La dolce villa | The Star

LAST September, the inaugural World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023 awards unveiled its highly anticipated rankings, giving recognition to the best of the best in luxury travel around the globe.

A formidable class of international hospitality brand properties and globally renowned resorts emerged on the list, but sailing past all of them to the number one spot was a 24-room, family-owned villa on Lake Como, which has only been open for less than two years.

Located in the charming village of Moltrasio, Passalacqua is a sumptuous lakeside retreat encompassing an 18th-century aristocrat mansion, perched among seven acres of lush green gardens with eight scenic terraces spilling down to the famed Italian lake.

Despite being a new hotel, the property has long captivated and inspired prominent and influential figures. Built as a private home for Count Andrea Lucini-Passalacqua in the late 1700s, its gates have welcomed visitors like Napoleon Bonaparte, Winston Churchill and Vincenzo Bellini.

In 2018, the De Santis family — owners of the legendary Grand Hotel Tremezzo and true Lake Como locals — acquired Villa Passalacqua. Embarking on a three-year restoration project, they sought to return the splendour and warmth of the historic residence, pouring over every detail with great respect and care.

Within its 24 rooms and suites are exquisite expressions of Italian craftsmanship, from magnificent Murano chandeliers and Venetian silk ceiling lamps, to prints, artworks and rare antiques sourced from all over the country.

Beyond the opulent swimming pool, glamorous private lake pier and idyllic gardens, guests at the villa are invited to indulge their appetites throughout its many dining spaces, engage in activities like a farm-to-table tasting or cooking sessions, or visit the all-day open kitchen, now helmed by acclaimed chef Viviana Varese.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of Passalacqua is its wellness spa, which connects to a secret 18th century underground tunnel passageway housing its sauna and steam bath. The newest addition is its indoor pool, paved in aqua-hued stones and tucked into a former greenhouse that opens to the property’s verdant gardens.

With the summer season dawning and sun-soaked travels on everyone’s mind, we speak to Valentina De Santis, third-generation hotelier and Passalacqua’s CEO and owner, about designing the world’s best hotel, the lost art of ‘villeggiatura’, and how to craft an unforgettable stay.

What was the vision in the design of Passalacqua?

The first time I stepped foot on the property, my heart started racing. I couldn’t believe it was real! That experience really shaped my vision for Passalacqua. I wanted guests to have the same feeling when they arrive: Giddy excitement paired with absolute tranquillity, the sense of being in a place of wonder that somehow makes you feel at home as well.

Of course, there would be a lot of hard work between that first visit and our grand opening — a three-year labour of love shared with my immediate family as well as countless artisans, local family businesses and dedicated staff. Our guiding principle was always to create a real sense of place, a celebration of our Lake Como heritage and Italian craftsmanship.

It was inspiring to see the hotel awarded World’s Best Hotel last year. What would you attribute to this success?

I think it all comes down to passion and family in the end. As the third generation of my family leading our hospitality business, I aspire every day to honour the legacy of my parents and my grandparents before them.

Passalacqua feels like the culmination of that legacy in a lot of ways. This project has allowed me to capitalise on everything I learned from generations past — to cherish our properties and the extended family of our staff, to never rest on my laurels and always try to raise the bar, to give something back to the region that has given us so much, and to channel all my passion into what I do and the people I do it for.

For my family, hospitality has always been about more than just opening our home; it’s also about opening our hearts to the guests. I believe they can feel that the moment when they walk through the door.

Why was it important to highlight and honour the history of the property?

When a historic property changes hands on Lake Como, it tends to pass from Italian families to buyers from abroad. This time it was actually an Italian family from Como, my family, who purchased Passalacqua ‘back’ from its American owner.

In what felt almost like a sacred calling, we wanted to do justice to our heritage and restore the villa to its former glory. To make it once again an elegant retreat, which illustrious guests are invited to treat as their own. And I don’t believe that honouring the past means making the place solemn and boring and formal; it’s our job to revive the celebratory spirit guests felt in the villa’s heyday and make it just as joyful for a new generation.

With the hotel now open for the 2024 season, what are the new offerings you’re most excited about?

Probably the biggest news this season is the arrival of our new chef, Viviana Varese. With a Michelin star and a couple of TV shows under her belt, Viviana is a household name in Italy. She has cooked with luminaries such as Gualtiero Marchesi and worked closely with Oscar Farinetti in the Eataly universe, including her first Michelin-star restaurant Alice (now VIVA) in Milan.

Viviana believes, like we do, that food culture in Italy is as much about cooking as it is about convivialità, a ritual meant to be shared, and her philosophy of tradition elevated with innovation is the perfect fit for Passalacqua. I cannot wait for our guests to meet her!

How would you describe villeggiatura, and how can guests embrace this spirit at Passalacqua?

Villeggiatura is a lost art of travel, the age-old practice of leaving the city behind and spending the summer in a country manor or a lakeside estate like our own. An anachronism in our fast-paced times, villeggiatura is all about slowing down to enjoy nature’s beauty and life’s simple pleasures, indulging in the sweet idleness Italians call dolce far niente.

This is why it is so perfect for Passalacqua, where you can do as much or as little as you like. Cruise on the lake, lounge by the pool, knead pasta with Viviana — or stop doing and just be, with the lake breeze on your skin.

What would you say makes an unforgettable hotel stay?

First and foremost, it has to be a sense of place — the very thing we have worked so hard to create at Passalacqua.

This is not an exact science, of course, but you know it when you see it: A combination of local flair, the owners’ personal style and unexpected details that will stay with you after you leave. When I visit other hotels, I am forever looking for signs of what creates a sense of place.

Then there are personal details that stand out, like fresh-picked flowers in your room, or a staff member who remembers your name or your favourite drink. You can have the most beautiful location and the most beautiful rooms, but it is the people that really make a hotel.

“For my family, hospitality has always been about more than just opening our home; it’s also about opening our hearts to the guests. I believe they can feel that the moment when they walk through the door.”

This article first appeared in Star Biz7 weekly edition.