From Lake Como to the Dolomites: North Italy's best hotels for nature, nosh and nonchalance
Few hotels can make one fall in love at first sight. To encounter three in a row is a rare strike.
I had a taste of living la villeggiatura, annual countryside retreats taken by fancy families with brood and buddies in tow, through three hotels in North Italy. From the misty shores of Lake Como to the magnificent peaks of the Dolomites, it was one of those trips where warm hospitality and glorious scenery left a poignant ache in the heart.
PASSALACQUA
As our car passed through the wrought-iron gates of Passalacqua, another world beckoned – lush gardens and fountains veiled in autumn mist and petrichor, an autumnal air lightly perfumed by rose bushes, ancient cypresses and towering cedars.
Passalacqua topped the inaugural World's Best Hotels list in 2023 and was runner-up the following year. I had weighty expectations but there was only one night (the 24 suites are, unsurprisingly, often fully booked) to make an impression.
It was more than enough.
The 18th century villa, first built by Lake Como nobility Count Andrea Lucini-Passalacqua, was acquired in 2018 by Valentina de Santis and her parents. The family were Como natives who owned another lakeside landmark, the 114-year-old Grand Hotel Tremezzo.
After a three-year restoration, Passalacqua opened in June 2022 with three buildings: the original villa, the country manor-style Palazz building and the lakeside Casa al Lago, which is available for exclusive buyouts.
The old-world charm of restored frescoes, grand marble staircases and crystal chandeliers were captivating, and the modern upgrades, uncontrived. A new heated pool was carved out of the subterranean spa, offering comfortable swims in the cold seasons, and a former greenhouse was transformed into a colourful all-day summer bar next to an inviting pool flanked by loungers and parasols in white and green.
My blushing pink Isoletta Suite whispered princess chic in its brocaded headboard, sculptural crystal lamps and leather-clad accessories. The spacious bathroom, with a rolled-rim pedestal bathtub and shower stall big enough for two, was lined with Fior di Pesco marble, a common material in Roman palaces and aristocratic Medici villas.
I often forgot I was in a hotel. A back door led to the Moltrasio village, where I picked up dried pasta and olive oil as souvenirs. We could traipse into the kitchen anytime. Its islands were filled with fresh bakes in the morning, an aroma that wafted up the staircase and into the rooms.
A tray of sliced cakes appeared in the library at teatime, sitting so nonchalantly on a side table that I thought it was a prop. Executive chef Viviana Varese's cooking had the warm embrace of home, only more finessed, in dishes such as a juicy and tender bone-in Veal Milanese with a crispy crust and a Bellini-style macaroni timbale with 24-hour cooked meat ragu. The wines were mainly Italian, a roll call of international labels and producers within a two-hour radius.
With a packed schedule, a night cap looked impossible. But you know what they say about intuitive hotel staff, they just know. Bartender Alex suggested a cocktail as we were gathering at the bar before our departure, saying the magic words: 'Espresso martini?' The hotel's accolades are well deserved.
GRAND HOTEL TREMEZZO
Grand Hotel Tremezzo has a completely different vibe from its sibling. Located a half-hour drive from Passalacqua, the classic Art Deco building is a party-loving Wes Anderson film cut-out with lively orange pops.
And party we did among the 84-room hotel's culinary offerings. We flitted from a breakfast buffet spread that filled a ballroom to delicious fried seafood and sashimi at Giacomo al Lago, the lakeside terrace next to the hotel's much-photographed outdoor swimming pool (there is no such thing as too much water when you're in Como).
There was drama. At the L'Escale Trattoria & Wine Bar, the cacio e pepe was prepared tableside in a flaming cheese wheel, no less. Bragging rights were also delivered – at Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi, the only restaurant in the world that serves the signature dishes of the late chef Gualtiero Marchesi, revered as the founder of Italian nouvelle cuisine, his famous saffron rice topped with a gold leaf square came with authentication certificate number 118,500.
For the next two days, life was a dreamy Italian movie, complete with accordion music in the background.
We visited the magnificent next-door Villa Carlotta, an art museum with gorgeous gardens. We took a leisurely boat ride around Lake Como, complete with glasses of champagne, and stopped by the famous Villa del Balbianello, the setting of celebrity weddings and famous scenes in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Casino Royale.
The well-preserved villa had a colourful history, including being a political and literary meeting ground and the home of Italy's first expedition team leader to Mount Everest. Don't skip Bellagio even though it is one of the most touristy towns in Lake Como. Have a seafood lunch at Ristorante La Punta, then stroll outside to the island's northernmost lookout point where you will see the lake split into two bodies of water.
Back at the hotel, it was more quiet walks and a soothing massage at the spa followed by a swim in the indoor heated pool with lake-facing loungers. The weather may have been moody, but our mood sure wasn't.
FORESTIS
From Grand Hotel Tremezzo, it was a five-hour drive to Forestis in Brixen. The long journey was fortunately livened up by a quick lunch and supermarket spree at an Autogrill rest stop, where we snapped up chocolates, biscuits and even dried porcini mushrooms at fabulously discounted prices.
