C-Hotel & Spa

The typical Lake Como experience — if indeed there is such a thing — would involve some opulent little villa, built, if possible, no later than about 1900. Regulars may look slightly askance at something as modern as C-Hotel, in the hills a dozen or so miles from the lake’s shores. But this hotel rather forcefully makes the point that one need not sacrifice comfort in the name of contemporary design.

Minimalism is all about the materials, and here tons of local limestone are showcased to dramatic effect. It’s an all-suite hotel, where space is plentiful and sunlight streams in through floor-to-ceiling windows. It’d be perhaps a bit stark for a city boutique, but a certain ascetic edge is appropriate for a country retreat. And the spare interiors mean C-Hotel is eminently suited as a backdrop for the gallery shows that periodically line its walls.

There’s meeting space, in case you can talk your employer into springing for a junket, and there’s a remarkably intensive spa in case you’re here for a bit of personal re-invention. And as always the timeless pleasures of Lombardy are here in abundance, from fine foods to fine wines to the gorgeous countryside surrounding Lake Como.