Playing the Villa
A Stunning New Villa on Lake Como

In our book, it’s rule number one: Clooney knows best.

Particularly when it comes to Lake Como, that sun-dappled jewel of the Italian Alps, where he so often escapes to his villa for some effortlessly regal R&R.

And every century or so, the lake gets a serious upgrade.

Introducing CastaDiva Resort, the first hotel to open on Lake Como in 100 years, taking reservations now.

The place was an opera singer’s sprawling private compound in the 19th century, and you can almost hear the arias still wafting past the frescoes and through the velvet-draped dining rooms. (That or it's just drafty.) But you’re less likely to sense her ghost in the new batch of private villas, the modern glass-floored grotto or the spa’s relaxation room made of Himalayan salt blocks. (The most relaxing salt blocks.)

Once you're suitably unwound, turn your attention to the real prize: that wide-open lake you’ll be sharing with Italian nobles, Milanese hand models and various members of the Ocean’s franchise. And when your newly acquired social circle gets hungry, invite them back to CastaDiva for some Black Lobster Ravioli. 

Or if you’d rather drop into your favorite little trattoria in Bellagio, have the concierge hook you up with his pal Erio, who will rent you an achingly beautiful wood-paneled Riva speedboat for the trip.

Which gives you some ideas for Ocean’s Fourteen…