This summer brings together two of Europe’s most celebrated lakeside hotels for one incredible experience. Il Sereno positioned on the calm shores of Lake Como and the Kulm Hotel, set high above Lake St. Moritz in the Engadin Valley, have created a joint experience they call Lake to Lake, a single itinerary that runs from northern Italy into the alpine reaches of Switzerland.
Il Sereno has recently received accolades held by very few hotels anywhere, placing the hotel among a small international group praised for its design, service and hospitality.
The journey opens with two nights at Il Sereno Lago di Como and closes with two nights at the Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz. The stretch in the middle is what gives the trip its character, a drive along the winding roads of Lake Como and up the switchbacks of the historic Maloja Pass, before the quieter lakeside routes of the Engadin lead guests to the second hotel.
The Road Between Them
What ties the two hotels together is the road that links them. Guests leave Lake Como along its twisting shoreline, climb the switchbacks of the historic Maloja Pass, and then pick up the calmer routes past the lakes of the Engadin. It is a drive built for enthusiasts, a sequence of tight passes giving way to open lakeside straights.
The itinerary was designed first for guests bringing their own vintage or high-performance cars, which gives collectors a proper reason to take a favourite machine out on the road. Anyone without a suitable car can arrange one, with a choice of a Ferrari Roma Spider or a vintage Alfa Romeo Spider, and professional guides accompanying the drive. A curated driving programme run with 100 All’Ora rounds out the options for guests who would rather leave the planning to someone else.
Arman Naféei, the Directeur d’Ambiance at the Kulm Hotel, has put together a playlist to travel with, tuned to the mood of open water, mountain air and passing countryside. It is a small detail, though a fitting one for a trip where the movement from place to place counts for as much as the arrivals.
Life on Lake Como
Il Sereno sits on the Como shoreline as an all-suite property known for its quiet, modern design. It took the top spot on Lake Como in the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards for 2025 and holds two Michelin Keys from the same year. Every suite comes with floor-to-ceiling windows and a large furnished terrace, keeping the lake in constant view whether guests are indoors or out.
The newest room, the Darsena Listening Suite, is built for audiophiles, pairing a system for hearing favourite records with real clarity, a lake-facing king-size bed and direct access to the water through its own gate. Dining centres on Il Sereno Al Lago, where Executive Chef Raffaele Lenzi holds one Michelin star for his inventive, award-winning cooking. Guests can also unwind at the spa, set beneath centuries-old stone arches with treatments from the Swiss house Valmont, swim in the 60-foot freshwater infinity pool suspended over the lake, or take out a custom-built Ernesto Riva boat.
Rising above St. Moritz
The second half plays out higher up, where the Kulm Hotel stands above Lake St. Moritz at the head of the Engadin passes. Guests check into Junior Suites that pair the hotel’s alpine heritage with contemporary comfort, many of them looking out over the lake or the mountains beyond. A 50-minute relaxation massage at the award-winning Kulm Spa makes for an easy start after the drive.
Days here have plenty of shape. There is the historic nine-hole Kulm Golf Course, tennis with the peaks as a backdrop, and swimming or paddleboarding on the clear water of the lake. The spa runs to a 20-metre indoor pool, an outdoor pool, and a range of saunas and steam baths for anyone happy to stay put.
Evenings bring a choice of six restaurants, among them Mauro Colagreco’s Kulm Country Club, while a lakeside picnic offers something quieter. At the Kulm Country Club Bar, music chosen by Arman Naféei and a rotation of weekend DJs sets the tone for an unhurried aperitivo. Taken together, the sport, the food and the setting capture the character of St. Moritz across its heritage, activity, wellbeing and modern alpine life.
Two names, one idea
Both hotels carry serious history. The Kulm Hotel has stood in St. Moritz for over 170 years, founded in 1856 by Johannes Badrutt and widely regarded as the birthplace of alpine winter sports after a famous wager between Badrutt and his British guests in 1864. It now holds 150 rooms and suites, most of them refreshed by the designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, alongside six restaurants and a spa that draws guests through every season.
Il Sereno is the younger of the pair, though it has gathered a global following since opening and now anchors the newer end of Lake Como’s hotel scene. Both properties belong to The Leading Hotels of the World, the group that brought them together for this trip, and the collaboration reflects the way that community likes to work.
“At The Leading Hotels of the World, we exist to bring together independent hotels that define remarkable quality and a true sense of place. This collaboration between Il Sereno Lago di Como and Kulm Hotel St. Moritz is a natural expression of that community, where two distinctive destinations come together to offer travellers a more immersive and meaningful journey. It speaks to our mission of creating uncommon experiences that extend beyond a single stay.”
Dean Bannon, Vice President, Member Success & Development, The Leading Hotels of the World