There are places where you visit, and then there are places you inhabit, as if stepping into a dream composed of the best bits of your imagination. One such place is Passalacqua, an 18th-century mansion reborn as a 24-room hotel in 2022. Set in the enchanting village of Moltrasio, overlooking the ever-beguiling Lake Como, this estate is less a hotel and more an orchestrated fantasy, a place where every moment feels cinematic.
Once the stately home of Count Andrea Lucini Passalacqua in the 18th century—who had hired the top architects and designers of the day to construct a residence dedicated to entertaining—the villa has lived many lives. It housed monks during the quieter centuries and witnessed the comings and goings of European nobility and celebrated names; for instance, Vincenzo Bellini made the villa his home in the 1800s and composed the operas Norma and La sonnambula during the course of his stay.
Photography by Ruben Ortiz
In recent years, the De Santis family, also known for the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, has taken this grand dame and lovingly restored her with a reverence that verges on obsession. Landscaped terraces, ancient olive groves, vaulted stone tunnels: all have been revived, given a gleaming polish, and made to sing anew. The result is a seamless blend of old-world nobility and contemporary elegance.
We arrived at Passalacqua after a breezy 45-minute drive from Milan. The Milanese, for centuries, have escaped to Lake Como to breathe—a tradition of la villeggiatura (the seasonal moving of house from city to country) that we were more than happy to emulate.
However, fair warning to the uninitiated: unless you arrive by boat, locating the entrance to Passalacqua can feel like a quest. One must find Via Pus Palaz, a humble medieval lane that feels too unassuming to conceal what has been crowned the World’s Best Hotel in 2023 and 2024, while also taking second place on the World’s 50 Best Hotels and being named Europe’s Best Hotel. Therein lies the charm.
Greeting us at the entrance was Gianluca Irrer, who manages sales and marketing for both the Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Passalacqua—effusive, debonair, and effortlessly Italian. He was a vision of sprezzatura in his impeccably tailored suit and thick black-rimmed glasses. As he guided us through the estate, two phrases were etched into permanent consciousness: this is a palace built to remind us how grand European summers used to be and, here, every day is a gift.
Our suite faced the lake through double antique windows that opened onto cascading gardens. The sheets were satin, while the air was scented with something citrus and hypnotically elegant. The shower played music softly through hidden speakers and, on the console, a handwritten note from the hotel’s CEO, Valentina De Santis herself, accompanied a bottle of chilled sparkling wine. The minibar turned out to be quite an aesthetic event: curated wines, organic sodas, freshly pressed juices (local produce, of course), and an espresso machine gleaming like a Ferrari in a Tuscan garage.
That afternoon, a ramble through the grounds revealed the Palazz, former stables fashioned into grand and imperial guest rooms, presiding over the estate like a well-tempered monarch. The more intimate main villa offers a softer, more private touch. Tucked discreetly near the olive grove is a shack—not a pejorative term, but a charming boutique where Passalacqua’s proprietary brand, Sense of Lake, is sold. For those in the know: yes, you can buy it online. My latest indulgence? A pair of tailored swim trunks from their collaboration with P. Johnson. Pure bliss.
The property unfolds in layers, like a novel you wish would never end: a bocce court, a manicured tennis court, countless secret gardens, and stone pathways. Just above the lake sits Casa al Lago, a four-room villa designed for families or VIPs desiring absolute seclusion—a hideaway within a hideaway.
Our curiosity took us beyond the estate and up the Scala Santa di Moltrasio, the sacred stairs once used by servants to haul goods up from the lake. It’s a walk that transports you back centuries. The homes that line the path have belonged to the same families for generations, stoic and proud. The Church of Sant’Agata, standing nearby since the 11th century, completes the picture. Here, history breathes in the stone, and time meanders with the breezes carried in from the lake.
Dinner called us back to modern luxury. We dressed in our best Comaschi-inspired finery and descended to the villa’s dining room, helmed by the inimitable Chef Viviana Varese, the visionary behind the one-Michelin-starred VIVA Viviana Varese in Milan, whose dishes at Passalacqua are best described as ‘grand villa cuisine’. This is how aristocrats have eaten for centuries—elevated, but never overwrought. The menu was tight, like a jazz quartet; the wine list, however, read like the Old Testament—dense, venerable, and divine.
Later, we took our digestifs and wandered back towards the pool, where the golden vestiges of a spring day lingered in the air. Other guests found their own nooks across the estate grounds. The whole scene felt like a De Santis family tableau brought to life—dolce vita reborn.
Breakfast, served in the same dining space, had transformed by morning into something more playful and intimate. There was a menu, but the atmosphere suggested otherwise. “Tell us what you want,” was the wait staff’s invitation.
Photography by Ruben Ortiz
Chefs moved gracefully across four open stoves among spreads of seasonal fruits, curated meats, and artisanal pastries. Outdoors, we chose a table facing the lake, separated only by a wrought-iron fence surely older than most countries. I counted nine gardeners moving in harmony across the lawn, their symphony accompanied by fountains and soft classical music. I surrendered my fate to our waiter, who returned with the most magical pancake I’ve eaten in four decades—crisp edges, a pillowy centre, adorned with pistachio sauce and chocolate ice cream. Naturally, a second round followed, with impeccable macchiatos to polish it off.
In the spirit of their mantra, in which “every day is a gift”, Passalacqua proposes daily activities for guests. We chose one titled ‘Sottoterra’, a tour of underground tunnels that lie beneath the garden—a labyrinthine world dating back centuries, believed to have been used for defence, storage, and escape. Some tunnels have only recently been discovered. The tour ended at the villa’s private dock, where two sleek boats awaited, ready to whisk guests to Bellagio, Varenna, or the glittering villas lining the lake.
As we boarded, I reflected on what makes Passalacqua not just a five-star hotel, but once-in-a-lifetime. The De Santis family didn’t rebuild a hotel; they revived an ideal of what it means to go on holiday, where one can savour the richness of being in a world removed from urban realities and enter a dreamscape of unobtrusive, heartfelt hospitality. Here, one is surrounded by the grand heritage of a regal space built for the express purpose of entertaining, with lived-in reminders of a glittering past: Venetian chandeliers, neoclassical frescoes, olive and lemon trees, a waterfront swimming pool, and a list of notable personages, including former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who would, doubtless, have enjoyed their time here, living the beautiful life.
