I am in Italy and find myself sleeping with the fishes. Thankfully, it has nothing to do with the mafia idiom for disposing of dead bodies at sea — although I do feel as if I’ve died and gone to heaven. What I’ve actually done is check in to Passalacqua, one of this year’s most eagerly anticipated hotel openings, and my fish aren’t in the watery depths but delicately crafted in silver for the fob of the room key on my bedside cabinet.
From the off, this place is sizzlingly good. Passalacqua is perfectly positioned on the waterfront of Lake Como’s gold coast. The cliché-cute town of Moltrasio climbs up the hill behind it and Bellagio and Como town are within easy reach. Yet the palazzo promises stop-the-world privacy, thanks to its seven acres of terraced gardens that trickle down to the water’s edge. They are dotted with 15 frothy fountains, centuries-old cedars and endless romantic spots for lunch, contemplation and offers of marriage. The hotel only opened in June and has already had two proposals in the grounds.
The villa was built in 1787 by Count Andrea Lucini Passalacqua, whose coat of arms features the three lake fish now adopted by the hotel as its stylish motif. But it was the composer Vincenzo Bellini who really put the place on the map, settling here in 1829 to write two of his most popular operas, Norma and La Sonnambula. Other rich and famous names who have passed through its wrought-iron gates include Napoleon Bonaparte and Winston Churchill. More recently a Wall Street trader, his wife, two daughters and granny lived here.
Bellagio, seen from Lake Como
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In 2018 one of Italy’s leading hoteliers, the De Santis family, bought the villa for a rumoured £20 million and set about transforming it into a 24-room hideaway, again for an undisclosed sum. Given that every piece of art and armchair is either antique or bespoke, every inch of stucco work and fresco has been lovingly restored and every silk swag hand-printed by Venice’s finest fabric maker, Fortuny, I imagine they matched the original investment and then some.
The family, led by charismatic Valentina, are the perfect custodians. They are steeped in saper vivere italiano — the Italian way of life — having run the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, one of Europe’s most beloved grandes dames, for almost 50 years. The hotel was the Como base for the cast of the TV show Succession while shooting the last series. And if Passalacqua hadn’t been deep in renovations at the time, it would surely have featured on screen as the tech giant Lukas Mattson’s Italian home.
The interiors are so luscious, any head of cinematography would drop to their knees and give thanks. I feel I’m in a tracking shot for a Federico Fellini film as I walk through its series of public salons. History seeps from every inch of the bar’s ornate smoke-stained stone fireplace. The library’s regal purples and golds convey serious literary intent, but its shelves harbour quirky surprises such as Ruth Davidson’s Yes She Can, while the dining rooms come in different flavours: plum for the seductive curved banquettes in one, peppermint blue and creamy rattan for the other.
The hotel terrace
ENRICO COSTANTINI
Every room is a wow moment, but the triple-height entrance hall trumps the lot. Dominated by a wide, red-carpeted staircase, it is backed by six soaring windows, each inset with a bespoke 2m-tall chandelier. Anywhere else such opulence runs the risk of a charge of excess but this glass is hand-blown by Barovier & Toso. Its Murano factory dates from the 13th century, so it feels blissfully, authentically Italian.
It would be easy to stay put for the duration. Fortunately, Valentina De Santis has made exploring equally diverting. In place of the standard golf buggy is an electric vintage convertible Fiat 500. My husband and I climb in and trundle down to the hotel’s private dock for a trip on Didi, its vintage boat refurbished with Loro Piana striped fabric.
We’re having lunch at Passalacqua’s sister property, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo. En route, we see Gianni Versace’s old villa, “Not bad,” I remark to my husband. I wrinkle my nose at Richard Branson’s Villa La Cassinella — too cheesy. We pass George Clooney’s pad. “Bit small,” I mutter. Yep, Passalacqua’s splendour has gone to my head. Obviously, if I hadn’t been spoilt by Bellini’s former home, I’d give both my husband’s kidneys to stay with the Clooneys or even in the poky place two doors down where they stick Barack and Brad and the like. Our captain tells me that George lunched at Passalacqua the week before and liked it so much he stayed for dinner.
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We watch hip young dudes jump off Nesso’s Civera bridge and into Como’s turquoise waters and tick off movie locations at Villa del Balbianello (Casino Royale, Star Wars, A Month by the Lake) and wish we had time to investigate its extravagant gardens (£9pp; fondoambiente.it). Finally we tuck into linguine with lobster on the “beach” — actually a sand-covered floating pontoon — at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo.
My husband nudges me. “Logan Roy’s turned up.” I scan discreetly for a glimpse of the actor Brian Cox, but he means a fellow guest at Passalacqua with the same craggy swagger as Succession’s patriarch. The previous evening, while I was coveting the trendy JJ Martin patterned cushions in the pool’s conservatory restaurant, our Logan, reclined on a sunlounger, stopped mid cigar chomp to declare to my husband who was doing laps, “Isn’t this wonderful? And it’s all ours.”
