Why Passalacqua is Lake Como’s most magical luxury hotel

With its out-of-this-world beauty and a 250-year legacy that speaks to the timeless allure of Lake Como, Passalacqua embodies what Italian dreams are made of

If you set out on an adventure with the simple mission of visiting the most naturally beautiful places on this wild and wonderful planet, at some point in the journey you would find yourself at Lake Como. “The precise location of Heaven on Earth has never been established, but it may very well be right here,” American journalist Herb Caen once said of this magnificent lake – the deepest in Italy – at the foothills of the Alps in Northern Italy. Specifically, Caen was talking about Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, on the lake’s south-western coastline. But I’d argue that’s only because he wasn’t alive when Passalacqua opened its doors in 2022.

This extraordinary hotel, located near the town of Moltrasio, has a magical quality that is hard to put into words – even for someone who does precisely that for a living. When we pull up on Passalacqua’s gravel driveway in the autumn, I am presented with so much visual delight at every angle that I can’t help but peel off from the group, wide-eyed and goosebumpy, to dart around the bucolic grounds. I try to take it all in – both mentally and with my iPhone camera, which I throw around with no care for the videography whatsoever, so enthralled am I by the view. The panorama that is Lake Como – punctuated by towering cedar and cypress trees – is enchanting even on an overcast day, while the sprawling garden’s sculpted topiaries, clipped hedges and groomed lawns suggest everything at this hotel will be manicured to perfection – even the staff, who are donning ultra-chic uniforms that wouldn’t look out of place on Milan’s Via Monte Napoleone.

It’s no wonder Passalacqua took home the trophy in the inaugural 2023 World’s 50 Best awards – less than a year after opening, no less – and went on to secure the runner-up spot in 2024. If it’s not stealing your breath, it’s bringing a tear to your eye, as it did with my colleague when she was first shown her Grand Junior Suite in the original 12-room villa of the hotel. 18 months later, finding myself in the same palatial suite, I start my days as the residents might have done centuries ago: by throwing open my windows to those exquisite gardens (and, now, an iconic tangerine Fiat), with the crystalline lake and mountain panorama beyond. And then: coffee and a soak in the grandest of grand tubs.

It’s the stuff of dreams. And not just mine. “When we came here for the first time, we felt a sense of marvel,” says third-generation Lake Como hotelier and Passalacqua CEO Valentina De Santis. “Touring around and seeing the different spaces, we ‘wow-ed’ so many times because there was always something unexpected… it was really mesmerising.”

The De Santis family – Lake Como natives and owners of the storied Grand Hotel Tremezzo, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year – acquired what was then Villa Passalacqua in late 2018. A national monument, it was named after 18th century custodian Count Andrea Lucini-Passalacqua, scion of one of Como’s leading noble families, who extended what was at the time a more modest 18^th-century building once owned by Pope Innocent XI. It took three years – with Covid in the middle – to restore the villa to its former glory.

Love at first sight

Like Valentina on her first visit, I, too, find myself in a state of awe at Passalacqua, admiring the historic details and wondering at the stories held within the villa’s relatively minimalist façade: its transportative original frescoes; its Venetian terrazzo floors that have seen nearly three centuries’ worth of visitors – and the evolving shoe styles with it; the romantic, opulent suites adorned with Como silk, sparkling chandeliers and antiques sourced from all over Italy. Then there’s the Palazz and the Casa al Lago (‘house by the lake’), sheltered within the ancient walls of the expansive grounds, which offer a further 12 exquisitely-designed rooms between them, each unique in their style and ambience. Oh, if these walls could talk.

“Our aim was to take out the best from the history of the place and transform it into a timeless style,” says Valentina. “We didn’t want to put in contemporary things, and we didn’t want it to be too historical or stuffy. We wanted the place to be welcoming and classic.” She adds that she wanted Passalacqua to conjure the emotions of its origina: a family home – a place where guests could embrace dolce far niente – the sweetness of doing nothing.

While my suite, with its views over pristine Lake Como, is the largest and most lavish room I’ve ever stayed in, remarkably it pales in comparison to the jaw-gaping Bellini Suite – a 250-square-metre lake-view corner abode that was once a music room. The neoclassical space features a magnificent Murano chandelier as its centrepiece, hanging from a double-height vaulted ceiling replete with original fresco, and boasts the status as the place where early 19^th-century opera composer Vincenzo Bellini penned La Sonnambula.

As a guest of Passalacqua, I follow in the footsteps of other illustrious visitors including Napoleon Bonaparte and Winston Churchill. As Valentina explains, “Every single room and every place has a story.” Indeed, Lake Como’s otherworldly beauty has enchanted countless generations of travellers; served as the well of inspiration for numerous poets, musicians, actors and artists; and has lured the well-heeled to its shores for sun-drenched summers for hundreds of years. Surely, there was no place more befitting of Bonaparte’s and Churchill’s standing than Villa Passalacqua.

