Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como Reopens for 2026 With a Redesigned L'ARIA by Herzog & de Meuron

Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como opens and closes with the seasons, and its return for 2026 brought more than a routine reopening. L'ARIA, the resort's restaurant, was restyled by Herzog & de Meuron, the Swiss architecture firm behind some of the world's most closely watched buildings, enhancing both the space and how it functions for a resort that leans heavily on its lakeside dining.

The season also brought back the resort's floating pool, one of Lake Como's more photographed features, alongside refreshed spa treatments and updates to NAMI Cafe and the bistro inside the historic Villa Roccabruna. New interiors throughout lean on Venetian terrazzo-style finishes, Italian marble, dark polished woods, and old-rose fabric tones, a palette that reads as more considered than a typical seasonal refresh.

A new La Primavera in Lake Como package rounds out the season's changes, giving guests a reason to time a spring visit specifically around the resort's reopening. For a lake with no shortage of grand hotels, Mandarin Oriental's willingness to bring in an architecture firm of Herzog & de Meuron's caliber for a single restaurant redesign says something about how seriously the resort takes its dining program.

Staying at Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como? Book your stay with me for preferred-partner perks.