Raffles Lake Como

Name: Raffles Lake Como
Address: Moltrasio, Lake Como, Italy

the first Raffles in Italy

Moltrasio, Lake Como, Italy

First look

This will be the first Raffles in Italy, and the brand isn't building from scratch. It's converting the Grand Hotel Imperiale at Moltrasio, a 1920s Art Nouveau pile on the quieter western shore of Lake Como, into roughly 84 rooms plus two villas. Reusing a building with that much history is a harder brief than a new-build resort, and it's the part we're most curious about.

On paper the bones are strong: one of the largest hotel shorelines on the lake, a private dock, indoor and outdoor pools, a spa, and the Raffles signatures the brand carries everywhere, the Long Bar and the Writers Bar. It's slated to open in 2027, in partnership with CL Hotel SPA, and would be Raffles' fifth hotel in Europe.

We haven't stayed, and a heritage conversion is exactly where promise and reality can drift apart. What we'll be watching for: whether the period architecture survives the upgrade intact, how the rooms handle lake views at that count, and whether the service lands. We'll find out when we visit.

Not yet scored. We publish a Fat Score only once a hotel is open and real guests have stayed and written about it — this is a first look, not a verdict.

Before it opens

When does Raffles Lake Como open?

Raffles Lake Como is slated to open in 2027. The date is the brand's stated target, so treat it as expected rather than fixed.

How many rooms will Raffles Lake Como have, and what was the building before?

It's planned at around 84 rooms, including 18 suites, plus two villas. The property is a conversion of the 1920s Art Nouveau Grand Hotel Imperiale at Moltrasio, on Lake Como's western shore, and will be the first Raffles in Italy.

Open now

What you can book today

Raffles Lake Comois still under wraps. Here's what's already open and scored in our collection — more from Raffles, and nearby in Italy.

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From the desk

Get the first-look verdict

We publish our verdict the week Raffles Lake Como opens. Get it in the monthly note, before the rest of the internet catches up.

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First look →