Building an Icon

By Mark Ellwood

It’s official: Passalacqua in Lake Como is the best hotel in the world—at least according to the inaugural World’s 50 Best List last year. It was a proud moment for owner Valentina De Santis, who grew up in a hospitality family, running the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, a Belle Epoque beauty in mid-Lake Como that her parents Paolo and Antonella have been overseeing since 1973.

De Santis, 41, worked as a management consultant for four years after receiving her Master of Science degree in General Management at the University of Milan, but joined the family firm just in time for that hotel’s centenary, in 2010, focusing on its sales and marketing. She had a restless energy, though, and was keen to create her own project to expand the business—and so, the 24-room Passalacqua (which is meant to feel like “a villa” as compared to the 84-room Tremezzo) was developed.

In late 2018, in a private auction, De Santis commandeered three historic buildings in Moltrasio, about 13 miles south of Tremezzo, to create the new property—including a villa from the 1780s, its onetime stables, and a lakeside cottage. Passalacqua has become an icon of the region almost overnight. Its signature whimsical details act as a shorthand for the boho luxury De Santis champions, whether the bright orange Fiat 500 Spiaggina house car or the maximalist poolside, festooned with textiles from J.J. Martin’s Milan-based La Double J. No wonder Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck came here on their honeymoon, and we hear George Clooney sends his houseguests out for a meal or two chez Valentina. Here, De Santis shares the secret of her success, and a few other insider travel tips for navigating her hometown.

What was your first job, and how did it connect to what you do now?
Growing up running along the corridors of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, I probably knew deep down that I would eventually end up in the family business, but it was important for me to strike out on my own in the world of business first. So, I joined the consulting firm Bain & Company. My four years there were such an education—not just because I got to work with Claudia D’Arpizio, a guru in the fashion and luxury world, but because consulting also taught me how to approach each project with an outsider’s perspective and use outside-the-box thinking to solve problems. For example, while creating Passalacqua, we didn’t follow the usual process of developing a hotel concept, which is around the ideal guest you want as a client. Instead, we decided to create the hotel of our dreams.

What hotel would you love to operate, and why?
Il Pellicano. First, because of its very special story—in its early days as a private club, stars like Charlie Chaplin and Sophia Loren wouldn’t go anywhere else. But secondly, it means working side-by- side with CEO and Creative Director Marie-Louise Sciò, who is building so beautifully on its legacy. She’s the second generation there, and is the face of all the Pellicano hotels—and what a face. She’s cool, clever, and super creative.

Where did you last go on vacation, and where did you stay?
My last really great hotel stay was the Maybourne Riviera on the Côte d’Azur, where my husband and I recently spent a memorable weekend away from the kids. The Maybourne Group’s creativity is cutting-edge, their branding uber-cool. The property itself is stunning: sleek architecture perched on a rock overlooking the impossibly blue Monaco bay, with a nearby beach club that is super-stylish.

What hotelier do you admire?
I really admire Mariella and Attilia Avino, the sisters running Palazzo Avino in Ravello, who put a touch of fashion into their family’s palazzo high above the Amalfi Coast. They transformed their hotel into a pink fairytale, and I like the collaboration they did last year with Valentino for their beach club. Carla Pellini, our former director of sales and marketing, is another mentor who really shaped my career. She not only taught me the ABCs of the hotel business and the travel industry; she also showed me how vital it is to love what you do and the people you do it with. She worked with us for more than 10 years, and she taught me how to have confidence: I learned from her how to make other people see my vision for my beloved Grand Hotel Tremezzo.

What’s the toughest request you’ve ever had from a guest?
Once we were asked by a guest, who was planning to propose here, to convince his soon-to-be fiancée to change the color of her fresh green manicure. We had to put together what felt like a show, with every single team member trying to create a situation that would encourage her to change her nails. We managed, and when she finally said yes, on a boat in the middle of the lake, we all celebrated; she had the perfect manicure for her sparkling new ring. Another time, I was on holiday at the seaside with my kids. I got a call at midnight, asking me to find a white horse for the following morning to be part of a photo shoot at a villa at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo. By 8 a.m., there were five horses to choose from at the villa; and once they’d finished shooting, we offered our guests the chance to ride the horses all along the trails in the mountains. It was unforgettable.

How does a hotel owner help define their property?
My main role is to make everyone on the team feel part of our big family—and that starts with me and my parents. Cultivating this family culture is my highest goal—for me, it makes all the difference. Our executive chef worked with us for over 35 years, so he saw me growing up and he was part of each milestone of my life: he cooked for all the special occasions, my birthdays, my wedding, and the christenings of my children. Two years ago, we lost one of our concierges, a young and incredible guy, in a motorbike accident. So, we created a soccer tournament in his honor together with his family, and through it collected money to donate to causes that were close to his heart.

What should every guest always do whenever they stay at a hotel?
I think every guest should ask for a back-of-house tour. You really understand the essence of a property when you go behind the scenes. As hoteliers, we create this wonderful world out front, but most guests have no idea what it takes to make that happen. The kitchen in particular—the heart of any house—tells you so much about a hotel.

Give us your three favorite secret tips or recommendations for the Italian Lakes.
Definitely make time to experience Lake Como from the water. Whether you splurge on a private cruiser or join the locals on the public battello, there is no better way to make sense of the lake. Second, I recommend connecting with nature: my favorite way to do so is to hike to the Church of San Martino just above Tremezzo, a tiny church clinging to the cliff. The views from here are breathtaking, and you really understand the geography from that vantage point, and how the Bellagio peninsula splits the lake in two. And finally, a complete contrast: I suggest sitting at one of the cafés almost hanging out over the water in Bellagio to understand Lake Como as a tourist destination. You see all the people coming and going on the public boats and really feel the bustling vibe of the place.