The hotels that border Lake Como suit its dignified ambience remarkably well: mostly traditional and family run, a reflection of this romantic, poetic and sunny spot where for centuries aristocratic families, literary figures and celebrities (most famously today George Clooney) have settled in summer. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, ringed by aristocratic villas and their beautiful gardens, as well as pretty villages full of yellow and red houses, Lake Como still retains its flavour of 19th-century elegance, and though one or two do exist, this is not the place for flashy new addresses. The majority of hotels close from November to Easter. Where applicable, low-season prices are quoted; breakfast is included in the price.

View 9 more of Lake Como’s best hotels at The Telegraph.

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