Forestis took our breath away at first sight, and it was not because of its location 1,800m above sea level in the South Tyrolean Alps.
Originally a health retreat built by Austrian royals in 1912, Forestis was an abandoned shell when it was re-discovered then purchased by South Tyrolean hotelier Alois Hinteregger on one of his mountain ambles.
Forestis was launched in 2022 with the addition of three tree-like towers to the original building – all linked by a glass tunnel. Two towers are topped by double-storey Penthouse Suites, each with an outdoor swimming pool and spruce wood sauna. Groups of up to 10 can exclusively book the new five-bedroom villa, a renovated alpine-Art Nouveau building with a stone cellar, loggias, and a top-floor home cinema and lounge under original rafters dating back to 1911.
At the balcony of my Tower Suite, the mountain air was crisp and bracing with the Dolomites peaks and Puez-Geisler Nature Park sprawled before me in their full glory. In fact, all 62 suites and the hotel's sole terraced restaurant were angled to have these magnificent views with neutral palettes and clean lines. My suite's flooring was made of beeswax-treated Dolomites' stone while the walls and ceilings, which were crafted from untreated spruce, emitted a subtle scent.
Nature's abundance was brought to our dining tables and then some. We tucked into aperitifs of hay-infused gin and blue cheese martini and dishes like risotto cooked with pine butter and pickled pinecones and vegan ravioli stuffed with mushrooms and fresh nettle. Breakfast was a sumptuous spread of pastries, DIY juices, mountain cheeses and more, with options for all kinds of dietary restrictions.
At the spa, I had a welcome drink of stone pine syrup, followed by a strengthening Vital Field massage to knead out all my knots with pine essential oil. The whole treatment was bookended with spritzes of pine spray that left me smelling like a forest myself.
We spent a pleasant morning in culture-laden Brixen, the oldest town in the Tyrol region and a 20-minute car ride away. We strolled through the old town, paused reflectively in the Baroque-style Cathederal of Bressanone and had lunch under sunshine in Brix01, a modern restaurant in a park.
The highlight was a pasta-making class with Francesco who, at 24 years old, was already an eight-year veteran at the craft. We rolled, pinched and wrapped a variety of pastas from stuffed tortellinis to classic raviolis del Plin filled with braised meat.
As Francesco swirled and stirred our handiwork in sizzling sauces and we ate it to blue-sky-and-pine-tree views while chatting with the enthusiastic young man, that poignant ache I've constantly felt throughout the trip returned. By then I've learnt that it is okay –the dream was ending but I had lived fully in every moment.
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From Lake Como to the Dolomites: North Italy's best hotels for nature, nosh and nonchalance
Few hotels can make one fall in love at first sight. To encounter three in a row is a rare strike. I had a taste of living la villeggiatura, annual countryside retreats taken by fancy families with brood and buddies in tow, through three hotels in North Italy. From the misty shores of Lake Como to the magnificent peaks of the Dolomites, it was one of those trips where warm hospitality and glorious scenery left a poignant ache in the heart. PASSALACQUA As our car passed through the wrought-iron gates of Passalacqua, another world beckoned – lush gardens and fountains veiled in autumn mist and petrichor, an autumnal air lightly perfumed by rose bushes, ancient cypresses and towering cedars. Passalacqua topped the inaugural World's Best Hotels list in 2023 and was runner-up the following year. I had weighty expectations but there was only one night (the 24 suites are, unsurprisingly, often fully booked) to make an impression. It was more than enough. The 18th century villa, first built by Lake Como nobility Count Andrea Lucini-Passalacqua, was acquired in 2018 by Valentina de Santis and her parents. The family were Como natives who owned another lakeside landmark, the 114-year-old Grand Hotel Tremezzo. After a three-year restoration, Passalacqua opened in June 2022 with three buildings: the original villa, the country manor-style Palazz building and the lakeside Casa al Lago, which is available for exclusive buyouts. The old-world charm of restored frescoes, grand marble staircases and crystal chandeliers were captivating, and the modern upgrades, uncontrived. A new heated pool was carved out of the subterranean spa, offering comfortable swims in the cold seasons, and a former greenhouse was transformed into a colourful all-day summer bar next to an inviting pool flanked by loungers and parasols in white and green. My blushing pink Isoletta Suite whispered princess chic in its brocaded headboard, sculptural crystal lamps and leather-clad accessories. The spacious bathroom, with a rolled-rim pedestal bathtub and shower stall big enough for two, was lined with Fior di Pesco marble, a common material in Roman palaces and aristocratic Medici villas. I often forgot I was in a hotel. A back door led to the Moltrasio village, where I picked up dried pasta and olive oil as souvenirs. We could traipse into the kitchen anytime. Its islands were filled with fresh bakes in the morning, an aroma that wafted up the staircase and into the rooms. A tray of sliced cakes appeared in the library at teatime, sitting so nonchalantly on a side table that I thought it was a prop. Executive chef Viviana Varese's cooking had the warm embrace of home, only more finessed, in dishes such as a juicy and tender bone-in Veal Milanese with a crispy crust and a Bellini-style macaroni