It’s hard to believe that Como, generally considered to be the jumping off point to explore the posh towns situated around Lake Como, has yet to open a five-star hotel, but there it is. That is about to change PDQ.

The Vista Palazzo Lago di Como opens on June 6, giving guests a primo lakeside view of legendary Lake Como, once the vacation playground of Roman nobles before becoming the go-to destination for more modern aristocrats.

When it welcomes its first guests, it will be as a wee property with 18 rooms and suites in total; but, from what we’ve seen, it will be large on style. Boasting elegant and on-trend greys and taupes, rooms have indigenous wood floors with hand-hewn marquetry, rich Dedar fabrics (the same company that designs textiles for Hermès)and several different types of Italian marble. Bathrooms include deep soaking tubs and separate showers. Sweeping views of Lake Como are a given and you can arrange a spa treatment, a session with a personal trainer and a meal prepared by a private chef all at the touch of a button, if this is what your heart desires.

If you’re more in the mood to socialize and leave your private pied-à-terre, the hotel’s penthouse floor encompasses the Ristorante Sottovoce, a bar and a library where you can sip on an Italian red while discussing Dante with a newfound BFF.

The property is set in the heart of Como on the city’s waterfront Piazza Cavour. It is the result of an 18-month reno of one of the most photographed structures on Lake Como – a storybook 19^th-century Venetian-style palazzo. And while you can take a ferry from Como to the charming towns around the lake, the city itself is worth a stay, thanks to its medieval city center, 15^th-century cathedral, lakeside promenade and Silk Museum.

If you want this kind of luxury to bed down for the night, expect to pay to play. A deluxe double room starts at €695 (US$810) and the 580-sq-ft top floor corner suite with Turkish bath will set you back a tad more ringing in at €1095 (US$1,277).

(Photo credits: Vista Palazzo Lago di Como)