in Tokyo in 2024 with design by Denniston's Jean-Michel Gathy
From flooding old shopping malls to revolutionising housing, MVRDV’s founders like to do things differently
From Nobu Restaurants and Ian Schrager’s latest hotel to Imagination Playgrounds and the set design for The Rocky Horror Show, US architect and designer David Rockwell always keeps it fresh. He tells us the secrets of his creativity