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Lake Como villa that once hosted Winston Churchill now a luxury hotel, and Kate Moss and Martha Stewart are fans
- Napoleon was once a guest at Passalacqua in northern Italy; newly renovated, the villa draws the well-heeled and well-known to its lake views and lush gardens
- None of the villa’s 24 luxurious guest suites are alike, and the spacious yet cosy surroundings make it feel more like a private estate than a hotel
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An 18th-century villa on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como that has been restored to its former glory and turned into a 24-suite hotel, Passalacqua is in the sleepy town of Moltrasio. The villa counts luminaries such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Winston Churchill as some of its former guests. Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini also called it home in the early 19th century.
In 2018, the De Santis family, owners of the nearby Grand Hotel Tremezzo, bought the property and began a renovation project that lasted more than three years, and was overseen mainly by the fun and fabulous Valentina De Santis. She and her team pulled off the opening in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Passalacqua couldn’t be more different from its older sibling, which rivals Villa d’Este, in Cernobbio, as Lake Como’s most celebrated hotel. Smaller and cosier, it feels more like a private estate than a hotel. It was operating at full capacity during our stay but we barely saw another guest and were able to roam its beautifully landscaped terraced gardens and common areas in peace.
No people watching, then? Well, we wouldn’t say that. Lake Como has become a celebrity magnet, thanks in no small part to actor George Clooney, who owns a villa in Laglio. Jet-setters are now spied in the area as frequently as they are, say, on the Amalfi Coast and the French Riviera.
It hasn’t taken long for Passalacqua to attract A-listers. During our stay, lifestyle guru Martha Stewart showed up for dinner looking stunning in a printed yellow kaftan. Also, an American couple staying at the hotel revealed that, the previous night, British model Kate Moss had held court at the restaurant until the small hours.
Formerly the fashion editor of the South China Morning Post, Vincenzo La Torre is the chief editor of Style, the South China Morning Post’s luxury monthly publication. Born and raised in Italy, Vincenzo started his career in journalism after graduating from Columbia University in New York, where he studied East Asian Languages and Cultures with a focus on Japanese and Chinese art. He has previously worked for Vogue Japan in Tokyo, Harper's Bazaar in Singapore and Prestige in Hong Kong. Before joining the Post as fashion editor in 2017, Vincenzo was a member of the launch team of Vogue Arabia in Dubai. He covers topics such as jewellery, watches, luxury, beauty, celebrity, entertainment and lifestyle, and has interviewed some of the most influential designers and CEOs in the luxury industry. Vincenzo speaks Italian, French, Japanese and Mandarin, and is a regular at high-profile events such as fashion week in Milan and Paris.
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