Same family, similar style of room, and completely different stays. Grand Hotel Tremezzo is a fun, busy grand hotel where outside guests come in droves. Passalacqua is a whimsical 24-room villa where only hotel guests can get in.
Toured both, had lunch at Tremezzo · October 2026
Choose Grand Hotel Tremezzo
If you want fun, and the lake view
Like stepping into a Wes Anderson film. Five restaurants, tiered gardens with a beautiful pool, a clay court, and lake-view junior suites with balconies that feel like they sit on top of the water. Great for families.
Choose Passalacqua
If you want it all to yourselves
A whimsical villa that’s meant to feel like your home, with antiques the family collected over time. Only guests can use the restaurants and spa, so it’s peaceful and exclusive. It’s a couple’s retreat.
Side by side
How they compare
Grand Hotel Tremezzo
Passalacqua
Where
Tremezzo, mid-lake on the west shore, facing Bellagio
Moltrasio, on the west shore just north of Como
My visit
Toured, had lunch
Toured
Owners
The De Santis family
The De Santis family
Rooms
About 80, recently reworked into more suites
24
Room style
Similar to Passalacqua: restored, decorated, gorgeous bathrooms
Antiques collected over time and lots of wicker; Palazzo and lakeside rooms are large, others can be small
Lake views
Junior suites and up face the lake with balconies
A handful of lakeside rooms; most see the lake in the distance
Outside guests
Welcome, and they come in droves
None; restaurants and spa are for guests only
Dining
Five restaurants
Two restaurants; plan some dinners off property by boat
Grounds
Tiered gardens with my favorite pool, and a clay court
Terraced gardens, a Moroccan-inspired spa, and one of the world’s most iconic tennis courts
Getting there
Car to Como, then about 30 minutes by private boat
About an hour by car from Milan
Best for
Families (mind the stairs), first trips, couples who like a buzz
Honeymoons, or two couples traveling together
Work with me and you get two things: Fora perks, typically a space-available upgrade, daily breakfast and a hotel credit, and someone who knows these hotels personally and personalizes your stay. Same rate as booking direct.
The question behind the question
A fun grand hotel, or a villa that’s yours alone?
The same family runs both, and the rooms share a style. The difference is everything around them. Grand Hotel Tremezzo is a fun hotel with five restaurants and lots to explore, and its lake-view junior suites are some of the best rooms on the lake. It’s also sceney, and outside guests come in droves.
Passalacqua is the opposite: only hotel guests can get in, there are just 24 rooms, and it feels like your own home. It’s peaceful and calm, and it’s the one for a honeymoon. Moltrasio is quiet with no tourists, but there isn’t much to do, and with only two restaurants you’ll want to go out by boat some nights.
Families should choose Tremezzo. Couples should choose Passalacqua.
The detail
What to know before you choose
Why the same family runs both
The De Santis family runs Grand Hotel Tremezzo and opened Passalacqua in 2022. You’ll recognize the style in the rooms, but Passalacqua was built as the opposite of a grand hotel: small, private and run like a home.
Which has the better lake view?
Grand Hotel Tremezzo, if you book a junior suite or above. Those rooms have balconies and feel like they sit on top of the lake. Passalacqua is a terraced garden property: it has some lakeside rooms, but most rooms, even in the Palazzo, see the lake in the distance. For the truest lakefront stay on Como, look at Il Sereno.
Crowds and privacy
This is the biggest difference. Grand Hotel Tremezzo welcomes outside guests and it’s a magnet for photos, so it’s busy. Passalacqua doesn’t allow outside guests in its restaurants or spa at all. If you’re staying nearby and want to see it, I can sometimes arrange a lunch or a tour for my clients.
Getting there
I usually split the journey: a private car from Milan to the water in the town of Como, then about 30 minutes by private boat to the hotel’s own dock. The road takes 45 minutes to an hour and it’s narrow and winding. Arriving by boat is faster and far more memorable, especially on a honeymoon. Passalacqua is closer to Como, about an hour by car from Milan.
Before you ask
The questions I get
Is Grand Hotel Tremezzo owned by the same family as Passalacqua?
Yes. The De Santis family runs Grand Hotel Tremezzo and opened Passalacqua in 2022.
Which is better, Grand Hotel Tremezzo or Passalacqua?
Passalacqua is better for couples who want privacy: only hotel guests can get in. Grand Hotel Tremezzo is better for families and anyone who wants a fun, lively hotel with five restaurants.
Can you visit Passalacqua for lunch?
Generally not; its restaurants and spa are for hotel guests only. For clients staying nearby, I can sometimes arrange a lunch or a tour.
Which has better lake views?
Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s junior suites and above, with balconies over the lake. Most rooms at Passalacqua see the lake in the distance over its terraced gardens.
Which is better with kids?
Grand Hotel Tremezzo, though there are a lot of stairs. Passalacqua is a couple’s retreat.
Still deciding?
Tell me your dates and I’ll tell you which one fits. Work with me and you get Fora perks, plus someone who knows the hotels personally and personalizes your stay. Same rate as booking direct.
