Staying with the Clooneys: Philanthropy in Italian Spheres

George and Amal Clooney are inviting a select group to Lake Como for a five-day stay in August. Attendance costs just under €250,000, but you get what you pay for, including the Clooneys themselves.

George and Amal Clooney are inviting a select group of people to Lake Como for a five-day stay in August. It costs just under €230.000 to attend, but you get what you pay for – including the Clooneys themselves.

Sixteen guests will have the chance to experience an exclusive five-day experience this summer in the company of George and Amal Clooney. The venue: the monumental Passalacqua hotel on Lake Como, once owned by the family of Pope Innocent XI. Think frescoes, fountains and water views.

Prices start at €160.000 per room (based on two people), with a mandatory donation of at least €55.000 per person to the Clooney Foundation for Justice. The goal is to raise over €920.000 for the foundation’s global legal projects.

The program includes dinners by renowned chefs, an evening at Teatro Sociale, private tours of historic villas and a garden party with the Clooneys. One of the dinners will take place at Villa del Balbianello – famous as a filming location for Casino Royale and Star Wars: Episode II.

According to Emma Ponsonby, CEO of organisers Satopia Group, it's about more than just luxury: "Guests will experience Lake Como through the eyes of George and Amal, and discover why this place is so special to them." Although the Clooneys have previously hosted small-scale events at their own Villa Oleandra, this is the first time they've done it on this scale.

If you really want to do good, why not wear designer swimwear on Lake Como…