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Jan 01, 2024

Lake Como’s Favorite Wedding Hotels Are Also the Most Fashionable

Led by Valentina De Santis, the hotel collection is now dropping apparel and

Led by Valentina De Santis, the hotel collection is now dropping apparel and beauty collaborations with major local designers

Italy's Lake Como has become known and loved for many things—among them its dramatic scenery, Renaissance architecture, luxurious silk, and magnificent resorts. (Also, George and Amal Clooney.) Every year, visitors from all over the world gather in the glamorous small town to enjoy the warm months—and often to mark proposals and celebrate weddings at majestic hotels. Valentina De Santis, who comes from a long line of Como hoteliers, has been leading this movement for some time, as the head of the town's three most exclusive properties: Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Villa Sola Cabiati, and the new Passalacqua.

While it's easy to be swayed by the sweeping views of Lago di Como at every hotel in the area, De Santis's properties stand out as true Italian gems that highlight the country's most beloved qualities: classical art, fashion, architecture, cuisine, and an incomparable flavor for life.

The hotel boss spoke to Bazaar.com about the many design collaborations that have made her resorts the world-class holiday destinations they are today—among them a 100 percent silk loungewear collection, a luggage line, and a signature fragrance, all available at Tremezzo's luxury boutique, Sense of Lake.

"To me, Grand Hotel Tremezzo is not a simple hotel, it is a brand itself, a way of life. Sense of Lake was born with the idea that an everlasting journey begins before you arrive here and follows you home, because beautiful objects are also magical ones—they keep your memories alive," she says. "Whether it is the first day of a trip or the last, deciding what to take with you is always a crucial choice. And this can mean a fragrance, a special dress, a book, a little fun item. This is what travel is all about, finding a sense of belonging in a faraway place and making it a part of us for ever and ever."

The resort collection's collaboration with Lake Como loungewear designer Francesca Ruffini Stoppani was born through friendship—as many such alliances are in Italy—and has developed into a long partnership that highlights the region's prime silk market and artistry. Ruffini, the founder of F.R.S For Restless Sleepers, created a special capsule collection of silk robes with painterly Northern Italy–inspired prints for Tremezzo, and another for Villa Sola Cabiati. Her designs for Passalacqua will drop soon.

To go with the robes, Tremezzo also partnered with Papusse, a slipper brand committed to local craftsmanship and "made in Italy" excellence. Together, they created a selection of velvet and silk slippers in elegant, sunny shades—including Tremezzo's iconic orange—ideal for walking on the cobbled streets of Como. (Papusse's footwear is also available at major international retailers, including Nordstrom.)

The use of orange carries over into the totes and leather goods (pouches, a passport case, a card holder) available in every suite, as well as the packaging of the hotel collection's Aqua Como fragrance and cosmetics line (creams, cleansers, shampoos).

It is also present in the hotel's new luggage drop—a collaboration with Italian travel brand Bric's, which so far includes a sophisticated beige trolley bag with brown Tuscan leather inserts and a chic illustration of a woman lounging in a swimsuit by the lake.

"When choosing the artisans to work with for the interior design of the hotel, we always look for stories that captivate us, telling a tale of excellence and artistry," De Santis says. "We are careful to seek out only craftsmen who are authentic and sensitive interpreters of Italian style, expertly turning dreams and ideas into unique, veritable masterpieces."

The attention to exquisite local design is as present in Tremezzo's fashion boutique as it is in the rich furniture adorning the three properties—the luscious wallpapers and carpets, extravagant chandeliers, and open-air patios and balconies facing the lake.

"Grand Hotel Tremezzo is a pure labor of love, a true passion project of my family, and when I look around, I see my mum and my dad reflected in every corner and every object around me," De Santis says.

Rosa Sanchez is the senior news editor at Harper's Bazaar, working on news as it relates to entertainment, fashion, and culture. Previously, she was a news editor at ABC News and, prior to that, a managing editor of celebrity news at American Media. She has also written features for Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, Forbes, and The Hollywood Reporter, among other outlets.

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