The hotel bar
ENRICO COSTANTINI
I try, and succeed for a nanosecond, maybe less, not to be bitter about the number of Passalacqua guests who are in their twenties. The hotel is phenomenally expensive — how can they afford it? It wouldn’t be quite so annoying if they weren’t all superglued to their devices. Even at breakfast, one young woman scrolls through her socials, while her boyfriend plays games on his iPhone 13. I nearly give him a clip around the ear and demand he shows some respect, particularly as dining is such a pleasure.
It’s cucina like mamma used to make: traditional and tasty spaghetti in a super-sweet tomato sauce; calamari with courgette flowers. Meals are mainly eaten alfresco, before a panorama of shimmering water and pine-clad mountains so zip-a-dee-doo-dah uplifting that Mister Bluebird never leaves my shoulder.
The waiters look unbelievably cool in uniforms by the cult Italian label Giuliva Heritage, and are so charismatic that were they to read me the Northern Ireland protocol I’d be gripped. At dinner, one lovingly lowers our dessert of vanilla ice cream and red fruits and tells us how the plates are hand-painted; with Oscar-worthy intensity, he whispers how his heart breaks if one is smashed. Another’s description of the Via Verde, an old mule path that runs from the hotel to Laglio, is so lyrical it could get him a presenting gig on Countryfile.
Most memorably, we breakfast like kings. The buffet contains an unconquerable mountain of temptations: fresh fruits, pungent cheeses, dainty displays of cured meats and indecently plump smoked salmon, while a white-hatted chef is ready to cook eggs etc. Unbidden, a waiter deposits a multi-tiered, fully loaded cake stand at our table — any one of its cream and custard-filled delights contains a supermodel’s calorie intake for an entire week.
Guests are welcome to drop in to the kitchen and fix themselves a snack or meal any time. One couple asked to cook for De Santis as a thank-you. It’s gratifying to discover that fun for two people who arrived by private jet for a week in the top suite, at £8,500 a night, is slaving over a hot stove. And what did they cook? They were from Chicago so they made deep-pan pizza. OK . . . make that they have a weird take on a good time and, culinarily speaking, are a teensy bit tone deaf (although the charming De Santis insists the pizza was delicious).
Their suite, Bellini, is one of 12 rooms in the villa; another eight are in the former stables, with four more in a cottage in the gardens. All are decorated with flawless good taste by De Santis. I can almost picture the accountants’ foreheads hitting their desks as the invoices kept rolling in for quarry loads of Carrara marble for the bathrooms, for the exquisite “secret” minibars housed in etched-glass cabinets inspired by 18th-century designs and the bespoke end-of-the-bed ottomans that riff off vintage steamer trunks and hide the TVs. I amuse myself by imagining the beancounters tearing their hair out that De Santis bought not one, not even two, but three Dyson hair appliances for each room.
On our last night, we snuggle under Beltrami bed linen made from birch tree fibres and infinitely softer than silk, probably the closest I’ll get to knowing how Cleopatra felt soaking in her milk bath. My husband and I agree Passalacqua is pretty much faultless and, without a trace of mafia menace, he makes me an offer I can’t refuse: to return one day.
Susan d’Arcy was a guest of Passalacqua, which has B&B doubles from £845 (passalacqua.it). Fly to Milan
Mandello del Lario on Lake Como
ALAMY
What to do in and around Lake Como
More hotels
Locanda Alberti, Mandello del Lario
This rustic restaurant with rooms opened in Mandello del Lario, home to the famous Moto Guzzi motorcycle factory, in June. Overlooking the main square, it’s a short walk from the beach and the ferry stop for day trips to honeypots such as Bellagio. There are a dozen spacious bedrooms, with a creamy colour palette lifted by splashes of sky blue, emerald green and zesty orange. Polished wooden floors and exposed beams inject tradition, while eye-catching modern beds and smart tiled bathrooms add a contemporary note. The restaurant has a menu that includes homemade pastas and catch of the day from the lake.
Details Room-only doubles from £105 (locandalberti.it)
Musa, Sala Comacina
This boutique hotel, which opened in May, is an impressive all-rounder that makes the most of its waterfront location. The sleek restaurant has on-trend Crittall windows that overlook the lake and the food is as good as the views — the executive chefs Robert Moretti and Matteo Corridori have worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and their cooking brings a fresh interpretation to time-honoured Mediterranean recipes. The 12 rooms and one apartment are chic and minimalist; some have balconies and all of them have Carrara marble bathrooms. There’s a spa with a sauna and hammam, as well as an outdoor pool.
