Filario Hotel & Residences

Filario Hotel & Residences stands front row on the Lezzeno shoreline of Lake Como, backed by a mountainous canopy forest and gazing out across the water to Bellagio, Villa Balbianello, and Comacina Island. A sleek white monolith among old-world mansions, it breaks from tradition without losing touch – a design-rich sanctuary where architectural modernism meets heritage. The mood is fresh, rooted, and unmistakably creative.

With its crisp modernist geometry and deep sense of place, Filario balances confident design with cultural sensitivity, striking a chord between contemporary edge and local reverence. Designed by the late Alessandro Agrati – founder of Culti Milano and creative maestro of sensual minimalism – Filario flirts with time-past decadence and chilled luxury, unfolding as a design narrative forged in stone, silk, and soul.

An architectural basecamp of Italian style, Filario is the vision of local entrepreneur Alessandro Sironi, who brought together native materials, craftsmanship, and cultural references into a single, bold expression. Many years in the making, it was conceived as a place for design-loving nomads – a breath-of-fresh-air aesthetic of urbanity, serenity and clean design tied to the soul of the region. Even its name, Filario, is a fusion of heritage: filo – the thread, nodding to Como’s silk legacy; Lario – the Roman name for the lake.

The spirit of Filario lives in its materials. The hotel’s façade is clad in honeyed Lombardy stone, hand-cut to echo the mountain curves behind. The interior template by Alessandro Agrati – a design visionary whose aesthetic was elemental, intuitive, and emotionally charged – is timeless, carrying his hallmark of soft elegance and allowing the materials to set the scene.

Filario is a full-bodied sensory space. From the lobby’s stillness to the rooms’ tactile flow, it’s a composition of light, proportion and provenance. Brianza-crafted furniture, natural materials, and a palette inspired by the lake create a feeling of ease without any pretension. Custom Ethimo loungers and furnishings set a seamless design link to the lake-view terraces and shoreline beach. 

Meanwhile, the recently updated restaurant terrace – reimagined by Como-based CMP Design – amplifies the hotel’s aesthetic voice with Pedrali pieces from Bergamo and artisan-sewn textiles sourced from local Como makers. The detailing here is precise – each fork, stone and table setting forms part of the story.

Filario’s hotel and residency interiors cleverly frame Lake Como in an unapologetically cinematic and design-conscious style. Thirteen lakefront rooms, 22 elegant residences, and three architectural villas (including a four-bedroom showpiece) sit facing the shoreline like minimalist stage sets, each designed to mirror the ever-shifting light of Como.

Private terraces hover over the lake, offering front-row seats to Bellagio’s twinkling lights and the drama of Comacina Island. Glass-framed living rooms and bi-folding Crittall doors erase boundaries between inside and out, while the palette – all sage, marl, creamy neutrals and teal – draws directly from the surrounding landscape.

Frette linens, locally sourced timber veneer, and hand-finished furniture from Brianza and Cantù elevate every surface.

Every space hums with natural light and intelligent calm, from Junior Suites to penthouses. The villas, with full kitchens, multiple bedrooms and private outdoor zones, invite longer stays, multi-generational gatherings or design-led retreats – all just metres from the water’s edge.

With a neutral colour palette, the design rooms and luxury accommodation have an urban feel with soft greys marls, creamy sage and muted teal on quilts, velvet cushions, armchairs and rugs. Raw fabrics and locally sourced timber veneer walls give a natural cocoon-like effect. King size beds are encased in cuboid wooden frames, and Italian linen company Frette allow bed sheets, towels and slippers a luxurious edge.

Both the Grand Suite and Junior Suites come 'on the water' – these suites are the ones to book for lakeside lovers, with expansive terraces right by the water's edge and private plunge pools, although you may struggle to leave your luxe enclave. Interiors are impeccably furnished including industrial-chic bi-folding crittall-style doors to blur the boundary of inside and out.

Italy in general and the particular region of Lombardy is famed for its food, flavours and bounty, perfected in the kitchens here by Chef Alessandro Parisi. Filario is a determined sponsor of local, fostering the suppliers, growers and producers in each of the two eateries found at the resort. 

Filario champions a crafted approach to cuisine – refined, rooted and experimental – matching its design ethos with culinary creativity that’s both local and forward-thinking. At Ristorante Filo, Chef Alessandro Parisi shapes a culinary journey steeped in northern Italian tradition, seen through a contemporary lens.

Expect seasonal creations that are thoughtful, flavour-packed and delicately plated: black cuttlefish with peas and corallini pasta, Carmagnola rabbit with langoustine, risotto with nettles and robiola. Each dish is an edit of the local pantry, elevated.

Wine pairings come courtesy of sommelier Luciano Gusmeroli – a passionate curator of expressive bottles that enhance both plate and place.

On the shoreline, Yeast Side is your barefoot bistro. Pizzas topped with nduja, Bronte pistachios or Amalfi lemons meet breezy cocktails and lake-kissed tables. This is Como with edge – all sunlight, salt, and style.

Lake Como’s southern curve hides its most interesting secrets. Lezzeno is one of them – a low-key enclave of old industry, boat builders, silk mills, and now, low-profile cool. Just across from Bellagio, and ten minutes by boat from Villa Balbianello, Lezzeno is perfectly placed to explore the lake’s grandeur, minus the pomp. Forest hikes, kayaking at dawn, Aperitivo with a view – it’s all on your doorstep. Filario’s private marina makes the rest easily reachable by water.