JUST CHECKED OUT: VILLA PASSALAQUA... LAKE COMO'S NEW CROWN JEWEL

Lake Como, in Northern Italy’s Lombardy region, continues to be one of the most sought out destinations by Mapps clients, year after year. Set against the foothills of the dramatic Italian Alps, and only a 45 minute drive from Milan, the lake area is home to the most elegant villas, scenic small towns and fragrant gardens.

This past September I decided to head back to Northern Italy after a 4 year hiatus and check out the brand new Villa Passalaqua hotel, as well as the elegant Mandarin Oriental and Il Sereno Hotel.

We spent our 4 days in Lake Como lounging by the pool, cruising the lake and eating and drinking way too much pasta and Barolo wine than we needed. Below, I share some snaps from my iPhone and a few of my favorite spots. —

Travel Notes: Lake Como is a perfect 3-4 night stay and combines beautifully with Portofino, Florence, Venice and the Amalfi Coast.

P.S. we are planning summer travel for Europe 2023 now, so do not wait too long to plan, space is filing up in all the good spots.

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LAKE COMO

Hotel Stay: Villa Passalaqua

https://www.passalacqua.it/en/

Mapps X Passalaqua:

VIP upgrade status, complimentary daily breakfast & 100.00 food and beverage credit.

Lunch Spots: Giacomo & Locanda La Tirlindana.

Villa Tours: Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello.

Apertivo: The bar at Passalaqua or Grand Hotel Tremezzo.

Dinner Spots: Osteria Figli dei Fiori, Convivialità, Trattoria del Glicine and La Terrazza.

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ELISA REPORTS BACK ON HER COUPLE'S GETAWAY TO ITALY

September is my favorite time of year to go to Europe. The weather is in the low 80’s, the mass tourist crowd is gone but still busy enough to have a buzzy vibe and you can finally score a table at the latest hotspots with ease… well, most of the time. With all five children settled back into their respective schools, we decided to pack our bags and head to Italy for ten nights, dividing our time between the island of Capri and the city of Florence with a delish pizza lunch stop in chaotic Napoli. We spent our days in Capri lounging poolside or at various beach clubs with long, lazy lunches or on a boat, island hopping. In Florence, it was all about living like a local and immersing ourselves in the food, the wine and the culture. To say we lived la dolce vita, would be an understatement and it served as a wonderful reminder to both of us why it is so important to continue to carve time for each other away from the craziness of our busy lives. Below, I share some snaps and a few of my favorite spots ( I hit the ground hard to curate the perfect list for clients )… and I promise, we really did miss the kids— xx E

P.S. we are planning summer travel for Europe 2022 now, so do not wait too long to plan, space is filing up in all the good spots.

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CAPRI

Hotel Stay: The Capri Touch Suite at Capri Palace Jumeriah which was absolutely gorgeous.

Mapps X Capri Palace: VIP upgrade status, complimentary daily breakfast and resort credits.

https://www.capripalace.com/en/

Lunch: The Spagetti alle Vongole at La Fontelina and La Conco de Sogno, the lobster pasta at Le Riccio and the Zucchini Spaghetti dish at Lo Scoglio.

Apertivo: Aperol Spritz on The terrace at Grand Hotel Quisisana.

Dinners: The tomato, mozzerella salad at Da Paolino, truffle pasta at Villa Verde and the white pizza Aurora.

Post Dinner Spot: Anema e Core Taverna for live music and dancing.

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FLORENCE

Hotel Stay: The Master Suite at The Place Firenze, completely obsessed.

Mapps X The Place: VIP upgrade status, complimentary daily breakfast and resort credits.

https://www.theplacefirenze.com/

Lunch: The Terrace at The Place

Enoteca: Le volpi e l'uva.

Apertivo: The Negronis at Serra Torrigiani.

Dinner: Osteria Cinghiale Bianco

Post Dinner Spot: The Lodge Club

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NAPOLI PIT STOP

On our way from Capri to Florence, we pressed pause for 2 hours to eat lunch where pizza was born. I cannot recommend Pizzeria da Concettina ai Tre Santi enough… absolute carb and dairy perfection!

http://www.pizzeriaoliva.it/en/

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JUST CHECKED OUT: MAPPS'S TRAVEL ADVISOR TAHVA WYLIE SHARES SNAPS AND NOTES FROM THE ROAD

CANYON POINT, UTAH

STAY: Amangiri

“ When my husband announced he wanted to drive cross country with our three kids this summer in an RV, I was not exactly thrilled… until he said that we could stop for 4 nights at Amangiri to break up the trip. Amangiri has been on my bucket list for years and was definitely what I needed after sleeping ten nights in our mini-bus. Our family had the most epic time exploring the area which included a visit to Horseshoe Bend, Zion National Park and a boat day on beautiful Lake Powell where the kids went tubing for hours. The hotel is simply magical, and the landscape makes you feel as if you are on planet Mars. The staff was so friendly and welcoming to our kids and the food at both of their restaurants was delicious. The nightly s’more platters they would leave by our suite’s fire pit was such a treat for the kids. Bucket list check!”

MAPPS X AMANGIRI: Special nightly rates and spa credits.

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