Laqua by the Lake

Our take

Cannavacciuolo's name on the restaurant is reason enough. Laqua sits on the edge of Lake Orta — quieter, less photographed than Como, which is precisely the point — and the views from the rooms make a convincing argument for staying in. Bring someone you want to talk to, or no one at all. If you need a city, a rooftop bar scene, or a full wellness floor to justify the rate, Pettenasco will feel like exile. For everyone else, two or three nights here resets something.