Five-star Three MICHELIN Keys Moltrasio, Como
Passalacqua
A villa of 1787 on the western shore at Moltrasio, with twenty-four rooms and suites, seven acres of terraced garden and the piano still in the Bellini suite.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- Three Keys, 2026
- Rooms
- 24 rooms and suites in three buildings
- Opened
- June 2022
- From the airport
- About an hour from Malpensa
The hotel
A count's villa, a composer's summer.
The land at Moltrasio once belonged to Pope Innocent XI. In the late eighteenth century the Milanese architect Carlo Felice Soave built the present villa for Count Andrea Lucini-Passalacqua, and in 1787 it was shown off with a torch-lit party in the gardens. The count's heir Alessandro was a patron of Vincenzo Bellini, who stayed here and wrote La Sonnambula. The MICHELIN Guide links Norma to the house too.
The family line ended in 1890 and the villa passed through several owners; Winston Churchill was among the visitors. In 2018 the De Santis family, who own the Grand Hotel Tremezzo further up the shore, bought it. After three years of restoration it opened as a hotel in June 2022. A year later it was named No. 1 in the first edition of The World's 50 Best Hotels.
- The gardens Seven acres of terraces planted with olives, roses, mimosa and magnolia, leading down to the pool terrace.
- The Bellini suite The largest suite, 250 square metres in the main villa, with its own grand piano.
- Open in winter The hotel keeps going after the summer, with fireside lounges, an ice rink and fireworks over the lake at New Year.
Rooms & suites
Twenty-four rooms, three houses.
Twelve rooms are in the villa, eight in the Palazz and four in the Casa al Lago at the water's edge.
- In the villa Junior Suite with Lake View About 70 square metres in the main villa, with a view of the lake.
- Signature suite Suite Bellini 250 square metres, the largest in the house, with a grand piano and a view of the lake.
- By the water Room al Lago with Lake View About 30 square metres in the Casa al Lago, with the lake directly in front.
Dining
Dinner under the frescoes.
Venues as listed by the hotel. Shown for information.
- The restaurant Seasonal Italian Chef Viviana Varese; the terrace or the frescoed Sala Ovale
- La Double J Light Italian lunches The pool bar, in a pavilion by the water
- Bar terrace Aperitivo and light lunches Negroni, spritz and Martini
Recognition
Awards and listings.
- Three MICHELIN Keys 2026
- The World's 50 Best Hotels No. 1, 2023; No. 5, 2026
Good to know
Before you go.
- Season Open in winter as well as summer, with a programme of events through the colder months.
- Next door The Grand Hotel Tremezzo, owned by the same family, is further up the same shore, at Tremezzo.
Getting there
Flying to Como.
Milan Malpensa is about an hour away by car, our estimate, and has a private aviation terminal of its own. For a private jet, Lugano across the Swiss border is closer, at around forty minutes by our estimate. The last stretch along the lake can also be made by boat.
- Geneva 40 min
- Rome 1 h 00
- Paris 1 h 10
- London 1 h 40
- New York 8 h 50 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does Passalacqua have?
- Three, the highest distinction, in the 2026 selection for Italy.
- How many rooms does Passalacqua have?
- Twenty-four: twelve in the villa, eight in the Palazz and four in the Casa al Lago by the water.
- Is Passalacqua open in winter?
- Yes. The hotel stays open after the summer, with an ice rink, fireside lounges and New Year fireworks over the lake.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Como?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Como, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Como
Other hotels worth the trip.
- Villa d'Este Built in 1568 and a hotel since 1873, known for the pool that floats on the lake.
- Grand Hotel Tremezzo Open since 1910, in a park that was once the botanical garden of Villa Carlotta next door.
- Il Sereno A modern building on the eastern shore, with interiors by Patricia Urquiola and vertical gardens by Patrick Blanc.
- Grand Hotel Victoria A nineteenth-century neoclassical hotel on the shore, looking across to Bellagio.
- The Lake Como EDITION A nineteenth-century palazzo on the western shore, new to the Keys in 2026, with a floating pool and its own dock.
- Villa Làrio Eighteen suites in three buildings on the eastern arm, with an infinity pool and a private landing stage.
- Palazzo Albricci Peregrini A handful of rooms in an old family palazzo inside the town walls, marked only by a small sign.
Staying at Passalacqua?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Como, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.