Lake Como's Il Sereno hotel creates 'shoppable' penthouse suite
Il Sereno has created a 'virtual showroom' where people can buy furniture and accessories on display in its new Patricia Urquiola-designed penthouse suite. Jenny Southan reports
Designed by world-renowned contemporary architect Patricia Urquiola, night, Il Sereno's new penthouse suite was unveiled in June 2021, with stays costing from €3,500 per night. Now, the hotel has made the concept "shoppable" by launching a virtual showroom where people can buy pieces featured in the suite.
Globetrender has been reporting on the "experiential retail" trend and shoppable hotels for several years – for example, both Made.com and Muji have hotels that display items that can be bought online, thus functioning as liveable showrooms. It seems like a brilliant idea and one that more hotels should embrace.
Said to be the "first shoppable penthouse suite in Europe," Il Sereno's penthouse features Canaletto walnut wooden ceilings, Verde Alpi stone walls and Ceppo di Gre and venetian terrazzo stone floors, with fabrics inspired by 1950s scarf fashion and the landscape motifs of Lake Como. In terms of shoppable furniture and decorative pieces, examples include: a Patricia Urquiola sofa (€7,442 to €8,222); a Cassina armchair (€2,055); a Capellini armchair (€3,203); a Kettal side table (€878); a CC-Tapis rug (€8,524); a Flos by Patricia Urquiola table lamp (€550); a head-shaped vase from Bitossi by Aldo Londi (€500); and a bowl from Patricia Urquiola’s Veneer tableware collection (€48). Il Sereno says the choice of furniture is a "tribute to the emblematic pieces of Italian design, the tradition of their local production and the architecture of the post-war years".
"This is a mixture of new bespoke pieces by Patricia Urquiola, as well as some of her latest design projects, such as the fabulous Lariana bathtub designed for Il Sereno and now available from AGAPE or the Ludo lounge chair from Capellini, mixed with classics from the likes of Franco Albini and Gio Ponti."Accessed via a dedicated lift, the suite offers almost 150 sqm of living space, including a 30 sqm terrace, plus an additional 50 sqm grass garden around the perimeter.
The Penthouse has a large living room, dining space, two bathrooms, main bedroom, sleeping up to four and spectacular views of the lake from all the rooms. Leading French botanist Patrick Blanc has also added a vertical garden to the new façade below the suite.
Sereno Hotels is the private creator, owner and operator of properties including Le Sereno St Barth, Le Sereno Villas (also in St Barth), Il Sereno Lago di Como, and Villa Pliniana, also in Lake Como.