Passalacqua — Restaurant in Moltrasio

I just returned from a trip to Italy with my in-laws. I had no roll in planning and was really just going where I was told, so I was oblivious to the hype around the hotel going into it. The other necessary context is that we were also traveling with a 14-month old baby. This meant that for many of the outings I stayed back for nap time with my daughter while my wife went with her family, then when she woke up, we would hang out at the hotel. The hotel itself is stunning. The grounds are gorgeous. However, other hotels are beautiful, and other grounds are beautiful, other locations are beautiful, etc. etc. What sets this hotel apart from anything else I have ever experienced was the staff. They were simultaneously very formal while also being so familiar that I had to remind myself that it is inappropriate to hug them after an interaction. I could say many things about them but I will share a few small anecdotes that perfectly incapsulate the experience.||1. For my daughter's afternoon nap, I would let her sleep on my chest somewhere outside on the grounds. Every time I did some staff member would see me, walk over and whisper to ask if the bambini would like a blanket. |2. After having lunch in the bar several times, the staff all knew her name and my daughter was getting more comfortable with them. While I was having lunch they would call her to walk to them then as she would walk to them they would act like they were going to tickle her and she would run back to me cackling.|3. When the weather took a turn for the worse, the spa manager noticed me walking with my daughter and came over to say, "sir, normally the spa is not for babies, but with this weather, your daughter will need something to do for fun. If you would like to use our indoor pool, just call the spa and I will tell you when it is empty so she can enjoy a swim."|4. At most hotels the housekeeping staff barely makes eye contact with you. here that is not the case. One evening, my daughter was wearing toddle "walking socks" that are sorta like hospital socks for babies, but she wanted to go outside and so her socks were getting wet. One of the housekeeping staff that looked like she was ending her day walked by us, and then without saying anything caught back up to us. She had retrieved a set of baby-sized hotel slippers and stopped to help me put them on my baby girl! I was so touched. When I relayed the story to the hotel manager he said, "as a father, I have goosebumps, and as a hotelier as well. I will relay this to the housekeeping team and they will appreciate it."|5. Lastly, on our last night at the hotel we sat down for a fancy candlelit dinner in the main dining room. A four year old (my niece) was having trouble sitting through dinner, so her mother told her that since she had already eaten enough she would set her up with her tablet to watch a movie in the next room while we finished dinner. When her father went to check on her, he found the hotel manager entertaining her. He had brought out markers and paper and they were coloring together. He was worried that he had inconvenienced the hotel and at first apologized, but the manager said they were fine and to go back and enjoy dinner. He essentially babysat their 4 year old daughter for at least another hour (maybe even 2), while we finished dinner and walked over to the bar for a couple more drinks. They walked over later carrying the art work that they had made together and their daughter was so happy!||These stories do not nearly convey the feeling of welcome that these experiences gave us. Doing a luxury trip with multiple babies and small children is stressful, because so many places are not welcoming of kids, and you end up feeling like a burden. At Passalacqua, we felt so at home. I cannot convey with words how well the staff did. They are a top hotel for a reason and I hope that they get back to number 1 hotel in the world after the experience...

I went to Lake Como with my fiancé for our pre-wedding photoshoot. I am so GRATEFUL we picked Passalacqua.

I messaged them on instagram and asked if we are allowed to take photos inside the hotel because I absolutely love the architecture. They replyed me promptly the next day and said yes without much restrictions, as long as we dont disturb other guests (in a very friendly and welcoming tone). I immediately decided to book Passalacqua!

After the booking was made, I emailed them back and forth about my plan on the arrival day as my schedule was very tight. Reply was always prompt.

On the day of our arrival, we only knew the night before there will be road closures due to the Milan Marathon so we had to leave Milan at 7am. We arrived Passalacqua at around 9am. Upon arrival, all staff were very nice and welcoming. They offered me to do my makeup in their spa room which opens at 10am (if I remember correctly) and asked if we would like breakfast while we wait. Breakfast and restaurant were amazing.