Green rooms

For all its finery, this lake retreat wouldn’t have its Passalacqua reputation without gardens, first laid out in the 18th century and brought back to their original architecture for the hotel’s opening. You could easily spend an entire day exploring its magnificent tiered terraces and never set foot inside. Each of these ‘green rooms’ has its own unique feel and invites a special ‘moment’ to be relished, together creating a veritable oasis for guests.

Enjoy a friendly match at the tennis court or a leisurely game of bocce, meet the chickens at the coup, smell the rosemary and thyme in the herb garden – or better yet, the blooms at the rose garden; take a stroll to admire the fountains; or meander through the olive grove and ancient fruit garden. In summer, few activities could be more compelling than sun-worshipping on a lounger under a vintage-inspired parasol at the oh-so-glamorous pool that is straight out of a Bond film. Then, hop on over to Double J bar to sip on a tipple surrounded by furnishings adorned with the vibrant prints and colours of flowers at peak-bloom. Whichever adventure you choose, you can be sure it will come with a side of Lake Como views.

The next chapter

It is quite miraculous how many unique spaces the De Santises have managed to carve out – quite literally – at Passalacqua, and none is brimming with mystique like the hotel’s latest luxe offering. Beneath the tranquil spa – an exquisite Moroccan-inspired retreat in the Palazz, adorned with brass pendant chandeliers and boho rattan furniture – lies a hidden gallery of tunnels, excavated in the 18th century and only rediscovered after Passalacqua’s opening. A walk through the shadowy passageway – dramatically lit by ornate sconces against exposed brick walls – leads to a moody, vaulted stone chamber, where a steam bath and sauna await to lull and soothe. At the other end of the passageway lies a rocky, curvy relaxation area and cerulean indoor heated pool that gaze out onto the Italian garden terrace – an ethereal enclave perfectly fit for a water nymph.

Despite the sense of wonder that Passalacqua inspires, no-one was more surprised by the win at 50 Best 2023 than the De Santis family. “Nobody was expecting that of a small, tiny property, 24 rooms, just opened, family-owned, independent… it was very emotional,” says Valentina.

Valentina.’ grandfather bought the grande dame of Lake Como, Grand Hotel Tremezzo, in 1975, and the property – with its postcard-perfect position on the lakefront and now Instagram-famous lake pool – climbed to gain cult status in the ensuing decades. While the De Santis family also owns Sheraton Lake Como and manages the breathtaking, historic exclusive-use Villa Sola Cabiati – where I (humble brag) spend the night not long after Taylor Swift and her entourage – Passalacqua represents the family’s first hotel purchase in 30 years. It may well be the last.

“We are not anxious to grow,” Valentina says. Rather, the family is on a mission to prove Passalacqua can maintain its spot among the world’s best hotels as it keeps on doing what it does best: offering a place where guests can feel at home – in a little piece of paradise.

“It’s a family story,” she says. “It comes from the heart, and so I always hope that guests staying with us feel that there is so much love behind the property.”

We certainly do.

Hotel notes

Rates at Passalacqua start from 1,100 euros (around AU$1,800) with breakfast. Rates at Grand Hotel Tremezzo start from 900 euros (around AU$1,480) with breakfast. Rates at Villa Sola Cabiati start from 10,000 euros (around AU$16,450) for exclusive use of the villa, daily breakfast, 24-hour butler service, daily housekeeping service and a private chef.

passalacqua.it, grandhoteltremezzo.com

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Eyes on a star

With Michelin-star credentials, chef Viviana Varese heads up Passalacqua’s elegant restaurant. Its ethos is rooted in refined home-style Italian cooking that showcases Northern Italy’s bounty. Expect a decadent menu including puff pastry potato with egg yolk, sour cream and caviar; pasta and potatoes with pistachio, basil and pecorino; and tube fish in buttery sauce.

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The grandest of all

Grand Hotel Tremezzo celebrates its 50th birthday this year, but the Art Nouveau masterpiece dates back to 1910, when it was first branded the Tremezzo Hotel. The 90-room hotel, renowned for its breathtaking panoramic views of the lake and Bellagio, is home to La Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi, one of the most prestigious dining experiences on Lake Como. The restaurant pays tribute to Gualtiero Marchesi, widely regarded as the father of modern Italian cuisine and the first Italian chef to receive three Michelin stars. His signature dish, ‘saffron risotto with edible gold leaf’, has become a symbol of Italian haute cuisine.

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A living museum

Villa Sola Cabiati comes replete with private staff, lush arabesque gardens, six beautiful suites and an aristocratic history dating back to the 16th century. It features original frescoes, Murano glass chandeliers and priceless artwork, antiques and heirlooms – including the bed in which Napoleon and Josephine Bonaparte slept when they visited the Palazzo Serbelloni in Milan. All perfectly preserved. Not to mention those all-encompassing lake vistas…

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