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March 21st - November 3rd, 2025

“Every guest at Cà Spiga is welcomed as a friend,” shares current owner Alessandro Motti. It’s not everyday you experience a stay like this, with the all-too-common choice between a stuffy hotel or key-in-lockbox Airbnb, especially around the famed Lake Como. But this was the intent of Alessandro and his brother Andrea back in 2011, when they decided to turn their grandmother’s home into a tiny, three-room b&b. When guests kept returning–as they would a friend’s house–Alessandro and Andrea acquired the house next door to accommodate the requests, combined the two properties, and rebranded as an Albergo Diffuso–the first in Como to do so. 

But you’ll learn all this and more when you arrive at the house, for your stay begins with a tour and storytime about the place and the nearby village, before coffee or wine over a map of the lake and the Motti family’s local secrets. “I recommend the places where I would usually go if I were taking a friend to explore the lake,” shares Alessandro. Before you get to your adventures, however, check into your room, either one of the seven doubles or the triple, and throw open the curtains to a stunning view of the lake–for each room boasts huge windows and an inviting terrace. This is the reason you won’t find any TVs in the rooms: “why do you need to watch television with such a beautiful view, or when you can unwind in our jacuzzi built into an abandoned stone cave?” asks Alessandro–a fantastic rhetorical question. 

There are much better forms of entertainment, like choosing a bottle of wine from Cà Spiga’s cellar and sipping it in the garden or on the terrace. From the latter, the lake looks close enough to jump into; it’s only a two-minute walk from Cà Spiga to the shore. On warmer days, you can post up at the Riva del Tenciu beach–one of the few along the lake–or go for long walks around the perimeter. One of the best ways to see the lake is from the lake, and plenty of hop-on-hop off boat tours are available to board nearby. And, while Cà Spiga is close to more touristy spots like Bellagio and Como–which aren’t without their respective charms–if you’re on a shorter trip, Alessandro says to skip those and live the lake like a local. 

And the “local” starts at home. The furniture has been unchanged since Alessandro and Andrea’s grandmother lived there, and the tableware, plates, and glasses are all either original or bought from small flea markets in the area. Even the tiled floors are preserved from the early 1900s. While the house has certainly undergone some renovations, the family has worked hard to maintain its integrity: specifically, the rustic ambience that you would feel in a typical lake Como country house. To do so, interior designer Marilena–Como native and Alessandro and Andrea’s mother–used pastel colors for the walls, antique furniture as decor, and vintage tools and cookware as art. You’ll see this most prominently in the mint-colored kitchen, where guests are welcome to prepare little snacks. If you’re hungry for something more, their family-run deli Da Luciano is a 10 minutes’ walk down the road and open all day. (It also happens to be our favorite spot for aperitivo along the lake, where you can sip spritz as the water laps at your toes.)

But the best meal of the day here is breakfast: each morning, you’ll walk downstairs to a magnificent buffet set upon the long table in the breakfast room, pale orange and brightly lit. Fresh croissants and bread come straight from the local bakery, which you can top with organic jam, local cheeses, and cured meats from Da Luciano, honey from their neighbor Daniele, locally-churned butter, and cooked-to-order eggs. Take a heaping plate, along with a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice and a frothy cappuccino, out onto the terrace and watch the morning sun sparkle over the water. Don’t be surprised if Alessandro pulls up a chair, for after he finishes baking homemade tarts, he loves to get to know his guests over an espresso. 

In an area well-known for its luxury, Cà Spiga is proof that true splendor is not about the price tag. It’s here that you’ll learn about the real life of the lago, and we too will choose it over and over again. 

A few segreti (secrets) from Alessandro:

Da Luciano Bottega e Caffè – This is our family-run deli, located in an old butcher’s shop with a vintage touch. Come in for an espresso, aperitivo, and a snack, or to pick up some food for a lakeside picnic. 

La Locanda del Cantiere – Located in a former shipyard only two minutes from Cà Spiga, Giorgio and Alberto make the best cuisine from the lake with a modern twist. Try any of their risottos, but our favorite is the risotto al pesce persico (risotto with fried perch fish filets). 

Riva del Tenciu – There are only a few beaches around Lake Como, but this is one of the best, and it happens to be a two-minute walk from Cà Spiga. Here, you’ll meet people from all over the world, as well as the locals from the village playing cards there every afternoon. From May until the end of September, we set up Chiosco Da Luciano and serve beachside snacks and drinks!

Brien Pizza e Caffè – Located in the small village of Brienno, just three minutes by car from Cà Spiga, the spot is where we come when we want an excellent pizza on a terrace overlooking the lake. By the time you leave, you’ll feel like family.