Passalacqua, Lake Como

Hotel review · Toured October 2026 · Moltrasio, Lake Como, Italy

Passalacqua review

#05 In The Fifteen — My Honeymoon Shortlist · 24 Rooms — A Villa Run Like A Private Home

A villa you never want to leave. Book it for a milestone — worth every euro if the moment calls for it.

Region
Moltrasio, Lake Como, Italy
Style
Historic villa showpiece (Fora Reserve)
Perfect for
Honeymoons, milestones, two couples traveling together
My ranking
#05 in The Fifteen, my honeymoon shortlist
The review

An 18th-century villa turned 24-room showpiece — a villa you never want to leave, and a place I send clients without hesitation.

No hotel appears across my site more often than Passalacqua. It's #05 in The Fifteen, my honeymoon shortlist — "a villa you never want to leave." It's #04 in my hotel tennis ranking, for a single clay court perched above Lake Como, framed by cypress and the Alps. And it headlines my featured Italy page: an 18th-century villa turned 24-room showpiece, the most celebrated new hotel in Europe, and a place I send clients without hesitation.

Recently named the world's best hotel, it's Lake Como at its most exclusive — a villa run like a private residence, with only a handful of suites and staff who remember your name. In my Lake Como proposal, it's simply "The Pinnacle."

It holds Three Michelin Keys, and it's the property I reserve for the trips that genuinely warrant it: a honeymoon, an anniversary, the once-in-a-lifetime booking. Worth every euro if the moment calls for it.

Passalacqua, Lake Como
Passalacqua, Lake Como
Passalacqua’s pool and terraced gardens above Lake Como
The pool in the terraced gardens
Passalacqua’s formal gardens with a fountain, a cypress and the lake beyond
The formal gardens above the lake
Passalacqua’s Moroccan-inspired spa lounge, with vaulted ceilings, stone columns, brass lanterns and peacock wicker chairs
The Moroccan-inspired spa
A Passalacqua suite with a gilded headboard and rose damask walls
Antiques the family collected over time
A Passalacqua bathroom with a gilt mirror, glass sconces and dark marble
Gilt, glass and dark marble
What stood out

The details that made the list

01
A villa run like a private home. 24 rooms, staff who remember your name, and the feeling of being a guest at an 18th-century estate rather than a hotel. It’s whimsical: antiques the family collected over time, and lots of wicker throughout.
02
The sunken clay court. One of the most iconic courts in the world, perched above Lake Como in the terraced gardens and framed by cypress and the Alps — #04 on my tennis list.
03
The terraced gardens. Falling from the villa to the water — the setting that made it the most celebrated new hotel in Europe.
04
The spa and the tunnel. The spa is Moroccan-inspired, with vaulted ceilings, old stone columns, pierced brass lanterns and peacock wicker chairs, and an underground tunnel leads down to the lower gardens. It’s one of my favorite details on the lake.
05
The recognition is real. Recently named the world's best hotel, holding Three Michelin Keys — and my clients' reports match the trophies.
Know before you book

The Fine Print, From Your Advisor

01
It's small and books far ahead. Only a handful of suites — the sooner we hold dates, the better. This is the single hardest confirmation on the lake.
02
The Junior Suite Al Lago is the one. It opens right toward the water — the room I show in my Lake Como proposal for milestone trips. Rooms in the Palazzo and the lakeside rooms are generously sized; rooms elsewhere can be small, and because this is a terraced garden property, most rooms see the lake in the distance rather than up close.
03
Only guests get in. The restaurants and spa are closed to outside visitors, which is a big part of why it feels so private. If you’re staying nearby and want to see it, I can sometimes arrange a lunch or a tour for my clients.
04
Plan a few dinners out. There are only two restaurants, and Moltrasio is a quiet village without much going on. Dinner across the lake by boat is the best way to do it, and I’ll set it up. One small note: clients who stayed recently found the pool service slow.
05
Save it for the moment. If the trip doesn't warrant the pinnacle, Il Sereno and the EDITION are the smart ways into the lake — my proposal compares all four side by side. Or do both: two nights here, then a ten-minute boat to Il Sereno.
06
Boats and transfers, arranged. From Milan, a private car is the easiest way in, about an hour. Once you’re here, I arrange private boats for dinners across the lake, a day on the water or the move to your next hotel. I work with the best captains on Como, at fair prices.
07
Comparing Lake Como hotels? Here are my side-by-sides: Il Sereno or Passalacqua and Grand Hotel Tremezzo or Passalacqua. Or do two: Passalacqua, then a ten-minute boat to Il Sereno.
Book Passalacqua through me

Fora perks.
And someone who knows the hotel.

Work with me and you get two things: Fora perks, and someone who knows Passalacqua personally. As a Fora advisor, my clients receive a space-available upgrade, daily breakfast, and a hotel credit. I know the property and the team, so I personalize your stay, from the room I request to what’s arranged before you arrive, and I’m your direct line to them while you’re there. Rates are identical to booking direct.

When are you thinking?

Passalacqua earned its place on my list. Let me match you to the right room, time it to the right season, and build the rest of the trip around it.

Traveling within the next 30 days? You’ll hear from me today.

My Featured Destinations → The Tennis Court Ranking →

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