By Caroline Tell
Assouline
Welcome to Room with a View, a new series from Culture Lounge that opens the doors to some of the most beautiful hotel rooms around the world. We’re talking about the kind of rooms that make you stop scrolling, zoom in on the details and start planning your next trip. Our first room is the Suite Bellini at Passalacqua, a stunning 2,600 square-feet suite perched above Lake Como.
Passalacqua isn’t simply a hotel—it’s a piece of Italian history. Set in a restored 18th-century villa in the village of Moltrasio, the property reopened in 2022 after a meticulous three-year renovation. The result is a 24-suite estate that’s both grand and deeply personal. Throughout its history, Passalacqua has welcomed big names, like Napoleon, Churchill and Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini, who gives the suite its name.
The Suite Bellini is the largest suite on Lake Como and arguably the most iconic. Inside, it feels like stepping into a perfectly preserved chapter of Italian design history—with a few modern surprises. There’s a neoclassical music room at the heart of the suite where Bellini once composed, now anchored by a jaw-dropping five-meter Murano glass chandelier by Barovier & Toso. Light pours in from tall windows with sweeping lake views. High ceilings, hand-painted frescoes, and ornate moldings meet rich fabrics and thoughtful textures. Nothing feels overly designed—just beautifully put together.
The idea wasn’t to modernize the space, but to bring out its soul. They used antique and family-owned pieces, mixed with custom furniture and updated finishes. Fabrics are from Rubelli and Dedar, including some designed specifically for the hotel. The bed linens are made by Beltrami from a natural birch-derived fiber called fibra di legno. And in the bathrooms, more than 20 types of Italian marble—sourced from Verona and Carrara—add quiet drama.
There’s no copy-paste design here. Every detail, from the silk taffeta curtains made in Como to the mirrored mini-bars hidden behind antique panels, has a story. The suite is luxurious, yes, but it also feels lived-in, meaningful, and warm. Like a home you never want to leave.
