The Luxury Hotel Insider: Exclusive luxury hotel deals, features and special rates from the luxury hotel experts at Five Star Alliance.
Named one of Tripbase's Best Luxury Travel Blogs for 2011, below are Five Star Alliance's newest articles featuring exclusive information on luxury hotels worldwide including special offers and deals at the world's best hotels.
Set on the edge of Lake Como, CastaDiva Resort & Spa provides an exclusive and romantic setting. As the first and only eco-friendly luxury resort on Lake Como, the property maintains high standards of eco-sustainability, while showcasing the natural beauty of the surrounding area. The CastaDiva Spa is the largest spa on the lake, and the facility offers sensory water experiences, a wellness area with a sauna, steam bath, Mediterranean bath, relaxation pool, vitality pool with hydro massage and chromotherapy, and a Kneipp circuit. There's also emotional showers with peppermint, a Himalayan rose salt room, and the Darsena relaxation area set on an original dock suspended over Lake Como.
For dining, the property offers a gastronomic journey into the flavors of Italy. Dinners at L'Orangerie restaurant feature creative Italian interpretations of Mediterranean cuisine, while Giardino Dei Sapori & Grill serves BBQ during the summer months. While Bar Bellini serves light meals and snacks thourhgout the day with signature and classic drinks. Read more below the photo of L'Orangerie.
Five Star Alliance Perk: Guests receive full breakfast daily, a 90 Euro food or spa treatment credit, per room, per stay, a possible upgrade at the time of reservation based on availability, and a welcome amenity. Also, based on availability at the time of check-in and departure, an early check-in and late check-out.
Situated at an enviable spot on Lake Como, Villa d'Este is a luxury hotel originally built in 1568 for Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio and the residence of aristocrats for centuries. Transformed into a five-star resort in 1873, the property has welcomed princesses, sultans, tsars, and marquises. Offering guestrooms and suites within two buildings, the Cardinal Building and the Queen's Pavilion, accommodations are furnished with antiques, luxe marble bathrooms, silks, and velvets, with elegant paintings and prints. Continue reading below the photo of Villa d'Este.
Within the luxury resort there are two Presidential Suites. Providing incomparable charm, the suites have expansive views of Lake Como and the surrounding gardens. Lavishly furnished, the two Presidential Suites are located on the first floor of the Cardinal Building, with 50 square meters of space, and can be connected to adjoining suites for larger groups. Read more below the Presidential Suite photo.
In addition to the Presidential Suites, the property also offers four villas for guests seeking extra privacy. Providing all the services of the property, each of the four villas respects the regal history of the resort while providing an exclusive retreat. Including the Villa Garrovo, a three-story villa built in 1833 with six bedrooms, large living area, full kitchen, gym, veranda, and hidden garden. Read more below the Villa d'Este swimming pool photo.
On the property there's a self-drive boat for guests to explore Lake Como. There's also a variety of dining options throughout the proeprty, including the Veranda Restaurant and Sundeck Bar. The Sporting Club has complimentary fitness equipment, and guests have access to the nearby Villa d'Este Golf Club. Plus, the Beauty Center of Villa d'Este is connected to the Sporting Club by an underground passage with a waterfall wall, Asian-inspired atmosphere, personalized treatments by physiotherapists and beauticians, and an exclusive line of products by Villa d'Este.
Perched between the mountains and the lake, The Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni is a luxurious retreat. Originally built as a private estate in the 1850s, the historic hotel has been popular with royalty and celebrities from around the world for more than 100 years. Featuring a prime setting in Bellagio, the resort has an indoor and outdoor pool, fine dining, full-service spa, lavish gardens, and ornate interiors.
Here are three of our favorite experiences at the property:
Spa Serbelloni: open from April to October, the spa is located within a historic villa. Adjacent to the indoor pool, guests can enjoy a variety of treatments designed to create harmony between the mind and body, including the Beauty Day program which includes a remineralizing body treatment, massage, facial, and light lunch. Plus, there are integrative options that combine Pilates and Fitness Center sessions with spa treatments.
The Mistral Restaurant offers the ultimate dining with a view experience. Featuring cuisine by Michelin Star Chef Etorre Bocchia, the restaurant has a terrace with stunning views of Lake Como, plus live music.
Taxi Boat excursions are the perfect way to experience the breathtaking beauty of the area. The hotel offers a variety of options including transfers from the property's private dock to Villa D'Este and Centro Lago, or guests can choose rides around the lake for a specific amount of time.
You've got until November 30 to take advantage of CastaDiva Resort'sBest Available Rate promotion.
Nightly room rates are from:
Deluxe Double Room Lake View: 390 EUR
Suite Partial Lake View: 510 EUR
Penthouse Suite Lake View: 510 EUR
Suite Roccabruna Front Lake View: 630 EUR
The rates include:
- Buffet gourmet breakfast at L’Orangerie Restaurant
- Daily entrance to the wellness area of the SPA featuring: Swedish Sauna, Steam Bath, Mediterranean Bath, Relaxation Pool with side jets,
Vitality Pool with hydromassage and chromotherapy, Kneipp Circuit, Balancing Himalayan Rose Salt Room, Refreshing Ice Cascade,
Emotional Showers with peppermint and exotic fragrances, Darsena Relax Area - an original XIX century dock gently suspended on the lake
- Fitness Center with Kinesis and Technogym equipment
- Wifi
- Service and VAT
Rates could be subject to daily city tax, applied per person (from 12 years old). Offer is not applicable on existing bookings. Offer is applicable to a limited number of rooms. Additional rates and restrictions may apply. Book early and read the terms and conditions carefully to avoid disappointment.
