How this 29-year-old picked the world’s top hotel
Interior design PR and small business entrepreneur Bella Carnegie made an astute call for the family’s annual European summer vacation this year.
When her financier father, Mark Carnegie, called for suggestions as to where he should take Bella and her sisters Matilda and Cosima, the 29-year-old suggested a few nights at Passalacqua on Italy’s Lake Como.
From left, sisters Matilda and Cosima Carnegie at Passalacqua earlier this year. Bella Carnegie
All three Carnegie girls are based in London, making Europe a natural location to catch up with their parents. Bella had seen the 24-room intimate family-owned Passalacqua flooding social media feeds, and loved its colour and vibrancy, not to mention the hotel’s customised orange Fiat 500.
“We are incredibly privileged kids with a dad who loves travelling – we’ve done everything from staying rough in tents on Fraser Island’s beaches to places like The Peninsula Hong Kong,” says Bella. “So I guess dad taught me well. I felt free to choose somewhere pretty nice!”
The hotel only re-opened in June 2022, following an extensive three-year renovation under its owners, the local De Santis family, who own the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, also on Lake Como. The building’s history dates to 1787 when a local nobleman, Count Passalacqua, acquired the villa.
“I’d seen Passalacqua on Instagram – brands like La DoubleJ hosting homeware launches. You see the pool, the little orange Fiat, the hotel’s gorgeous gardens,” Bella says.
“I binged season two of White Lotus, shot in Sicily, but thought, ‘No, I want to see the absurdly beautiful Lake Como’.”
Cosima, Bella, Mark and Matilda Carnegie taking in the sights of Lake Como from Passalacqua’s terrace.
Only weeks after the Carnegies’ stay, Passalacqua was crowned atop the inaugural World’s 50 Best Hotels list in London on September 19. It was judged by the 50 Best brand, which also does the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
“I was a little surprised that of every luxury hotel in the world, they rated it number one – but then again, not really surprised having been there,” says Bella.
“It was one of those places where everyone had a great time. When I asked dad if we could go back next year, he replied: ‘Yes, but you better take another job, so you can at least buy a round of drinks.’”
The restored heritage villa has three places to stay: the Villa, the Palazz, the Casa al Lago, and each of the hotel’s suites is a unique design. Prices for a double room start at around €1,210 ($2021) a night.
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