MALGRATE, Italy — Who knew Americans are the leading nationality of tourists visiting the town of Lecco in Italy, according to Fabio Dadati.
He should know, as he has restored the storied Promessi Sposi Hotel here and has long held several institutional roles, from provincial councillor to adviser to the minister of tourism, as a member of Italy’s Federation of Commerce and Tourism and Federalberghi, the country’s hotel industry association. He also is the founder of the Lecco Hoteliers Consortium.
Dadati is aiming to further raise the visibility and attractiveness of Lecco, which stands on the southeastern branch of Lake Como. The lake is shaped like an upside-down Y and its branches meet at the resort town of Bellagio.
Lecco shares with Como and Bellagio the scenic views of the Alps and the lakeside promenades, but the town has been somewhat overshadowed by the more expansive Como, and even more so after George Clooney’s acquisition of Villa Oleandra there, Dadati said with a knowing smile. “At the same time, he brought to these shores guests that we could not have imagined, such as President Obama,” he added in the same breath.
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“My battle for 20 years is that we are not on the Lecco Lake, we are Eastside Lake Como and I am doing what I can to establish it as a brand,” said Dadati. “Alessandro Manzoni never mentions Lecco Lake, it’s always Lake Como,” he added, referring to the 19th century Italian author of “I Promessi Sposi,” or “The Betrothed,” after which his hotel is named.
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“Lecco has its own identity, we have an important polytechnic, a CNR [National Research Council] site, and our hospitality offer in general is not as expensive as Como’s,” said Dadati, mentioning luxury hotels such as Villa d’Este or the Grand Hotel Tremezzo.
As in other tourist cities, Lecco and Como have been impacted by the increase in the offer of short-term lodging. “The territory must grow but in a good and balanced relation with the residents,” he argued, since long-term rents are increasingly less available.
“The towns around Italian lakes have grown in general, and here, in the five years leading to 2013, international tourists surpassed the number of Italian visitors, increasing then to represent 70 percent of the total — which was and continues to be a positive given their spending power,” said Dadati.
The luxury offer will continue to grow, he said assuredly, citing for example the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Bellagio in a few years. “We are becoming the Lombardy version of the French Riviera or the Amalfi coast,” he contended.
Dadati also cited how the Indonesian brothers, billionaires Robert Budi and Michael Bambang Hartono, have brought additional attention to Como by taking control of the city’s soccer team, returning it to the main Series A league and inviting international celebrities to the games.
Dadati is the chief executive officer of C&D Hospitality, which owns the four-star luxury Promessi Sposi Hotel overlooking the lake with 70 rooms and comprising the Lisander restaurant; People, a cocktail bar and café with a panoramic rooftop; meeting rooms, and a Comfort Zone spa. Above it on the hill is the Casa sull’Albero [the tree house], a design boutique hotel with 12 rooms nestled in a park, a spa and a pool, also with a beautiful view of the lake. In addition, there is the Da Giovannino Bistrot, a historical restaurant lakeside on Malgrate, entirely renovated in 2025, also with a terrace on the lake. These are all located on the side of the lake looking at Lecco, in the hamlet of Malgrate.
Dadati proudly said that 2024 was a year of expansion, “investing in human capital, implementing digitalization and renewing part of our structures, consolidating the relationship with our clients, and increasing the quality of our service.” In fact, revenues rose 25.3 percent to 6.7 million euros compared with the previous year. In the first half of 2025, revenues were up 16 percent and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization climbed 18 percent.
Dadati said that the Promessi Sposi Hotel was founded in the second half of the 19th century and is the oldest hotel on the eastern side of Lake Como. With his wife, Sabrina Frigerio, he restructured it, turning it into a design hotel while “in harmony with the context.”
The interior design was conceived by architect Arturo Montanelli and coordinated by Frigerio, in charge of the artistic direction, with contemporary elements that pay homage to Lecco and Italian design and tradition.
For example, the rooms are dotted with Amami lamps by Artemide, Tab Tables by Flos and Memory Lane armchairs by Tacchini. Oak wood floors are treated to create a smoky effect, recalling the floors of Lecco villas in the 1800s. In the fireplace room there is a Le Mura sofa designed by Mario Bellini for Tacchini.
Waxed bronze tables in the Lisander restaurant are covered in a thin metal mesh and glass reminiscent of local fishermen’s nets. The Luceplan Mesh chandeliers are also inspired by these nets.
The color palette was chosen to reflect the colors of the lake and its greenery, with olive green, musk and pine, taupe and gray key to the palette.
The vertical garden is visible from each floor with plants that bloom year-round, and Mediterranean herbs, from rosemary to myrtle.
“Our guests are mainly international and enjoy regenerating here, surrounded by nature. This territory offers so much — culture, sports, food, entertainment and picturesque towns — or you can just sit and take in the view,” he said simply.