Head-to-head · Lake Como
The celebrated newcomer and the institution it gets measured against, both near the town of Como. Passalacqua is a 24-room villa only its guests can enter. Villa d’Este is the lake’s original grand hotel. Here is how I would choose.
Toured both, with lunch at Villa d’Este · October 2026
A whimsical 18th-century villa run like a private home. Terraced gardens, a Moroccan-inspired spa, one of the most iconic tennis courts in the world, and no outside guests. The best honeymoon hotel on the lake.
My Passalacqua review →
Beautiful gardens, a villa on the lakefront, eight clay courts and a lunch that won me over. Polished, warm and livelier than its reputation, with Cernobbio outside the gate.
My Villa d’Este review →| Passalacqua | Villa d’Este | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Moltrasio, on the west shore just north of Como | Cernobbio, at the southern end near the town of Como |
| My visit | Toured | Toured, had lunch |
| The estate | A 1787 villa with terraced gardens falling to the water | A renaissance estate in a 25-acre park, with gardens and grottoes |
| Size | 24 rooms | A refresh with fewer rooms is planned |
| The feel | Run like a private home; whimsical antiques and lots of wicker | Polished and warm; lively in a good way |
| Privacy | Total; the restaurants and spa are for guests only | Livelier than its reputation, in a good way |
| Room to book | The Junior Suite Al Lago; Palazzo and lakeside rooms are generous | Ask me; recent client stays have been very positive |
| Tennis | One sunken clay court, #04 on my tennis list | Eight clay courts along the water, #06 on my tennis list |
| Pool & spa | A pool in the gardens and a Moroccan-inspired spa | The original floating pool on the lake |
| Dining | Two restaurants; plan some dinners out by boat | Fantastic |
| Outside the door | Moltrasio, a quiet village without much going on | Cernobbio: the best town at the door on the lake |
| Getting there | About an hour by car from Milan | About an hour by car from Milan |
| Best for | Honeymoons, milestones, two couples traveling together | Classicists, tennis trips with friends, multigenerational groups |
Work with me and you get Fora perks, typically a space-available upgrade, daily breakfast and a hotel credit, plus someone who knows these hotels personally: I chase the hardest confirmation on the lake at Passalacqua, match the room to the trip at Villa d’Este, and arrange the car from Milan and the boats for dinners out. Same rate as booking direct.
Passalacqua is unlike anywhere else in the world: a 1787 villa that’s meant to feel like your own home, with 24 rooms and no outside guests. It was recently named the world’s best hotel, it holds Three Michelin Keys, and it’s the best honeymoon hotel on Lake Como. Worth every euro if the moment calls for it.
Villa d’Este is the institution Passalacqua gets measured against. The gardens and the villa on the lakefront are beautiful, lunch was fantastic and the service is polished and warm. It has eight clay courts, private villas on the estate for groups, and a town at the gate.
Passalacqua sits above Villa d’Este in my ranking, and for a honeymoon or a milestone it’s the one. For a tennis trip with friends, a multigenerational group, or anyone who wants a town to walk into, choose Villa d’Este.
Passalacqua feels like being a guest at an 18th-century estate. It’s whimsical, with antiques the family collected over time and lots of wicker, and the staff remember your name. I loved it, though it isn’t my personal style; with two restaurants and a quiet village, I’d want a livelier base after a couple of nights.
Villa d’Este is the lake’s original grand hotel, a renaissance estate whose gardens, mosaics and floating pool have defined Como luxury for generations. It’s my pick on the lake for travelers who want history with their luxury, and it’s livelier than its reputation.
Passalacqua’s sunken clay court sits in the terraced gardens above the lake, framed by cypress and the Alps. It’s one of the most iconic courts in the world and #04 on my hotel tennis ranking.
Villa d’Este has eight century-old clay courts along the water, #06 on the same list. Paired with one of the estate’s private villas, it’s the best hotel on the lake for a tennis trip with friends.
At Passalacqua, the Junior Suite Al Lago is the one; it opens right toward the water. Rooms in the Palazzo and the lakeside rooms are generously sized, while rooms elsewhere can be small, and because this is a terraced garden property, most rooms see the lake in the distance. With so few rooms, it’s the single hardest confirmation on the lake.
At Villa d’Este, recent client stays have been very positive. I’m told they plan to reduce the number of rooms and modernize, which will put it in the same tier as Passalacqua, Il Sereno and Grand Hotel Tremezzo.
Passalacqua has two restaurants, and only guests can use them or the spa. The spa is Moroccan-inspired, with vaulted ceilings, old stone columns and peacock wicker chairs, and a tunnel runs down to the lower gardens. Moltrasio is quiet, so plan a few dinners across the lake by boat; I set them up. One small note: clients who stayed recently found the pool service slow.
Villa d’Este’s dining was fantastic. Cernobbio is on the town side of the lake, so restaurants and shops are within walking distance, with easy access to the town of Como and the villa circuit by boat.
For a honeymoon or milestone, Passalacqua; it’s the best honeymoon hotel on Lake Como and sits above Villa d’Este in my ranking. Villa d’Este is better for tennis trips, multigenerational groups and anyone who wants a town at the door.
Generally, no. Passalacqua’s restaurants and spa are for hotel guests only. If you’re a client of mine staying nearby, I can sometimes arrange a lunch or a tour.
For a group, Villa d’Este, with eight clay courts. For one unforgettable court, Passalacqua’s sunken clay court above the lake is #04 on my tennis ranking.
Villa d’Este suits multigenerational groups. Passalacqua is best for honeymoons, milestones and two couples traveling together. For a family trip, I’d also look at Grand Hotel Tremezzo.
Both are about an hour by private car. Passalacqua is in Moltrasio and Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, both near the town of Como. I arrange the car, and private boats once you’re there.
Yes, for a honeymoon. Two nights at Passalacqua, then a ten-minute boat across the lake to Il Sereno, is the trip I’d book. Here’s the pairing.
Tell me your dates and who is coming, and I will tell you which one fits and which room to ask for.
Passalacqua review → Villa d’Este review → Il Sereno or Passalacqua → Grand Hotel Tremezzo or Villa d’Este → My Lake Como guide →