Read this and weep. I stayed at the Hotel Miralago with its miraculous Lake Como vista, exclusively for more than eighteen years.
This past May, during my usual sojourn to Cernobbio for Proposte, I noticed that after closing due to its sale two years ago to the Villa D’Este, Hotel Miralago was being marketed as high-class suites in a pivot from beloved hotel rooms into an elegant waterfront condo.
Now we see that people with $2,500 a night can stay there in its newly refurbished one or two bedroom suites. The interior design is pallid and boring to my eye, in this town that magnificent fabrics built, but a big improvement from the red and green carpet and gold brocade curtains that had been employed during the most recent redo by the adorable former owners.
Those of us who called it home each May during Proposte, loved it with all of its flaws. Gone is the wonderful terrace facing the Piazza Risorgimento and beloved fountain—the fabulous huge olives, peanuts, parmesan, prosciutto and Aperol spritzes we inhaled after a day of presenting or viewing the best fabrics in the world; that experience is now available only to Harry’s Bar patrons. But we miss ‘Giuliano and Raffaela,’ the fleet of foot ‘Elena,’ and the dear wait staff that hopefully found other local employment. (Ms. Taylor-Gordon also notes that Proposte attendees are renting houses through Air BnB)
Warm regards,
Elaine Taylor-Gordon
Principal FlashForce, Sourcing Agents
