Art nouveau landmark hotel reawakens after decades of decay

Posted in Projects on 18 July, 2025

The magical mists of Lake Como inspires the fantastical redesign of a beloved mountain top grand hotel.

Award-winning designer Zoltan Varro paired up with an Italian hotel group to breathe new life into the long neglected heritage site, transforming it into a garden in the clouds.

The newly opened Nuvole Garden Hotel, Lake Como, Italy. Top: Grand Salon

Perched atop one of the mountains surrounding Lake Como is the tranquil town of Brunate, so-called “the Balcony of the Alps” because of its panoramic viewpoint overlooking the lake below. The glorious teal waters and the fairy-tale-like mountains encompass the view, and it was this vista that inspired Zoltan Varro. The interior designer of the newly opened Nuvole Garden Hotel found his muse awoken when peering down onto the morning mist that can form over the lake, — a sight that evoked memories of a childhood tale: the gods of Mount Olympus, looking down from the clouds onto the world below. It was a moment for Varro that transformed a tourist destination already steeped in tradition and grandeur into something mythical.

Zoltan Varro. Photographer Zoltan Sarosi

Restoration
Varro’s work was to restore the old Grand Hotel Milano, a beloved art nouveau treasure that had since fallen into disrepair. True to form, Varro conjured motifs from his misty lake inspiration, which he has used to give clear identity to the distinct segments of the hotel, its restaurants and the accompanying spa.

Above: The old Grand Hotel Milano and its fair share of graffiti

The hotel itself was all but derelict, with crumbling facades, encroaching nature and its fair share of graffiti. The work involved began in 2017, with a grand plan to create a five-star hotel out of the historic building. The Italian hotel group developing the property had insisted on bringing Varro into the project, having been a fan of his other hotel and hospitality projects globally.

Reception

The present
With 80 rooms across five floors, a complete spa and three restaurants, the goal is to make Nuvole Garden Hotel an equal to the beloved heritage of the preceding Grand Hotel Milano. It’s a history that is tied to the Como region, attracting the elite of society thanks to its reputation as a must-visit destination courtesy of the funicular that rises up onto Brunate, only meters away from the hotel’s front doors.

Sole Gourmet Restaurant

Restaurants
The top floor of the hotel hosts the fine-dining Sole Gourmet Restaurant, giving guests the best possible view over Lake Como below. Here Varro wanted to worship the sun, which is best achieved during the warmer months where the ceilings can be opened up to bask in the sunlight. At its centre, a grand screen is emboldened with the Sole motif, lighting up in the evenings to draw all attention to this altar of the sun. The decor itself radiates warmth too, from the subdued golden flourishes or the furnishings detailed with their own rays of light. It’s as though the gods of Olympus themselves would dine here.

Sole Gourmet Restaurant

Restaurant BLU

An additional restaurant, BLU, at the bottom floor of the building seemingly plunges visitors into the waters of Lake Como itself at the bottom floor, where guests can feel as though they are swimming with fish and mermaids alike as they eat. Here the motif is that of water—unsurprisingly an homage to the famous lake itself—with blues and teals and greens flickering throughout the room. A custom carpet pattern mimics the seafloor, bespoke artwork captures the essence of submersion and quirky bubble-styled lighting builds on this motif with delicate yet poignant elegance.

Restaurant BLU

At night the restaurant is lit by two ceiling lights, infusing an almost ethereal atmosphere into the room to elevate the space into this feeling of being underwater. Conjoining the restaurant is Bar Negroni, itself stowed away with visitors sitting beneath a wood-panelled enclosed ceiling lit by 78 ornate wall sconces typical of art nouveau. It speaks of the building’s origins, evoking a feeling of grand ocean liners or Edwardian style.

Bar Negroni sits beneath a wood-panelled enclosed ceiling lit by 78 ornate wall sconces typical of art nouveau

Belle epoque style
This belle epoque style is important for the property, given its heritage as one of Como’s most elegant spots since its opening in 1911. Architect Achille Manfredini designed the original Grand Hotel Milano, and through it created his art nouveau masterpiece. It was important that the hotel be restored with this in mind, and painstaking attention was paid to restoring the facade and the decorative elements of the building.

A fountain pool within the courtyard, a knowing reference to the movie La Dolce Vita.

It’s also here, on the outside of the building, that another glimpse into Varro’s fantastical mind can be witnessed. Here Varro wanted to celebrate la dolce vita lifestyle, which the famous and the bourgeoisie have enjoyed around Lake Como for decades. Most notable here is the fountain pool within the courtyard, a knowing reference to the movie La Dolce Vita and the scene in which its protagonists paddle through the Trevi Fountain’s waters.

Varro, renowned for his twists of well-worn concepts, has taken the ‘outdoor dining’ tenet of la dolce vita quite literally, and brought the interior outwards and the exterior inwards.

The courtyard overlooking the lake resembles an elegant dining room, replete with its own chandelier, fireplace and table. For its centrepiece, a handmade mosaic floor that might not look out of place in any of the grand manors and villas of the region. To witness it you’d imagine something right out of the Mad Hatter’s tea party, a grand dining hall exposed to the elements.

