---
title: "Villa d'Este"
description: "Villa d'Este needs little introduction. The sixteenth-century cardinal's residence turned luxury hotel is a monument to Italian grandeur: 152 rooms across two buildings, 25 acres of parkland with botanical gardens, a floating pool on the lake, eight tennis courts, a golf course, and an opulence that makes modern luxury hotels look restrained."
canonical_url: "https://atsiolevart.com/europe/lake-como/venues/villa-deste"
last_updated: "2026-06-25T05:30:01.245Z"
---

Villa d'Este needs little introduction. The sixteenth-century cardinal's residence turned luxury hotel is a monument to Italian grandeur: 152 rooms across two buildings, 25 acres of parkland with botanical gardens, a floating pool on the lake, eight tennis courts, a golf course, and an opulence that makes modern luxury hotels look restrained.

The rooms in the Cardinal Building are the most characterful, with frescoed ceilings, antique furnishings, and lake views from tall windows. The hotel's formality (jacket required for dinner) will suit some travellers and not others, and the Veranda restaurant serves classic Italian cuisine at a level that matches the setting.

Rates start around EUR 700 and rise steeply. The hotel operates from March through November. You stay here for the history, the gardens, and the sense of being somewhere that has defined European luxury hospitality for decades.