When we returned to Passalacqua after our photoshoot, our suite was ready and luggages were brought to our suite. THIS IS THE BEST SUITE I HAVE EVER STAYED IN! The interior was huge, nicely decorated and attention to details was impeccable! Most comfortable bed we have slept in and beddings were soft like feather! There were three sets of Dyson hairdryers in the bathroom, including airwrap. There were flowers, champagne, snacks and a welcoming note in our suite. Basically everything we need, they have it there.

Later on, I asked if they could help me arrange a courier to send a large bag to HK. This was done swiftly, they replyed with costs and pick-up time as I told them this was urgent. (I stayed at another five star hotel in London which the London hotel failed to make such arrangement.) By this time, I was already very impressed by Passalacqua’s efficiency and professionalism.

On the next day, which was a Sunday, my fiancé’s car had a broken tyre in the middle of the road. I informed the staff immediately and they arranged their car service company to pick-up my fiancé and tow the car within 10 minutes! Thank you Luigi for picking up my fiancé! How efficient was that!

During our stay in Lake Como, we didnt even leave the hotel as we had all we need there! Dinner was delicious! The photos don’t do justice on how beautiful the hotel is! I only wish we could stay longer! The swimming pool, the sauna, the spa, the restaurant, the PEOPLE! Everything was amazing!

Overall, we had a lot of hiccups during our trip but Passalacqua helped us to a stress-free trip! I felt bad for causing so much trouble to the staff but none of them showed a sense of annoyance. They were always happy to help! Especially Alberto, he was very friendly and professional! I was so impressed by Passalacqua that I googled them to see who’s behind this perfect hotel. The suite, interior, exterior, service, food, drinks, facilities, service, anything you name is perfect! Big thank you to Team Passalacqua!

This is by far the best hotel we have ever stayed in and I would like to express my deepest gratitude to their owner and Team Passalacqua for making our trip amazing and memorable! Passalacqua is definitely the...

One of the most beautiful hotels I have ever stayed at in my life. From the moment you enter the property you are greeted with a big smile and feel like you are home, we had some issues during our stay which was mostly caused by a big group of guests who just acted like the hotel was completely theirs ( one of them just entered our room while we were in the bathtub) tip: the rooms have “old” doors which means you need to close them with a key, so it doesn’t automatically close- so please be aware of this. Also during the night they were extremely loud and left their music on which caused we couldn’t sleep ( the side building is quite noisy and you can hear what happens in the next room). The manager handled everything very well and professionally and made sure the rest of our stay was as amazing as he promised it would be, the hotel owner is really lucky with him, he is absolutely a gem and makes a big difference, you also always see him working and doing everything he can for his guests, he works just as hard as everyone else and is genuinely kind. ||The breakfast is really really good, also the lunch is really good ( expensive but good) but tbh we really didn’t liked the dinner, it was extremely expensive and the Chateaubriand was just not good, it was not tender like it should be and for the amount they asked this is unacceptable, also the pasta I ordered still had some hard parts in it so was not al dente. We went to a very nice place close by which is named: Baia di Moltrasio ( walking distance) and it was an absolute 10 and 1/4th of the price they charge you in the hotel.||The spa is absolutely beautiful ( they do are a bit pushy for treatments every time you enter which is a bit annoying). Most of the staff in the hotel is very friendly we did had some encounters with some which weren’t that friendly ( especially in the beginning) when they didn’t knew we were guests yet, after telling them our room number they cooled off, but as I said the manager just makes up for every flaw.||I would definitely recommend to book a suite, it’s just so worth it, the rooms in the side building are very small, if you can afford it treat yourself and you definitely won’t be disappointed, it’s just wonderful. The rooms are extremely clean and the turndown service with a little gift is just amazing, I have OCD and struggle in some hotels, but Passalacqua is just immaculately clean.||We didn’t liked the gym as it’s just too small, as real gym fanatics it just didn’t had the right equipment, the pool area is just wonderful. Overall I wouldn’t stay for more then 2 days as tbh it does gets a bit boring ( especially with bad weather) I also think that the activities they offer are just too pricey ( I know it’s a pricey place and I don’t mind) but they really charge you more then premium for most activities. ||Overall a big YES, don’t think twice and just book, it’s absolutely stunning and they make sure you feel appreciated, butttt there is still room for improvement, if they manage to fix those things then I agree it’s one of the best hotels in the world -...