A grand Lake Como villa made unusually intimate: best for travelers who want historic atmosphere, serious design, and a small-scale stay right on the water.
Passalacqua occupies an 18th-century villa estate directly above Lake Como in Moltrasio, with 24 accommodations divided among the main Villa, the Palazz and the lakeside Casa al Lago. The restored property is intimate rather than sprawling, with seven acres of terraced gardens running down to a private jetty and a setting that stays tied to the old village just beyond the gates. It opened as a hotel in June 2022 after a three-year restoration by the De Santis family.
Reddit excerpts · separate from Rex’s editorial judgment
Guests describe Passalacqua as strikingly beautiful, with one repeat visitor placing it ahead of the Mandarin Oriental among Lake Como stays. The trade-off in these reports is atmosphere and execution: one guest found it too quiet, while another said the service fell short despite an otherwise very attractive five-night stay.
“I’ve stayed at both couple of times. Overall I would say Passalacqua is better, but MO is definitely #2 in Como.”
“Passalacqua is one of the most beautiful hotels we’ve ever stayed at - it is magnificent. However, it is a bit too quiet for me.”
“Passalacqua is beautiful stayed 5 nights but the service is very much lacking .”
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Sainte-Maxime, France
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Lisciano Niccone, Italy
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Bagno a Ripoli (Candeli), Italy
On the Arno’s banks in Candeli, just outside Florence, Villa La Massa makes a 13th-century country estate the setting for a stay between city visits and the slower rhythms of its gardens and river landscape. Its accommodation is spread across six historic buildings, with Renaissance interiors in the older villa and mill alongside more contemporary Tuscan rooms, suites and private apartments. The estate’s scale is intimate enough to feel removed from Florence, while a hotel shuttle links it to the city.
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