A Few Favorites: Destination Hotels!

Lake Como, Italy. Natural beauty, hard to enhance unless you can plop at the brilliant sapphire shore to gaze all day from Passalacqua. A stunning 18th century restored villa, owned and refurbished by the owners of nearby Grand Hotel Tremezzo. Best suites are authentically Italian, enormous and have grand lake views, at this intimate 24 room property. Terraced gardens, created for the Italian art of dolce far niente. Every season is memorable. Mosey through the secret tunnel to the lake to board your classic luxury wooden boat.

Amanzoe, Greece an ultra-luxury hilltop resort located near Porto Heli on the east coast of the Peloponnese in Greece.  Soar by helicopter or take the scenic route by car. No matter how you arrive, you’ll never want to depart! Blending classic Greek architecture with modern design, it features private pavilions and villas with individual swimming pools, a comprehensive wellness spa, and an exclusive beach club. Ancient olive trees line the hillsides, white arcades line personal pools, with 10 exceptional Villas and a private beach club. Scattered with UNESCO-protected ruins, the beach-fringed Peloponnese has been at the heart of Greek culture for millennia. A modern-day Acropolis from which 360-degree views encompass olive groves and the Aegean Sea. Pavilions and villas all offer private pools with stunning views and fragrant gardens, while a flagship Aman Spa pampers guests.

Airelles Chateau de Versailles, Versailles France. The days of paying insane fees for private tours has been eliminated by settling in at the grand Chateau! Private access before and after hours is guaranteed for all guests. A dream for Francophiles and foodies – reserve early, the dreamy 13 rooms are in demand!  Immerse yourself in the heart of French history at Le Grand Contrôle. Experience the royal splendor of the 18th century in this exceptional setting. Summer is lived outdoors. La Table des Jardiniers sets its tables on the terrace, facing the Orangerie, for unhurried lunches.  In the evening, the Bar de la Chapelle extends the day until twilight. Versailles, in summer, no longer needs embellishment; you simply settle in and let the moment linger.

Heckfield Place, Hamshire England. My recent visit, all too short, was a reminder of how much I love this Manor House! An inspired 19th Century estate, Heckfield Place is on the top of my list in countryside lodgings. Albeit close to London, but far enough removed, residing amidst 400 glorious acres of secluded Hampshire grounds. Formal garden terraces and provocatively described ‘pleasure grounds’ truly feel like a private park. The Manor house is brimming with the private art collection of owner Gerald Chan – stop and linger, impressive art in every room and hallway. In addition to the gorgeous rooms, Heckfield Place serves destination-worthy bio-dynamic cuisine made with ingredients grown on its Home Farm. When the sun sets, follow me to the Moon Bar. Nestled in the center of the mansion, inspired by the lunar phases, Moon Bar Cocktails are unique to Heckfield in concept, presentation and most importantly in flavor. Love the cocktail salon, with its glittering diamond ball. Finish up an afternoon walk at the Bothy Spa in the endless pool overlooking a meadow, a quiet haven!

Provence, France Art wonderland at Villa La Coste. An ultra-luxury, art-focused 5-star hotel and suite retreat set within a 200-hectare biodynamic vineyard at Château La Coste in Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, France, roughly a 15-minute drive north of Aix-en-Provence Twenty-eight Villa Suites: Private, modernist-inspired, and light-filled suites featuring large terraces, original art pieces, and expansive valley or vineyard views. Private Plunge Pools: Select high-level suites include private slate plunge pools or gardens. Renowned for its open-Air Museum: Set across 600 acres featuring site-specific installations, pavilions, and architecture by masters like Tadao Ando, Frank Gehry, Louise Bourgeois, Oscar Niemeyer, and Richard Serra.

Dar Ahlam “House of Dreams’ near Skoura, Morocco. A hotel of fables and fanciful experiences. There’s little about this 19th-century Kasbah that won’t leave you wanting to return. Relish a land of adventure near Ouarzazate, the gateway to the Moroccan desert. One of the most luxurious properties in Morocco, on the fringes of the Moroccan desert, shaded by ancient palms. Dar Ahlam features 14 luxury rooms and suites divided between a restored 20th-century kasbah and private garden retreats. We prefer the luxurious discreet garden suites offering ground-level indoor-outdoor living, open fireplaces, spacious en-suite layouts, and private terraces surrounded by nine acres of palm and fruit trees.

Sitting on the edge of the Great Sand Sea, Andere Amellal in the Siwa oasis, Egypt eco lodge offers remote lodging in rooms built of mud and rock salt, with no power, evenings are lit by fragrant beeswax candles and the endless starry desert sky.  A sense of place unlike any other, surf the dunes or effortless float in the spring fed pool amid the rows of olive trees. History surrounds you; this remote oasis attracted such explorers as Alexander the Great and his army.

Photo by Alberto Silliotti

Four Seasons Tamarindo, on the secret coast. The Four Seasons brand is an authority on sniffing out secluded locations and creating a beach paradise, before anyone else discovers a serene warm body of water and a private stretch of sandy beach. Escape to a tucked away nature reserve in Mexico’s Tamarindo, the pristine coastline where verdant jungle meets the Pacific Ocean. This rugged and pristine biosphere-protected swath of coastline in western Mexico, all 157 rooms and 63 suites are an expression of the region, with soaring private infinity pools hanging from your cliffside terrace – endless views of the sea. Recognized as the top resort in Mexico.