Details Room-only doubles from £338 (musacomo.com)
Duomo Boutique Hotel, Como
The name doesn’t lie — this hotel is eye to eye with the gothic splendour of Como Cathedral and you’re also close to the medieval town hall, imposing Baradello Castle and the Brunate Funicular. The 14 rooms and five suites, in newly restored clerical buildings, have been decorated in soothing neutral colours, with herringbone wooden floors, fluted panelling and marble bathrooms. There’s no restaurant but the old town has plenty of bars and cafés.
Details Room-only doubles from £155 (dbhlakecomo.it)
A room overlooking the lake at Al Molo 5
Al Molo 5, Vassena
Although Como is Italy’s most romantic lake, dreamy bolt holes like this boutique lodge remain hard to find. Located in the peaceful village of Vassena, yet a mere ten minutes by car or boat from Bellagio, Al Molo 5 has just five characterful bedrooms with wooden beams, four of them affording otherworldly views over the water, plus a staff keen to spoil you rotten. Breakfast comes as room service on your balcony, and other perks include parking spaces (rare around here). Similarly superb are the café and restaurant downstairs.
Details B&B doubles from £137 (almolo5.it)
A room at Filario Hotel & Residences
Filario Hotel & Residences, Lezzeno
Named after a cable factory that once stood here in peaceful, under-the-radar Lezzeno, sleek Filario comes with some brilliant bells and whistles — a private beach with a bar, pizza-serving bistro and a heated infinity pool overlooking Villa del Balbianello. All of its 13 rooms have lakefront balconies, cushy king-sized beds and fine linens, while more privacy is offered by ten equally lovely apartments, which sleep six. Guests have free use of the hotel’s kayaks, bikes and gym; an ideal way to work up appetites for the main, contemporary restaurant Filo, one of the lake’s top choices.
Details Room-only doubles from £161 (filario.it)
Restaurants
Casa Perrotta, Cernobbio
Cernobbio might be synonymous with the legendary Villa d’Este residence, but a new kid just down the road is making waves too. Two Campanian brothers, Sossio and Daniele, have led the renovations of a little restaurant here, giving it a minimalist but relaxing decor in which to showcase their 21st-century interpretation of Italian classics. Replete with the colours and sunshine of southern Italy, dishes include an aubergine-filled ravioli so good that diners are tempted to order it for both primo and secondo. Perrotta’s five-course set menus also provide value for money at £55.
Details Mains from £20 (casaperrottarestaurant.it)
Feel Como, Como
Tucked away in Como town’s centre, this chic enclave with a beautiful garden has only seven tables and 18 covers. Everything is super-simpatico, and you’ll feel at home as soon as you sit down. Chef Federico Beretta’s menu brims with both imagination and local ingredients from the surrounding lake, mountains and forests. Look out for surprises such as homemade pine syrup or wild-radicchio tempura. Every mouthful is a delight, as are the five (£72) or eight-course (£93) vegetarian menus (order in advance) and sommelier Elisa Forlanelli’s spot-on wine pairings.
Details Mains from £25 (feelcomo.com)
Bella Vista, Veleso
Few tourists make it inland into the Triangolo Lariano (that mountainous region between Lake Como’s “legs”) but a treat awaits anyone braving the narrow road up to Veleso. Bella Vista is aptly named: a vine-covered terrace here yields stupendous views over the silvery lake far below. Watching the sunset is pure enchantment, even more so when accompanied by the chef Paolo Longoni’s short but inspired menu— the truffle risotto and pigeon served three ways are especially eccellente. If you’re one of those people who judges a restaurant by its crème brûlée, meanwhile, expect to be giddy for weeks.
Details Mains from £16 (bellavistacomo.com)
Activities
Seaplane Tour, Como
Imagine soaring like an osprey over Lake Como, passing towering mountains, gorgeous villas and gardens before landing with a glamorous splash. Founded in 1930 and based in a hangar just west of Como town, Aero Club Como is, notably, the world’s oldest seaplane operation. Options range from a jaunt across to Bellagio to visits of the lake’s secret corners — just let the pilot know where you want to go. Flights are available all year, but it’s often necessary to book ahead.
Details 40-minute flights from £100pp (aeroclubcomo.com)
Hire a boat
Como’s ferries are dandy, but hiring your own boat is even better. Drink in the scenery during slow putters around the central lake and then pull up, movie star-style, at the pier of a lakefront restaurant. Based in Varenna, Lake Como Boat hires out self-drive, no-experience-needed motorboats. For those keen to show off, they also offer 150hp speedboats and can provide a captain too if you lack the licence to drive one.
Details Six-passenger, 17ft Ranieri motorboats from £59 an hour or £270 a day, including fuel (lakecomoboat.eu)
Susan d’Arcy and Dana Facaros
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