In 1873, a handful of members of Milan's high society transformed the villa into a luxury hotel and celebrities from all over the world flocked to the shores of Lake Como, as they do to this day. The lake has always been a magnet for Hollywood heart throbs, and local resident and all round good guy, gorgeous George Clooney draws the greatest sighs as he pulses around the lake on his Harley. (He is honorary President of Italy's Harley Davidson club). A few years ago, he bought Villa Oleandra in the village of Laglio, but has occasionally been sighted at the Villa d' Este.

Whenever I visit, the luxury hotel  I love to check that my favourite things are still in place: the superb XV1 century mosaic - symbol of the Villa d'Este; the cascades; the 500 year-old plane tree; the Queen's Pavilion; the floating pool in the lake, and the fabulous Veranda restaurant which has retractable glass screens enabling diners to enjoy dining inside-out, as it were. Or I might clamber up to the fortresses - mock fortifications built by a countess to amuse her husband, a young Napoleonic general. The views from up here are fabulous.
Or I might stroll through the botanic gardens, peruse the plantings in the chef's garden perhaps. Or shop. There are several boutiques - including a fabulous jewellery shop in the resort's enclave. Then again I might take a boat trip. I can choose a private boat, or take the short stroll down to the ferry landing in Cernobbio.

Boredom is not an option. There are 8 tennis courts, 1 squash court, a jogging track, sailing, canoeing and water skiing. There is golf nearby, and most importantly the amazing outdoor heated pool floating on the lake, as well as an indoor pool. After all this activity you might be in need of a massage, some hydrotherapy or an indulgent beauty treatment perhaps. All of these and much, much more are available in the Beauty Centre.

The Villa d' Este's Veranda restaurant is known far and wide for the sheer beauty of its setting, its famous retractable glass windows opening on to the garden and the lake, as it is for its cuisine.  Breakfast and lunch are relatively informal, but dinner requires that gentlemen wear jacket and tie. A more relaxed dining option is The Grill, where you can dine indoors, or in the shade of the old plane trees in the summer months.

There are 152 guest rooms located in both the Cardinal Building and the Queen's Pavilion. These include, double rooms, junior suites and suites, all have marble bathrooms, and many have balconies overlooking the lake. The interiors feature elegant, antique furniture reflecting the period style of the hotel and the most wonderful swagged draperies with opulent tassels.

The long gallery above the grand staircase that rises from the lobby is lined with enormous portraits of imposing personages who gaze sternly or indulgently down upon the onlooker, depending on your perception. Their demeanour certainly speaks volumes.
In the Canova Bar - which not surprisingly is named after a marble statue attributed to Canova - walls are lined with silk, as are the beautiful embossed chairs. After all, Como has been the European capital of the silk industry for centuries.

If all this sounds terribly formal to you, fear not.   The hotel is a fun, vibrant destination, filled with laughter, gossip, scandal, anecdote, and cinematic history. Photography was born here on Lake Como when William Henry Fox Talbot visited in 1833 and recorded his images on paper; Alfred Hitchcock made his first film here in 1925, and one of the greatest film directors of all time, Luchino Visconti's childhood summer home, Villa Erba, is right next door. And George's villa is just a short ferry ride away.