Ol Jogi, Kenya. One of our favorite Safari destinations: A private home offers one of the most exclusive accommodation experiences on the African continent. With eleven bedrooms housed within eight cottages, the lodge is devoted to private parties. You also have the entire 58,000-acre Conservancy just for you. Ol Jogi’s home was built and crafted over many decades. It is a design masterpiece with a very unique style. A collection of museum quality artworks, china and silverware create an ambiance atypical of the more common lodge offerings. While the home is luxurious, it is also quite comfortable and relaxing. When you stay, you feel like it’s your own home, and the experience will be very different than what you would find in a commercial lodge. The most valuable treasure of Ol Jogi is the amount of wildlife that resides here. Right in front of the house is a watering hole with a constant flow of wildlife. You could probably never leave the home during your stay and you would still see all the wildlife Ol Jogi has to offer.

One of the most exciting features is an underground tunnel that takes you from inside the house directly to a hide at our watering hole. Imagine being a few feet away from a herd of buffalo, or an endangered black rhino, and being close enough to see the marks on its skin and hear its breath, all while being in complete safety and enjoying your favorite cocktail. And the pool… lush vegetation and flowing water streams surround the pool area, the entire experience, including the game drives, the staff and the food is Over The Top!

Fiji Laucala Island – we love and clients agree with so much to do and a fantasy island environment. Formerly owned by Malcolm Forbes, a nut on seclusion, now being refurbished by founder of Red Bull, closed until 2027. A myriad of activities include diving, a noted 18-hole golf course, hiking, horseback riding on land and in the sea, water sports galore, with a ring of spectacular reefs lining the island, snorkel or diving fans love this property!

The Brando, French Polynesia. Our recent honeymooners soaked in the privacy and luxury of The Brando Island. Just 33 miles from Tahiti, a private plane zips you across the sapphire clear seas. An elegant eco resort, sumptuous villas and a floating tree house couples massage suite high on the palm trees! The Ultimate in Every Way!

It’s a start! Highly Recommend!

When to Visit Lake Como: Seasons at Passalacqua and Tremezzo

Benjamin has stayed and loved; droves of clients approve and Highly Recommend… I ventured to the lake to partake in a dash of Dolce Vita! Repeating my recent suggestion of improving your Italian: among your Italian words and phrases, questo è importante: ‘Il dolce far niente” an Italian phrase and life philosophy, it translates as “the sweetness of doing nothing.”

View from bed, Passalacqua.

Two sister properties on celebrated Lake Como. Passalacqua is unique. Back in the 18th century, it was created as a place of the heart on Lake Como for friends, for love and leisure, for the pleasures of the table and the Italian art of dolce far niente. It is that same place of the heart today. A private Villa, now shared with the world. In sports, it’s called ringside, in theatre it’s orchestra or the stalls, at Passalacqua, the grounds and suites are definitely top tier on the shimmering lake. if there had been an option, I wouldn’t have departed! Seven acres of cultivated gardens, the charm and opulent rooms and suites have been updated with care, sacred grounds originally owned by Pope Innocent XI and later owned by composer Vincenzo Bellini. Prominent figures including Napoleon to Winston Churchill gathered here on the lake, including a bevy of our dear VIP Clients.

The best Season to visit Lake Como? Every season, end of summer is sublime!

Spring, when blossom scents the air and daubs white brushstrokes on green hillsides above cobalt blue water. Summer, when long lazy days merge into magical nights alive with promise. Fall, when the woods are tinged with russet and copper, when fragrant truffles and green-gold olive oil enrich the table. A 5-star hotel on Lake Como with warm, personalized service, Passalacqua is the gateway to a region for all seasons.

Back in the day, they knew that pools made for swimmers could also look stylish. Set on a garden terrace just below the main villa, edged by ancient climbing roses and a magnificent bay tree, la piscina lends itself equally to sporty laps and leisurely dips.

Lake Como – The tiny village with the hidden waterfall. The path meandering through wildflower meadows and cool forests to a medieval church. The little water-side trattoria that’s the insiders’ secret and a few grand hotels.

Grand Hotel Tremezzo To Die for Views!

There are many Palace hotels in Italy, what makes this one so Grand?! Sister property Grand Hotel Tremezzo. The Grand Hotel Tremezzo is housed in an iconic art nouveau villa on the western shores of Lake Como, with views across the crystalline waters towards Bellagio and the sunset-lit Grigne mountain range. Generations of travelers have fallen in love with this legendary hotel’s sumptuous rooms and suites, three pools, lakeside private beach and verdant private park – not to mention its dedication to the warmest hospitality all’italiana.

Each and every room and suite has breathtaking views, and the WOW factor- Water on Water floating pool, where could you find a better lake view? Tremezzo not only has stunning rooms and suites, the off property private Villa with its arabesque gardens, six beautiful suites, and an aristocratic history dating back to the 16th century, Villa Sola Cabiati—reached in minutes from the hotel by car or boat—is our exclusive-booking escape, complete with a private staff to help you live out your Lake Como dream. Old world service, where service is an honored profession, five star amenities. Splendor and Sparkle, lake and dramatic snow capped Alps surround the valley.

An afternoon on the lake can be organized at both hotels, I enjoyed a delightful afternoon spin, Life on the Lake in our typical Five Star Fashion. The lavish property is well-known for its magnificent floating pool, but a better kept secret is the heavenly garden, complete with a tennis court and another pool, shaded by olive, palm and banana trees. Garden aficionado’s note: the famed gardens of Villa Carlotta border the property.

Both hotels are family run by the delightful charming hotelier, Valentina De Santis, send our regards! And now from Assouline, a Love Letter to Lake Como!

Highly Recommend!