Quick Take
Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Passalacqua are both owned by the De Santis family, though each hotel has its own personality.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo is a grand, historic lakefront hotel built in 1910, known for its floating pool that sits directly on Lake Como.
Passalacqua is a smaller, more private 18th-century villa that opened in 2022 and was named the World's Best Hotel in 2023.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo suits travelers who want a classic resort feel with pools, a beach, and full hotel amenities.
Passalacqua suits travelers who want the feel of staying in someone's (extraordinary) private home.
Both hotels close for a short winter break each year, so shoulder-season and summer travel is best.
Lake Como has no shortage of beautiful hotels, but only two of them share a bloodline. If you’ve ever looked into Lake Como, there's a big chance you've heard about Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Passalacqua.
Two of Lake Como’s most celebrated luxury hotels belong to the De Santis family, yet they offer two very different versions of life on the lake.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo is grand, glamorous and full of energy: three pools, a private beach, multiple restaurants, beautiful gardens and a prime position for exploring the heart of Lake Como.
Passalacqua is smaller, quieter and more intimate. With only 24 rooms set inside a historic private estate, it feels more like staying in an extraordinary Italian villa than checking into a traditional hotel.
For luxury travelers trying to decide where to spend their nights on Lake Como, or whether to split a trip between the two, here are the things that set them apart.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo: The Grand Dame of the Lake
Grand Hotel Tremezzo is the one that really gives travelers that classic Lake Como experience.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo opened in 1910, and it's much bigger than Passalacqua because it was originally built as a hotel.
It sits in Tremezzina, on the western shore, looking directly across the water at Bellagio, with the Grigne mountains as a backdrop. The De Santis family has owned and run it for more than five decades, and the annual winter closure and careful upkeep show in how well the property has aged.
This is the property most people picture when they think of a grand Lake Como hotel: roughly 90 rooms and suites, multiple restaurants and bars, a private sandy beach, and three separate pools. That includes its most famous feature, the WOW pool (Water-On-Water), a floating pool set right on the surface of the lake itself (and it’s one of those things that really is as fun as it looks). There's also a garden pool tucked among the flowers and an infinity pool at the spa.
The suites have that old-world Lake Como glamour, but with plenty of modern touches. The Rooftop Corner Suites have private terraces, lake-view whirlpools and butler service. Suite Emilia is inside the 18th-century Villa Emilia, which also houses the T Spa, and has a marble bathroom with a steam bath and double rain shower.
There’s dinner at La Terrazza, a tennis court, jogging paths and motorboats available to rent for exploring the lake on a guest’s own schedule.
For families, larger groups or travelers who like having plenty of options, that can be a big advantage. There’s no need to build every day around leaving the hotel. A pool morning can turn into a boat afternoon, followed by the spa and dinner without going very far.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo is a short walk from Villa Carlotta and its botanical gardens, and about an hour's drive from Milan Malpensa Airport.
Best for: Travelers and families who want a true resort experience on the lake itself, with room to spread out and plenty to do without leaving the property.
Passalacqua: One Of The World's Most Talked-About Villa
Passalacqua's story starts long before it was a hotel.
The 18th-century villa was commissioned by Count Andrea Lucini Passalacqua as a private residence. In 2018, the De Santis family bought the property and spent three years restoring it under the direction of Valentina De Santis, before opening it to guests in June 2022.
The results speak for themselves. In 2023, Passalacqua was named The World's Best Hotel at the very first World's 50 Best Hotels awards, a rare win for a small, family-owned property up against major global brands.
Part of what makes it special is its size:There are just 24 rooms and suites, spread across three buildings. The main Villa holds the bulk of the rooms, the Palazz, once the estate’s stables, adds eight more, and Casa al Lago sits closest to the water with four rooms of its own.
Then there are the seven acres of terraced gardens, planted with centuries-old cedars and magnolias, that lead down toward the pool and private dock. Old tunnels running beneath the villa, originally built in the 1700s, now lead guests to the spa. The gym is tucked into an olive grove, there’s a clay tennis court and a bocce court, and an in-house florist cuts fresh blooms from the garden every day.
Where Grand Hotel Tremezzo is built around the lake itself, Passalacqua is built around the feeling of staying somewhere private. There's no long list of hotel amenities to work through, just a small team focused on one thing: making guests feel like the villa is theirs for the stay.
Passalacqua sits in Moltrasio, also on the western shore, close to Villa d'Este and about 45 minutes to an hour from Milan Malpensa Airport.
Best for: Couples, honeymooners, and small groups who want the most private, residence-like luxury experience on the lake, and who don't mind a smaller property with fewer public spaces.
How to Choose Between Them
Both hotels share the same standard of service and an amazing stay at both properties is guaranteed. What sets them apart is how each traveler wants to spend their days on the lake.
For travelers who want to swim in the lake, spend afternoons on a private beach, have restaurants and bars to choose from and plenty happening around the property, Grand Hotel Tremezzo is the better fit. Its size also makes it a natural choice for families or larger groups traveling together.
Passalacqua is a different story.
Travelers looking for the quietest, most exclusive version of Lake Como will likely lean toward Passalacqua. Its small scale and residence feel make it especially suited to couples and honeymoons, though it's just as capable of hosting a family looking for a private villa escape.
And then there are the travelers who look at both and think, why choose?
Some travelers book a few nights at each, and that can actually be a great way to experience Lake Como. Grand Hotel Tremezzo brings the resort energy, the pools, the beach and all the activity around the lake. Passalacqua brings the quieter, more intimate side of the experience.
It gives travelers a little bit of both, which can be especially nice on a longer Lake Como stay.
Both properties keep a short winter closure, generally from early January into March, so travel is best planned for spring through fall, with September and early October offering some of the calmest, most pleasant weather on the lake.
Planning Your Lake Como Stay
We can help you arrange stays at both Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Passalacqua. And Lake Como doesn’t have to be the whole trip. At KJ Travel, we regularly build multi-stop itineraries throughout Italy and Europe, connecting a stay on the lake with other destinations, hotels and experiences that make sense for the overall trip.
Ready to experience these properties first hand? Contact a KJ Travel advisor and start planning your Lake Como getaway today!
FAQs: Grand Hotel Tremezzo vs. Passalacqua
Which is more private: Grand Hotel Tremezzo or Passalacqua?
Passalacqua is the more intimate choice. It has only 24 rooms across a private seven-acre estate, compared with Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s 77 rooms and much larger resort setup.
Which is better for a honeymoon?
Passalacqua is particularly suited to honeymooners who want privacy, romantic surroundings and plenty of unstructured time together. Grand Hotel Tremezzo is a better match for couples who prefer a livelier atmosphere with several restaurants, pools and activities.
Which is better for families?
Both hotels can accommodate families. Grand Hotel Tremezzo offers more traditional resort infrastructure and room categories such as the Terrace Garden Suite, which sleeps two adults and two children. At Passalacqua, select rooms interconnect, including Casa al Lago accommodations that can create a two-bedroom family setup.
Which hotel is better for a first visit to Lake Como?
Grand Hotel Tremezzo is especially convenient for a first trip because of its position in the central lake area. Bellagio is approximately 10 minutes away by boat and Varenna about 15 minutes, making it easy to combine hotel time with sightseeing.
Do both hotels offer boats on Lake Como?
Yes. Both properties offer access to Lake Como by private jetty and operate boat experiences. Grand Hotel Tremezzo offers lake excursions from its jetty, while Passalacqua has a fleet that includes vintage and modern launches.