A renowned restaurant since the beginning of 19th century, in 1893 the property turned into an inn, taking the name “Trattoria con alloggio della Barchetta”. Run by Pasquale Zaffaroni and facing the small harbour, it soon stood out as best restaurant in town thanks to the excellent quality of its cuisine, mainly serving local dishes such as risotto, roasts and the most famous “Barchetta-style trout”.

It took a few decades before the harbour was turned into a square, named after Count Camillo Benso di Cavour and immediately elected by the local aristocracy as the main meeting place. Only in 1956 Architect Giampaolo Allevi (1926-2010) redesigned the restaurant by widening it and adding the arcade facing the square and the lake. The name changed to Hotel Barchetta Excelsior, as a sign of its focus on excellent service and the bar was opened, keeping the tradition of the ideal meeting place in the heart of Como.

In 1995, the Hotel Barchetta was taken over by the Villa d’Este Group and furtherly renovated. The historical building was linked to the adjacent one and the room capacity increased to 84 rooms. Meanwhile, the whole city around the hotel was changing. Besides the world famous silk factories, Como discovered its call for tourism: thanks to the lake with its enchanting sceneries and to the many activities offered by the territory, Como is still among the favourite destinations for visitors coming from all around the world.