Grand Hotel Tremezzo
Retro retreat with islands of freshness
08/01/2024 Reading time: 2 Minutes
The good old days are omnipresent here, and not just because of Greta Garbo, who still haunts the corridors. One of the four historic suites in the Tremezzo is dedicated to the "Divine".
In 1932, the Hollywood diva made priceless PR for the hotel with just one sentence in the Oscar-winning film "Grand Hotel": "Let's spend a month in Tremezzo, my love". Cult status and worldwide fame have been guaranteed ever since ...
The key I receive at check-in must be a remnant from this golden era. It's so heavy that it puts the seams of my trouser pocket to a real stress test. Arriving unscathed - and without a hole in my trouser pockets - in room 417 with its magnificent lake and mountain view and small balcony overlooking the riverside road, nostalgia is the order of the day in the marble bathroom: instead of a shower cubicle, a folding glass wall has been screwed onto the bathtub, as in many other rooms.
At Ristorante La Terrazza , homage is also paid to the past, where the Milanese culinary master Gualtiero Marchesi lives on in the delicious tasting menu or with his legendary classic "Risotto, gold leaf, saffron". Valentina De Santis, CEO and granddaughter of hotel founder Giovanni Battista, is not averse to cherished traditions either. In 1983, on her first birthday, she received a very special cake from chef Osvaldo Presazzi.
"Even today, he still bakes me the 'Torta Valentina' made from cocoa and almonds - I'm not allowed to eat any other on my special day!" Family is sacred to her. This amicable feeling should also flatter her guests. Even more important, however, is her feminine touch in the modernization steps - clearly visible in the armchairs in the salons and lounges, which she has decorated in bright colors.
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If little Napoleon, who leads the restaurant crew, were to exude grandezza instead of grant, the glamor would quickly return - without any help from Garbo.
The key I receive at check-in must be a remnant from this golden era. It's so heavy that it puts the seams of my trouser pocket to a real stress test. Arriving unscathed - and without a hole in my trouser pockets - in room 417 with its magnificent lake and mountain view and small balcony overlooking the riverside road, nostalgia is the order of the day in the marble bathroom: instead of a shower cubicle, a folding glass wall has been screwed onto the bathtub, as in many other rooms.
At Ristorante La Terrazza , homage is also paid to the past, where the Milanese culinary master Gualtiero Marchesi lives on in the delicious tasting menu or with his legendary classic "Risotto, gold leaf, saffron". Valentina De Santis, CEO and granddaughter of hotel founder Giovanni Battista, is not averse to cherished traditions either. In 1983, on her first birthday, she received a very special cake from chef Osvaldo Presazzi.
"Even today, he still bakes me the 'Torta Valentina' made from cocoa and almonds - I'm not allowed to eat any other on my special day!" Family is sacred to her. This amicable feeling should also flatter her guests. Even more important, however, is her feminine touch in the modernization steps - clearly visible in the armchairs in the salons and lounges, which she has decorated in bright colors.
--
If little Napoleon, who leads the restaurant crew, were to exude grandezza instead of grant, the glamor would quickly return - without any help from Garbo.
