Passalacqua.

An 18th-century villa above Lake Como that has, quietly, become the best hotel in Italy.

Overview

Passalacqua is the quiet one. The lake has the flashier hotels — the Grand, the Victoria, the Villa d'Este — but Passalacqua is the one the Italians recommend. Twenty-four rooms, three floors, an outrageous amount of fresco.

Rooms

The top-floor suites are the prize. Book "Bellini" if you can. The ceiling will ruin the rest of your trip.

Dining

The ballroom-turned-restaurant is the obvious one. The terrace, at breakfast, is the quieter pleasure.

Amenities

Indoor pool, outdoor pool, a small spa with two treatment rooms, and a gym that pretends not to be one.

How to book

Direct via the hotel, or through Doorkey — we pass through preferred-partner rates.

What we loved

• 01Fresco ceilings that are the real thing, not a restoration.
• 02The lawn. The view. The indoor pool that is actually heated.
• 03A breakfast that takes service seriously.

What we'd change

• 01There is no lift to the top-floor suites.