Hi there, I'm Lale Arakoglu, and this is an unashamedly escapist episode.

Thank you. Our picture book setting is Lake Como in Italy, and my guest is a third-generation hotelio, Valentina DeSantis.

She operates two glamorous historic properties, each with spectacular views of the lake. You have the lake in front of you, maybe it's morning, and you have the sun that is

sparkling on the surface of the lake, because really see like the surface of the lake with

two million diamonds on it because the sun is reflecting its light and this creates this

incredibly magical atmosphere.

Valentina's grandfather bought the Grand Hotel Tremetso in the 1970s and restored it to its former glory.

It was built in 1910 and hosted popes and Italian aristocrats.

In the Arnufo style, the hotel had soaring ceilings in two elevators.

The story behind the hotel is very beautiful because it was built by a couple that was from Bellagio, so just in front of Tremezzo.

They were super big travelers.

They love to travel.

So once they get married, the husband was coming from a family of a hotelier, while the wife was coming from a family of hotelier,

while the wife was coming from a family of artists.

And they started to travel all over Europe,

and they did what is now the iconic grand tour of Europe.

So they visited all the European capital,

so they did this very, very long trip.

And when they came back on their beloved lake, they just had this dream that was to build a grand hotel that was similar in terms of elegance, charm, character and personality to the

ones that they were so lucky to experience during their

grand tour and here comes the grand hotel tremezzo so they choose that piece of land which was

belonging to the botanical gardens of Villa Carlotta next door so very lush very very very verdant, very, very rich.

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