Mandarin Oriental, Lake Como

There's no shortage of luxury hotel competition in Lake Como, but Mandarin Oriental is worthy of being ranked among the world's best.

Despite intense competition from properties like Villa d'Este and Passalacqua, the Mandarin Oriental has earned recognition from T+L readers as one of their favorites. The property successfully distinguishes itself in an incredibly competitive luxury market through exceptional execution of the brand's signature service standards.

We booked the Premier Suite and honestly, it felt luxurious without going overboard on the minimalism — just really well done.

The floating pool was absolutely magical and the spa treatments were top-notch, but the restaurants were too expensive for what they delivered. L'aria was good Japanese-Italian fusion but overpriced, and the casual options felt basic. What really impressed me was how the staff anticipated our needs — they upgraded us, offered champagne at arrival, and the concierge handled multiple plan changes flawlessly.

All of the staff were absolutely lovely, eagerly willing to drop everything to help with anything and everything with a smile.

The property is stunning and extremely well-maintained, and the hotel experience wasn't pretentious at all which I greatly appreciate. I was given a complimentary upgrade to an incredible room without asking, and they include so many nice amenities like minibar, thermal area access, and shuttle service. The only negatives were absurdly expensive private transfer options and the restaurant L'Aria being wildly overpriced with confusing portions.

From the moment we arrived to departure, we experienced hands-on premium service that was attentive without being suffocating.

The entrance welcomes you with that stunning lake view, and check-in was completely seamless. Our room had phenomenal views, modern yet classic design that felt elevated throughout. The spa was genuinely relaxing, and even though it wasn't hot during our visit, the outdoor floating pool was truly an experience. The food at L'Aria, Como Bistrot and breakfast were all divine.

My boyfriend and I stayed here in August and everything was spectacular from that windy driveway arrival to the stunning lobby views.

The welcome lobby boasts incredible high ceilings with stunning lake views, and they offered champagne at check-in. We arrived early but they let us use the spa area while waiting and hang out at the pool — I think it's the best pool on the lake. They upgraded us based on availability which felt so kind, and our room was absolutely breathtaking.

My wife's 60th birthday celebration here was made truly special by how the staff made her feel throughout our three-day stay.

The property itself was absolutely stunning, and the staff were warm and attentive throughout our stay. What really impressed me was their exceptional attention to detail — they even thoughtfully wrapped my phone charger cord with a Velcro strip when I'd left it on the nightstand. This level of care had a significant impact on our overall satisfaction.

This hotel is in a stratosphere of its own, paired with stunning location in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

I have been thoroughly spoilt and nothing else will compare now. Service was always attentive, prompt and sincere without being suffocating. Food was made with highest quality ingredients and cooked to remarkable perfection. The shuttle runs guests to Como Town, and it's definitely the sort of hotel you'd only see in movies.

We spent three magical nights here and honestly, it was very difficult to pull ourselves away to venture anywhere else.

The floating pool is the most beautiful pool we've ever experienced — feeling it sway up and down as boats passed was quite surreal. The spa was the best we've ever been to, and we loved everything so much we've decided to repeat the trip next summer. The only negative was preferring more casual dining options for dinner, so we took the hotel shuttle to Como.

Just returned from the Mandarin and while the hotel is beautiful with prime lakeside position, there were several issues that shouldn't exist at €3,500 per night.

We booked a Duplex Suite with amazing lake views and easy facility access. The boat trips were fantastic, and the spa treatments were expensive but great. However, the hotel plays annoying looped music 24/7 starting at 7am until midnight — it actually woke us up. After complaining, management addressed it, but this shouldn't be necessary. The dining was mixed: L'Aria was fantastic, but the bistro served an inedible chicken dish that was all bone.

We recently completed an incredible stay and while I was concerned about some reviews, once on property we were completely blown away.

The views are breathtaking and property is very well kept. We booked a vista lago room but got upgraded to a vista lago suite with private terrace — perfect for little ones with ample space. The pool area was never crowded, they have a heated indoor pool my toddler loved, and there's a large kids room with toys. The only issue was shuttle booking up fast with limited property departure options.

My most favorite luxury resort in Europe — it's just perfect from any and every perspective.

The location, gardens, architecture, infinity pool, restaurants, rooms and especially service all work together flawlessly. Many compliments for all people working there — they know how to make you feel special. The breakfast buffet isn't huge, but a la carte options were amazing and the kitchen fulfills special requests without issues. Chef sends special appetizers as gifts during dinner, and minibar plus all drinks are included.