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni is one of the oldest and most elegant hotels in Italy. Set in the splendid surroundings of Lake Como, where the blue waters meet the green mountains which soar above the lake, the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni enjoys a breathtaking position on the promontory which juts halfway out into the lake, separating the two branches. Lake Como, part of the northern Italian Lakes District, is Italy's deepest and most popular lake. It is surrounded by mountains and is known for it's world renowned romantic atmosphere. It is conveniently located between Milan and the border of Switzerland.
For the past 100 years or more, the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni has been one of the most well-known and prestigious hotels in the world. The luxurious vegetation of its Italian-style gardens, abounding in Mediterranean and subtropical plants, flourishes in the pleasant microclimate around the lake: sunshine almost all year round, accompanied by mild temperatures in every season. Owing to its delightful setting, Bellagio, an oasis of peace on the shores of the lake, has been a holiday destination for centuries and it was here that, in around 1850, construction work started on a luxurious holiday villa on the banks of the lake for an aristocratic family from Milan.
The Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni offers a plethora of amenities and activities designed to take full advantage of its spectacular location.
Activities include:
Take a boat ride from the hotel's private dock.
Stroll in the historic gardens.
Mountain bike on the Bellagio promontory
Enjoy a massage in the spa
Listen to live music in the lounge
Lounge on the beach
Sup on a meal prepared by a Michelin starred chef
Take a dip in the swimming pool overlooking the lake
For the past 100 years or more, Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni has been one of the most well-known and prestigious hotels in the world. Right from the outset, the Grand Hotel became the chosen destination for illustrious guests in search of peace: royalty, aristocrats, figures from international politics, and movie stars. The Sovereigns of Spain, Romania, Albania, Egypt; above all the Russian and English aristocracy; Winston Churchill, Roosevelt, the Rothschilds, J.F. Kennedy; Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Maria Schell, Clark Gable, Robert Mitchum, Al Pacino.... these are just some of the famous guests who have strolled through the rooms and lakeside gardens of the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, enjoying its beauty and outstanding hospitality.
Located on the gorgeous Lake Como, where the blue waters meet the green mountains which soar above the lake, the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni enjoys a breathtaking position on the promontory which juts halfway out into the lake, separating the two branches. The luxurious vegetation of its Italian-style gardens, abounding in Mediterranean and subtropical plants, flourishes in the pleasant microclimate around the lake. The locale enjoys sunshine almost all year round, accompanied by mild temperatures in every season. From April to November the salons and the large lakeside garden offer guests the chance to enjoy a holiday far from the madding crowd and close to nature immersed in one of the most beautiful panoramas in the world.
The hotel's interior reflects the good taste loved by the wealthy nobility of the time. Its walls and ceilings are adorned with frescoes and paintings of mythological scenes, gilded frames, festoons, temples, putti, flamingos, and Pompeian reds. The coffer ceilings are frescoed with floral patterns in grey and pink tones. Guests will enjoy period wall coverings in the French style, antique Persian carpets, crystal chandeliers from Murano, Imperial furniture, and the neo-classical and Art Nouveau style; not to mention the marble staircases, the stucco work columns, and the splendid trompe l'oeil.The "salle à manger" alone is a genuine monument to art, as is the Salone Reale, which in the evening is lit by bronze and crystal chandeliers, the splendor of whose lights are reflected by large mirrors.
Lovers of peace and quiet can alternate the pleasure of a poolside drink with beauty treatments and programmes at Villa Serbelloni SPA, the hotel's own beauty farm. Guests can set off from the private dock for a motorboat trip to the historic gardens along the lake which, in springtime, attract tourists from all over the world: especially for the wonderful flowering of the azaleas. Lovers of sport can take advantage of the hotel gym and tennis courts, enjoy delightful walks, take a mountain bike out on the Bellagio promontory, and cool off in the swimming pool overlooking the lake.
Nightly spring rates at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni start at EUR 418 >>
Villa d'Estewas where legendary director Alfred Hitchcock decided to do his first movie. That stay happened in 1925 and the movie was titled The Pleasure Garden. Hitchcock was a big fan of the waterfront hotel. He often spent his September vacations relaxing on Lake Como.
For the past 100 years or more, 
Lovers of peace and quiet can alternate the pleasure of a poolside drink with beauty treatments and programmes at Villa Serbelloni SPA, the hotel's own beauty farm. Guests can set off from the private dock for a motorboat trip to the historic gardens along the lake which, in springtime, attract tourists from all over the world: especially for the wonderful flowering of the azaleas. Lovers of sport can take advantage of the hotel gym and tennis courts, enjoy delightful walks, take a mountain bike out on the Bellagio promontory, and cool off in the swimming pool overlooking the lake.
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