Best hotel in the world: Passignano on Lake Como takes the crown.

Hotel Passalacqua on Lake Como in Moltrasio has been ranked first on The World's 50 Best Hotels in 2023 list, based on their structure and services offered. Four other Italian hotels also made the list.

Villa Passalacqua on Lake Como was built on land owned by Pope Innocent XI and was designed in the late 18th century by architects Felice Soave and Giocondo Albertolli. This impressive villa has hosted famous people such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Winston Churchill and the composer Vincenzo Bellini, who made it his home and wrote the operas La Norma and La Sonnambula here.

The hotel was opened in June 2022 by the De Santis family, former owners of the Gran Hotel Tremazzo.

"More than well-deserved congratulations to Passalacqua on its first location, just two years after opening. It is a clear testament to the De Santis family's vision to create this magnificent guest experience with meticulous attention to design details, exquisite hospitality and a special magic that has clearly left a lasting impression on our Academy of expert voters," were the motivations of the jury of 580 experts in the hospitality industry.

Four other Italian hotels also feature in the ranking: the Four Seasons in Florence, Aman in Venice, Borgo Egnazia in Savelletri (Brindisi) and Sirenuse in Positano (Salerno).