timbale with 24-hour cooked meat ragu. The wines were mainly Italian, a roll call of international labels and producers within a two-hour radius. With a packed schedule, a night cap looked impossible. But you know what they say about intuitive hotel staff, they just know. Bartender Alex suggested a cocktail as we were gathering at the bar before our departure, saying the magic words: 'Espresso martini?' The hotel's accolades are well deserved. GRAND HOTEL TREMEZZO Grand Hotel Tremezzo has a completely different vibe from its sibling. Located a half-hour drive from Passalacqua, the classic Art Deco building is a party-loving Wes Anderson film cut-out with lively orange pops. And party we did among the 84-room hotel's culinary offerings. We flitted from a breakfast buffet spread that filled a ballroom to delicious fried seafood and sashimi at Giacomo al Lago, the lakeside terrace next to the hotel's much-photographed outdoor swimming pool (there is no such thing as too much water when you're in Como). There was drama. At the L'Escale Trattoria & Wine Bar, the cacio e pepe was prepared tableside in a flaming cheese wheel, no less. Bragging rights were also delivered – at Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi, the only restaurant in the world that serves the signature dishes of the late chef Gualtiero Marchesi, revered as the founder of Italian nouvelle cuisine, his famous saffron rice topped with a gold leaf square came with authentication certificate number 118,500. For the next two days, life was a dreamy Italian movie, complete with accordion music in the background. We visited the magnificent next-door Villa Carlotta, an art museum with gorgeous gardens. We took a leisurely boat ride around Lake Como, complete with glasses of champagne, and stopped by the famous Villa del Balbianello, the setting of celebrity weddings and famous scenes in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Casino Royale. The well-preserved villa had a colourful history, including being a political and literary meeting ground and the home of Italy's first expedition team leader to Mount Everest. Don't skip Bellagio even though it is one of the most touristy towns in Lake Como. Have a seafood lunch at Ristorante La Punta, then stroll outside to the island's northernmost lookout point where you will see the lake split into two bodies of water. Back at the hotel, it was more quiet walks and a soothing massage at the spa followed by a swim in the indoor heated pool with lake-facing loungers. The weather may have been moody, but our mood sure wasn't. FORESTIS From Grand Hotel Tremezzo, it was a five-hour drive to Forestis in Brixen. The long journey was fortunately livened up by a quick lunch and supermarket spree at an Autogrill rest stop, where we snapped up chocolates, biscuits and even dried porcini mushrooms at fabulously discounted prices. Forestis took our breath away at first sight, and it was not because of its location 1,800m above sea level in the South Tyrolean Alps. Originally a health retreat built by Austrian royals in 1912, Forestis was an abandoned shell when it was re-discovered then purchased by South Tyrolean hotelier Alois Hinteregger on one of his mountain ambles. Forestis was launched in 2022 with the addition of three tree-like towers to the original building – all linked by a glass tunnel. Two towers are topped by double-storey Penthouse Suites, each with an outdoor swimming pool and spruce wood sauna. Groups of up to 10 can exclusively book the new five-bedroom villa, a renovated alpine-Art Nouveau building with a stone cellar, loggias, and a top-floor home cinema and lounge under original rafters dating back to 1911. At the balcony of my Tower Suite, the mountain air was crisp and bracing with the Dolomites peaks and Puez-Geisler Nature Park sprawled before me in their full glory. In fact, all 62 suites and the hotel's sole terraced restaurant were angled to have these magnificent views with neutral palettes and clean lines. My suite's flooring was made of beeswax-treated Dolomites' stone while the walls and ceilings, which were crafted from untreated spruce, emitted a subtle scent. Nature's abundance was brought to our dining tables and then some. We tucked into aperitifs of hay-infused gin and blue cheese martini and dishes like risotto cooked with pine butter and pickled pinecones and vegan ravioli stuffed with mushrooms and fresh nettle. Breakfast was a sumptuous spread of pastries, DIY juices, mountain cheeses and more, with options for all kinds of dietary restrictions. At the spa, I had a welcome drink of stone pine syrup, followed by a strengthening Vital Field massage to knead out all my knots with pine essential oil. The whole treatment was bookended with spritzes of pine spray that left me smelling like a forest myself. We spent a pleasant morning in culture-laden Brixen, the oldest town in the Tyrol region and a 20-minute car ride away. We strolled through the old town, paused reflectively in the Baroque-style Cathederal of Bressanone and had lunch under sunshine in Brix01, a modern restaurant in a park. The highlight was a pasta-making class with Francesco who, at 24 years old, was already an eight-year veteran at the craft. We rolled, pinched and wrapped a variety of pastas from stuffed tortellinis to classic raviolis del Plin filled with braised meat. As Francesco swirled and stirred our handiwork in sizzling sauces and we ate it to blue-sky-and-pine-tree views while chatting with the enthusiastic young man, that poignant ache I've constantly felt throughout the trip returned. By then I've learnt that it is okay –the dream was ending but I had lived fully in every moment.
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