A love story with our territory
What is seen today as Hotel Regina is the result of an intuition on the part of my father Giacomo Rasella and uncle Giovanni (two visionary brothers) who already in the 1980s saw the economic future in tourism for Upper Lake Como, when very few believed in its attractiveness.
Indeed, a passion for hospitality runs through the veins of my ancestors for several generations.
In the early 1930s, it was grandparents Giuseppe and Orsola, in defiance of the Great Depression, who established the inn “Crotto Regina.” Our Crotto became a well-known meeting place, where at the end of the workday people met to dance, play cards and morra as well as delight in the most authentic flavors of our food and wine tradition.
With the arrival of the 1960s, the business faced a period of crisis, prompting my father and uncle to pursue different career paths.
Nevertheless, over the next few decades Giovanni and Giacomo developed the idea of renovating the old “Crotto Regina” in order to build a new hotel facility on the large lakefront property. In the early 1980s, the opportunity arose to put this project into practice; thus, the present Hotel Regina was born.
I can still remember what a thrill it was for all of us to witness the long-awaited opening in 1998. I was only a 16-year-old high school student, but my father Giacomo did quite well to transmit to me his great love for this work, or should I say, for an actual life choice.
Today I run Hotel Regina together with my wife Chiara and our team of professionals. Just like my parents, uncles and even before them, grandparents, we have chosen to dedicate our passion and commitment to welcoming, hosting and pampering our guests –some of whom with time have become good friends as well.
So, when the Hotel and Crotto are closed each winter, we seek to offer our best by engaging in more or less important renovation projects towards the improvement of the facilities.
In 2009 we were able to realize one of our greatest dreams by creating one of the most elegant panoramic swimming pools on Lake Como.
Unfortunately, in 2012 the person who influenced my life and my way of being more than anyone else passed away: my father, a strong and very intelligent man who will not be easily forgotten by those who knew him.
Between 2013 and 2015 we achieved great satisfaction managing to completely renovate the rooms of the old Crotto Regina, while in 2018 my uncle and I dedicated ourselves to the construction of the new garage, with new and innovative services dedicated to our most discerning guests. Today the garage has 16 new covered and video-supervised parking spaces, 3 charging stations for electric cars, a new protected, bike storage space with a small repair shop and a washing machine available to cyclists. In addition, our guests can count on free bicycle and e-bike rentals as well as a new green area with a small playground.
Plans for the future are already in the works … and we look forward to letting you discover them all.
Thank you for your interest!
Giuseppe Rasella
