Try "Saint-Tropez", "Positano", "truffle" or "Cyprus".
Home›Finest Resorts›Italy›Passalacqua
Selected by TheMediterranean.com
An 18th-century villa on terraced gardens above Lake Como, and Italy's highest-ranked hotel in the world.
Selected by TheMediterranean.com
Passalacqua is an 18th-century villa on terraced slopes above the lake at Moltrasio. Count Andrea Lucini-Passalacqua lived here and the composer Vincenzo Bellini stayed. The De Santis family, who also own the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, restored the villa, its former stables and a lakeside house, and opened it as a hotel in 2022.
The interiors keep their original frescoes, stuccoes and carved ceilings, with gilded mirrors and Murano chandeliers, and some three hectares of gardens of olive, mimosa, roses and magnolia step down to the water.
It was named the best hotel in the world in 2023, and in 2026 it ranks No. 5 on The World's 50 Best Hotels, with the titles Best Hotel in Europe and Best Boutique Hotel. It also holds three MICHELIN Keys.
At a glance
Rooms and suites
There are just 24 keys, in three buildings.
12 rooms and suites with frescoes and stuccoes, among them the Bellini Suite with its grand piano
8 suites with exposed beams, in the former stables
4 suites on the water, each with its own private garden
Dining
An open kitchen cooking seasonal Italian food with produce from the garden.
Over the lake.
Guests may also be served anywhere in the gardens.
Spa and experiences
Getting there
Milan Malpensa (MXP), Milan Linate (LIN) and Lugano (LUG) in Switzerland
About 15 minutes from the town of Como
The hotel’s own boats run on the lake
Nearby
Cernobbio, Bellagio, Tremezzo and Menaggio. Moltrasio lies between Cernobbio and Tremezzo.
Own nearby ›Who can buy in Italy, the taxes and the steps, checked against official sources.
Read the guide ›Where to dine, what to see and how to arrive privately.
Visit ›The finest hotels, tables and journeys in Italy.
Explore ›The setting
Photographs of the surroundings; each caption says exactly what it shows.
Plan your stay
Tell us your dates, who is travelling and what matters most, and we will reply with how to make the most of Passalacqua. Write to [email protected].
Checked 31 October 2026. Awards are listed with the year they were given; rooms, restaurants and seasons can change, so confirm details with the resort. See all the Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean.
Keep exploring
History & culture
The season
Beyond the Mediterranean
To advertise at TheMediterranean.com.
[email protected]
The Mediterranean Season Letter
Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.
We use Google Analytics cookies to see how visitors use the site. Accept them, or decline and the site works just the same. Privacy