Interior spaces
Conversely, Varro handled the same theme with its polar opposite when considering the common interior spaces; the reception and lobby instead resemble indoor gardens. Here there are touches of Sleeping Beauty, where nature has creeped inside and taken hold of the space. Unique floral or hedge-like textures cover the walls and furniture, while bold peacock-patterned chairs wear their Como Gardens reference with pride.

Sole Luxury Room

Guestrooms and suites
Naturally the rooms themselves take their own share of the limelight. Some facing the lake itself share the ‘Sole’ theming of the restaurant, with door to ceiling windows allowing for full exposure to the sky, the mountains and of course the waters below. Those same golden touches and warming colours blend into the space, while a custom Como-focused print dresses the curtains, the beds’ headboards and other furnishings to give its guests a feeling of floating among the mountains and clouds.

Nuvole Suite

Cabana Corner Room

Alternatively there are the Cabana rooms and suites, which take a much more cozy approach to their style. Created with their namesakes in mind, these are designed as an homage to the Italian panelled cabanas with flowing curtains that would be set up beside pools or vineyards as part of the dolce vita life. Here the panels project a warming glow, while design elements from around the property blend together to complete the cohesive vision that Varro has put together.

Whether it’s worshipping sun deities, dining with mermaids or lounging within a fairy tale, Varro’s inspirations at the heart of it all are borne from the misty mystical occurrence that rises out of Lake Como. Even the hotel’s name, Nuvole meaning ‘clouds’, has its roots in that natural phenomenon that many visitors and residents of Como will recognise. Varro has latched onto this idea, and through his visionary wonder helped to create a hotel aesthetic that celebrates Como’s typical and traditional grandeur with something that is more extraordinary and fantastical.

Spa

About Zoltan Varro
With numerous international awards, including the Gold Key Award and the World Luxury Hotel Award, Zoltan Varro’s work spans continents and includes some of the world’s most prestigious hotels. His portfolio includes Aria Hotel Budapest, voted #1 in the world on TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice, and Sofitel Legend Santa Clara in Cartagena, Colombia, a 17th century convent that will be refurbished according to his time-honoured, contemporary designs.

Nuvole Garden – Project Credits Signature Design Elements & Brands

Interior designer: Zoltan Varro / VARRODESIGN
Landscape and garden design: Zoltan Varro
Architect (original): Achille Manfredini (1911)
Architecture (restoration): Domenico Garritano, Studio Ingegneria
Developer: Italiana Hotels & Resorts
Project Completion: 2025
The paintings in the BLU restaurant were created by painter Marton Uzsaly.
The angel sculpture in the outdoor pool was made by Barna Gacsi sculptor.
Project size: 6000 m2
Photos: Gyorgy Darabos
Location: Brunate, Lake Como, Italy
Rooms: 80 guest rooms / suites
Dining: Sole Gourmet Restaurant, BLU Restaurant, Bar Negroni
Spa: Spa with wellness facilities
Design Themes: Sun, Water, Mountains, Belle Époque revival, ‘La Dolce Vita’, garden fantasy
Design & Furnishings – A Tailored Aesthetic Experience:

Every curtain and upholstered piece within the hotel has been custom-designed by Zoltan Varro and produced by the renowned textile company JAB Anstoetz. The garden-patterned, handcrafted carpet in the Grand Salon and the sun-motif carpet in the SOLE Restaurant are also unique creations, manufactured by JAB Anstoetz Carpet.

All wallpapers throughout the hotel are part of the Attitude Luxury Wallpaper Collection (https://www.tapetagyar.hu/varrodesign), also designed exclusively by Zoltan Varro. Upholstered furniture in the guest rooms, lobby (Grand Salon), bar, and SOLE Restaurant are custom pieces from the Dublino by Varrodesign (https://dublino.hu/hotelellato/dublino-by-varrodesing-furniture-collection/) furniture collection.

Signature Design Elements and Brands:

• Kartell Design:
  Wall sconces in the corridors, bar stools on the mosaic terrace, Starck “gnome” side tables, lanterns, and the delicate lace floor lamps in the salon.
• Emu Italia:
  Outdoor metal furniture on the mosaic terrace.
• Tom Dixon:
  The iconic large Melt chandelier in the BLU Restaurant.
• Gessi:
  All taps and bathroom fittings throughout the hotel.
• Duravit:
  All sinks and smart toilets installed in the bathrooms.
• Moooi:
  • The SPA reception area rug
  • Bird-shaped wall sconces in the ladies’ room
  • A commemorative lounge corner with a unique armchair and chandelier, dedicated to the 2012 fire in the property
• Seletti:
  Whimsical monkey lamps featured in the Grand Salon.
• Radici Carpet:
  Carpets in the guest rooms, corridors, and the BLU Restaurant.
• Iris Ceramica:
  Wall tiles used throughout the bathrooms.
• Pierri S.r.l.:
  Custom-made windows, doors, and interior wooden shutters in the rooms, all equipped with integrated hidden lighting.
• Contract-lab.it:
  Custom carpentry and bespoke wooden furniture in guest rooms and public areas, including the SPA’s wooden structures.