Casa sull’Albero translates into English as “tree house”. And indeed, guests might be excused if
they think they are sitting among the treetops when they look out of an upstairs window.
Casa sull’Albero is a small boutique hotel with just 12 rooms and suites in Malgrate, overlooking
Lake Como, in Northern Italy. The hotel has been opened in 2013 by Fabio Dadati in two low
villas built 6 years ago in a listed park with centuries-old trees. The buildings are sited so as not
to damage the trees and incorporate a lot of state-of-the art eco-sustainable features: natural
materials of choice were stone, wood and glass; floor to ceiling windows are made of glass
providing high thermal and acoustic insulation; energy saving technologies include solar and
photovoltaic systems, floor heating and cooling.The contemporary decor mingles Italian design
pieces and hand-made features and furniture made by a local artisan with salvaged wood, such as
the panelled wall and table in the Honesty Kitchen dining space or the bathrooms tops. There are
no minibars in the rooms, but guests can help themselves from the fridges in the Honesty Kitchen,
open 24 hours a day: they just have to write down what they have taken and pay at check out.
Food products provided by Casa sull’Albero food&beverage staff include many locally-sourced
items, such as cheese, yogurt, cold cuts, fruit juices.