"Concept Penthouse Suite" at Il Sereno Lago di Como
Photo: Sara Magni

HOTEL
Boundless pleasure

Light, luxury and fluid transitions: Patricia Urquiola has created a modern retreat with the hotel "Il Sereno Lago di Como", which was recently expanded with an exclusive penthouse suite.

by Anna Moldenhauer | 7/8/2021

Anyone searching for a luxury stay on the shores of Lake Como in Lombardy can find something to fit the bill in next to no time – namely “Il Sereno Lago di Como”, a five-star hotel designed by Patricia Urquiola, which opened in 2016. The hotel strikes a contemporary note among the region’s traditional buildings, the majority of which are made of natural stone with terra-cotta-colored titles. Stone, wood, fair-faced concrete and glass make for an open edifice stretching across five floors and erected on top of the walls of what was once a boathouse. The new build features floor-to-ceiling windows which suffuse the rooms with light. Each of the 30 suites faces the lake and boasts its own balcony. The combination of cool and warm materials that is characteristic of the hotel’s outward appearance is carried on through its interior, for which Urquiola drew her inspiration from the glamour of the 1950s, but without being weighed down by the latter era’s ponderous opulence. Thanks to the combination of wide, open spaces and cleverly placed light sources, even the dark walnut wooden paneling is not oppressive but forms a warm contrast to the shiny bronze, the Ceppo di Gré flooring and the Venetian terrazzo. Moreover, textiles in light green and warm orange lend the place a fresh look. This is an understated, modern kind of luxury, one that is most apparent in the high quality of the materials used.

For this project, Patricia Urquiola’s studio worked mainly with artisans from the region, thus, for instance, providing a platform for Como’s highly reputed silk manufacturers – not only for the staff’s uniforms, but also for accessories such as cushions. This elegant interior is rounded out by a harmonious combination of her own designs such as the “Silver Lake” armchair, created by Urquiola for Moroso, the “FAT FAT” outdoor sofa for B&B Italia and the “Fordite 1” carpet for cc-tapis. These are teamed up with various design classics such as Vico Magistrerri’s “Atollo” luminaire for Oluce, Franco Albini’s “Luisa Chair” for Cassina and Gio Ponti’s “Luna Lamp” for Tato.

For some time now, “Il Sereno Lago di Como” has also boasted a new “Concept Penthouse Suite”, the brainchild of Patricia Urquiola and hotelier Luis Contreras, located in its own extension building adjoining the main establishment. Tastefully integrated into the existing concept, this offers an atmosphere of relaxed sophistication and features a gorgeous panorama looking out over Lake Como, with its impressive mountain scenery. A vertical garden, designed by botanist Patrick Blanc, creates a further link to the impressive natural backdrop on the façade of the "Concept Penthouse Suite". Thanks to the spacious windows, the landscape appears almost to frame the suite – thus allowing guests in all rooms to enjoy the view. On a practical note, should visitors ever feel the urge to take one of these design objects home with them at the end of their stay at the hotel, they have the opportunity to purchase the item in question right there and then; the appropriate web store is currently in the works. This makes the "Concept Penthouse Suite" the first "Shoppable Hotel Penthouse Suite" in Europe.

The ancillary facilities include trips out in a helicopter or one of the hotel’s own boats, an extensive spa area and Michelin-starred cuisine in the “Berton Al Lago” restaurant. With this in mind, fluid boundaries between the outside and the inside are fundamental to the hotel design by Patricia Urquiola, which culminates in the Infinity Pool, the waters of which appear almost to merge with the lake. Incidentally, “sereno” means serenity and calmness – both of which describe “Il Sereno Lago di Como” right down to a T.