At the Lake Como EDITION in Cadenabbia, a former 19th-century palazzo that looks onto the cobblestoned village of Bellagio, guests partake in a contemporary vision of Italian luxury. The storied building, originally known as the London, preserves its muted façade of cream, clay, and butter hues as well as its vaulted interior lobby. But the revamp, courtesy of Milan-based architecture studio De.Tales, EDITION creative directors Kirstin Bailey and Paul Haslhofer, and Shanghai design practice Neri&Hu, is decidedly fresh and minimalist.

“Lake Como has an almost mythic quality to it—there’s a deep sense of history, elegance, and romance—so the goal was never to compete with that, but to reinterpret it through the EDITION lens. We wanted to create something that felt very much of this place, yet unmistakably modern,” says George Fleck, Marriott International senior vice president and global brand leader.

Consider the cantilevered teak entrance bolstered by a vertical garden, or the Carlo Scarpa-inspired marble staircase paired with white Palomba stone terrazzo. Given the hotel’s past, “heritage was an important starting point. From there, we looked at how EDITION could bring a new energy to the destination,” adds Fleck. 

This mindset paved the way to social, yet intimate spaces, including the celadon-hued Lobby Bar. Here, guests gather underneath a coffered ceiling, while in Cetino by Mauro Colagreco, they dine amid rosy Dolomite plaster walls and antique mirrors. Another bold addition to the property is the science-fueled Longevity SPA, which melds biohacking technology with holistic wellness treatments. 

The 148 guestrooms are standouts, too, adorned with fluted glass doors opening to the bathrooms and custom furniture like the walnut bed anchored by a hand-tufted light blue rug reminiscent of the pervasive lake outside.

Fleck relishes just how seamlessly the hotel connects to Lake Como. “The floating pool and private dock are especially powerful; they allow it to become part of the experience rather than just the backdrop,” he explains. “There’s something incredibly dynamic about arriving by boat or spending time right at the water’s edge that feels true to the spirit of the destination.”