Grand Hotel Tremezzo - the Best Hotel on Lake Como

I may have blogged about this hotel before but let me refresh your memory.  I brought a group of twenty to this divine hotel .  We spent our last 3 nights of the tour here.  What better place can you be on Lake Como than at this hotel!

The rooms both lake view and park view are excellent.  The staff is friendly and helpful.  The food is delicious and let me say the breakfast each morning was beyond your imagination. 

The terraces, there are two of them,  give you a front row view of  Lake Como so while you enjoy your breakfast and dinner you can enjoy the sights on the lake.  A great time to enjoy the vistas are later in the afternoon while you are sipping your cocktail served by the best bartender, Max, who watches over all the hotel guests staying at the hotel.   If you are on the terrace about 5pm you may be lucky to hear the church bells ringing from across the lake.

 

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Borgo San Felice in the hills of Tuscany

Are you tired of winter?  You need to think about spring and maybe you should give Tuscany a thought.  Maybe this will help to brighten your spirits a bit.

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To continue my review on beautiful hotels in Tuscany let me introduce you Borgo San Felice.  Felice in Italian means happy!  Who would not be happy here?  You are surrounded by vineyards as far as the eye can see with beautiful and scenic hills.  It is truly divine. A paradise right in the middle of Chianti country! Each, of the 46 rooms are beautifully decorated. A swimming pool which overlooks Tuscany, a billiard room with a full bar: a tennis court and bikes and vespas to rent.

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The restaurant,  Il Poggio Rosso, offers extraordinary Tuscan cuisine prepared by their Michelin star chef, Francesco Bracali.  He uses only be the best local ingredients.  Compliment your dinner with a great selection of Italian wines.  You will not be disappointed.

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 Want to have a wine tasting in the Cantina?  They would love to arrange that for you.  Also as of the spring they will be offering cooking classes.

This is an exceptional hotel in the heart of Tuscany that should be on your list of places to stay in Italy.

I cannot wait to go back!  Need I say any more!        

Bella Toscana!

Part of the main building at Borgo Scopeto.

Part of the main building at Borgo Scopeto.

I now have a few more favorite hotels in this beautiful area of Italy:  Borgo Scopeto Relais.This is where they filmed the movie Letters to Juliet!  I can understand why!  Borgo Scopeto is a  Tuscan estate located in the Chianti hills that has been elegantly restored. Surrounded by vineyards and olive tree this place offers so much to those wishing to stay in the Tuscan countryside.  Those wishing to visit Siena, no problem!  You are only 10 miles from Siena.  You can rent mountain bikes, vespas, book a spa appointment, walk the hills, play tennis or enjoy the pool.

The spa at Borgo Scopeto

The spa at Borgo Scopeto

At the end of the day you can enjoy a fabulous dinner at the "La Tinaia" ristorante. Chef Angelo is really talented.  He specializes in local Tuscan cuisine.  Excellent wine offerings are available here!

 

Another building with beautiful rooms to offer its guests.

Another building with beautiful rooms to offer its guests.

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The start of a wonderful meal at Borgo Scopeto.

The start of a wonderful meal at Borgo Scopeto.

You will not be disappointed.

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Part I of the Amalfi Tour with Gourmet Getaways

Our spring Gourmet Getaways exclusive tour began in Sorrento.  We stayed at the Excelsior Victoria Hotel, which is my favorite hotel.  It is surrounded by lemon and orange trees and lush gardens.  

After everyone checked into the hotel and unloaded their luggage we gathered by the pool as   I had made arrangements for us to have a pizza making class with the chef at the hotel.  We were all given chef’s hats and aprons and we were ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work. 

As we approached the outdoor kitchen there was the wood-burning oven, which had been burning logs for at least 2 hours so that the temperature would be at least 900 degrees! 

First the chef instructed us on how to prepare the dough using yeast, water, flour and a little bit of sugar.  After a 3-hour rise it is ready for us to shape the dough, add the sauce and cheeses and some olive oil. 

Very simple ingredients.    Using a pizza peel the pizza was headed for the oven where it only took 2 –3 minutes to cook.  Each was dressed with a little basil and then it was ready for us to eat! Everyone had the chance to make his or her own pizza. 

 

Each pizza was beautifully charred on the bottom and the dough was very tender.  Of course it was the best pizza ever!  Nothing like a simple Neapolitan pizza.

We all enjoyed eating our pizza and drinking wine and Pelligrino sitting among the lemon trees with the sun shining.  A great start to a wonderful tour.

Later in the week after our exclusive dinner at the hotel, to which the chef prepared a special meal for my group, the manager and the chef presented everyone with a cooking certificate and the recipe.

 

Getting back to this hotel, let me say again that this hotel is my favorite.  I have stayed here at least four times and each time my stay is enhanced and I can never tire of this magnificent hotel.

 

What makes this hotel so special is the manager Nicolino Grigio(pictured below)  You can read more about the hotel by visiting John and Elana