"When I visited in May, I was heading for arguably the dreamiest corner of this famously dreamed-about locale: the grand hotel of Passalacqua, nestled below the rambling town of Moltrasina. Despite only opening its doors in the summer of 2022—and being ranked as the top hotel on the planet by The World’s 50 Best just a year later—it’s the kind of place that feels like it’s existed forever. And it sort of has: the estate was built for a count in the late 18th century, and as my black sprinter van crunched over the gravel and pulled up to its imposing entrance, my driver pointed out the medieval church that adjoins the gates. (My curiosity about it was clearly communicated to the concierge, who arranged a tour for me the following morning with a local retired teacher who had been closely involved in its restoration.)" - Liam Hess