Laqua by the Lake

Laqua by the Lake

On the terrace at Cannavacciuolo by the Lake, Head Chef Gianni Bertone plates a Michelin-starred menu with Lake Orta running gold below, and it is this restaurant, more than the view or the spa, that separates Laqua by the Lake from the other small hotels ringing the water. The property opened in 2021 as part of Cinzia Primatesta and Antonino Cannavacciuolo's Laqua Collection, and the scale reflects that: eighteen rooms, an infinity pool at the Beach Club, a private beach, and a spa set beside a garden that runs down toward the shore. Rooms span a Standard Queen Suite with a lake view and a full double bed, a Penthouse Double with its own terrace and balcony, and a Luxury Room with a soundproofed dining area and air conditioning, though sizes and layouts vary enough between categories that it is worth checking specifics before booking. Free Wi-Fi, 24-hour reception, electric car charging, and wheelchair access run through the property, and pets are allowed. This suits a couple or a small group of friends who want one serious dinner to anchor a lake weekend, who have no need for a conference room or a children's club, and who don't mind that eighteen rooms means the kitchen, not the lobby, sets the pace here. It will feel undersized to anyone chasing a resort built for a week of programmed activity, and the missing room dimensions on several categories mean asking ahead is worth the effort. What it holds that its neighbours on Lake Orta do not is a chef's name on the door and a star behind it, turning a lakeside stay into a reason to travel for the table alone. Eighteen rooms on Lake Orta, anchored by a Michelin-starred restaurant with a terrace over the water. An infinity pool, a private beach, and a spa round it out, but the kitchen is the reason to book. It suits a couple after one serious dinner, not a group chasing resort-scale extras.