I stayed at this luxury resort on Lake Orta, a lake often overlooked by the crowds of tourists who flock to Lake Como, but which I highly recommend visiting.
Lake Orta is located in Piedmont, about 100 km from Milan and 45 km from MXP airport. It’s the westernmost lake in what is commonly referred to, in Italy, as the “Lake Region,” an area that stretches from Lake Garda in the east to Lake Orta in the west, including Lakes Iseo, Como, Varese, Ceresio, and Maggiore, as well as countless smaller alpine and pre-alpine lakes.
The main town on Lake Orta is the charming village of Orta San Giulio, located about 3 km from the hotel, while the main tourist attraction is the island of San Giulio, right in the center of the lake.
HOTEL
LAQUA by the Lake is located in Pettenasco. It’s a luxury resort with only 18 rooms and suites, awarded a Michelin Key, and its restaurant,
Canavacciuolo by the Lake, recently earned a Michelin star. The hotel is part of a small collection of luxury resorts across Italy called the LAQUA Collection (
laquacollection.it/ ) , created by renowned Italian chef Antonino Canavacciuolo, who also owns the famous 3 Michelin stars restaurant and hotel Villa Crespi nearby (
villacrespi.it/ ).
Although there is a train station in Pettenasco (on the hill, about 300 meters from the hotel), getting there from Milan is a bit complicated and requires a train change in Novara and at least 1 hour and 45 minutes of travel. In my opinion, the best way to reach the hotel is by car, especially for those arriving at MXP airport, where rental cars are available. Hotel parking is free.
I believe this hotel is ideal for treating yourself to one or two days of total relaxation—by the pool, on the hotel’s small sandy beach, renting mountain bikes or the hotel’s electric boat, or taking short excursions in the area.
BOOKING
There are three options for booking this hotel:
- WOH website
- Mr & Mrs Smith website (mrandmrssmith.com/ )
- Hotel website (laquabythelake.it )
Depending on the option you choose, prices can vary significantly—by as much as €300–400 at the moment—so I recommend comparing prices before booking. From my experience in this case, also confirmed by previous reviews for other hotels, booking through Hyatt is more expensive, booking through M&MS a little less, while booking directly is less expensive.
Since I’m only a base level WOH member, I booked directly through the hotel’s website, paying €275 for a suite (basic room price was around 230 euros) and giving up the few points I would have earned, as the same room on the WOH site was twice the price. Breakfast is included (at least for bookings made through the hotel’s website).
ROOM
I booked a Classic Suite with a balcony, which was more than enough for my needs, especially since you can enjoy lake views from the pool or the small beach. The suite includes a fully equipped kitchen, and complete cooking kits are available for purchase. I personally found this unnecessary—having a Michelin-starred restaurant on-site makes cooking in the suite feel redundant—but I imagine it could be useful for families.
I didn’t take photos of the suite, but you can find plenty on the hotel’s website linked above.
RESTAURANT
The hotel’s restaurant has one Michelin star, so the high quality is guaranteed. It’s led by head chef Gianni Bertone. I visited both for an aperitivo while watching the sunset over the lake—which I highly recommend—and for dinner afterward.
Since it was a Monday, chef Antonino Canavacciuolo himself (of the 3-star Michelin restaurant) was dining at the table next to mine with his family, as his restaurant is closed that day.
For those looking for the ultimate experience, hotel guests have booking priority at the 3-star Villa Crespi restaurant.
BREAKFAST
Absolutely top-notch, far from the standardized breakfasts of hotel chains. Naturally, it’s an Italian-style breakfast, with a variety of sweet and savory options from Campania, the chef’s home region, but I’m confident it will appeal to international guests as well, not just Italians. Large buffet (see pictures) and several hot made to order options, plus real coffee, real capuccino and real orange juice.
THINGS TO DO
I chose this hotel to fully unwind by the pool, with only one outing to San Giulio Island. From the village of Pettenasco, there are also public boat services to Orta and the island.
San Giulio Island. You can reach it with frequent small boat service from Orta Village (5 euros return trip) or public boat service from Orta or Pettenasco.
For the more adventurous, I recommend a drive to Mottarone, a mountain nearly 1,500 meters high and just 30 minutes away by car, offering stunning views over Lake Maggiore.