The best European waterfront hotels to add to your itinerary

Depending on your personal annual leave balance, the next two months may be spent obsessively scrolling through or completely avoiding social media, for all the glistening oceans, pebbly beaches and dripping gelatos that are the hallmarks of a European summer. At LUMIRA, we are firmly in the former camp, with wanderlust and warm weather our twin compasses in life.

With a belief that it’s never too early to plan next year’s vacation, here are four waterfront hotels in Italy, France and Greece to have on your itinerary.

Packing tip: be sure to take our Perfume Oil Discovery Set, to enjoy a new fragrance for every occasion on your trip.

Can’t visit Europe in person? We’ll show you how to escape with scent, instead.

Hotel Il Pellicano, Tuscany

Founded by intercontinental lovers (she was an American socialite; he a British aviator) in 1965, Il Pellicano has romance in its very foundations. It’s perched off the Italian coast in Porto Ercole, halfway between Rome and Pisa, and prides itself on providing an effortless way of life that’s known in Italian as sprezzatura. Translation: should you become tired of sitting by the private pool, simply take the cliffside elevator down to the ocean where you can order from the juice bar and let the Pellicano attendants take care of the rest.

Or escape with scent: Wear Tuscan Fig Perfume Oil to evoke the sweet and earthy scent of the Tuscan countryside.

Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes

Celebrating its 130th anniversary this year, the iconic Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the French Riviera has hosted a head-spinning roster of boldfaced names, including Marlene Dietrich, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Winston Churchill and the Kennedy family. And this stunning hotel shows no signs of slowing down, having been voted the best hotel in the world by International Traveller. With its tastefully opulent 1920s-style decor, seawater infinity pool cut straight into the cliff face, and uninterrupted views of the glittering Mediterranean, it’s easy to see why.

Or escape with scent: For pure luxury with a decadent jazz-age spirit, burn the rich and spicy No.352 Leather & Cedar Candle.

Casa Cook, Kos

The tiny island of Kos is a sanctuary away from some of the more hectic Greek islands (we’re looking at you, Mykonos), and Casa Cook has completely nailed it with its luxurious but relaxed Aegean seaside aesthetic. From the whitewashed cubist buildings to the modern bohemian decor, this is the place to go to unwind – by the pool, at the private beach club, along the sand dunes...

Or escape with scent: The Vow by Nicole Trunfio Perfume Oil has a similarly chic but laidback feel, whether you’re by the ocean or enjoying sunset cocktails.

Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como

In Europe, “waterfront” is as likely to mean a lake as it is an ocean but when the lake in question happens to be Como, no one is complaining. Like Hotel du Cap, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo is a monument to the luxurious vacation style of the Belle Epoque – when it opened in 1910, it was the first purpose-built hotel on Lake Como. Each room and suite has direct views over either the lake or the Palace park, and is furnished with plush textiles and antiques (many from the owners’ private collection). Take a stroll through the magnificent gardens, or order a drink from T Bar and sit on the lake-front terrace.

Or escape with scent: You might not be sitting on the terrace, but you can still enjoy cocktail hour with Tonic of Gin Candle.

Written by Michelle Bateman