Laqua by the Lake: a modernist aparthotel floating above Italy's least discovered lake

Standing out from the prevailing Alpine chalets and fanciful Baroque villas, Laqua by the Lake is the sleek modernist option on the shores of Lake Orta, one of the smaller and less well known lakes in the northern Italian region of Piedmont.

With its minimalist design, Michelin-starred restaurant and ‘beach’ club, the aparthotel caters largely for a glamorous, bronzed Euro set taking advantage of the many athletic pursuits on offer in an atmosphere of supreme relaxation.

Holiday mode activates as the tall wooden entry gates close behind you with the genuine warmth of the welcome and a legion of delightful decisions to make – sunbathe or hike? swimming pool or lake? massage or facial? – in this very stylish self-contained world.

Style

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Its low-lying, horizontal plan, stacked levels and use of natural materials owe a clear debt to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, another building designed to sit within, rather than dominate, its picturesque surroundings.

Pared back luxury is the look throughout the complex, from the 18 apartment suites to the restaurant, the beach club and the spa.

The view is the star of this show, with the décor providing the perfect quiet frame for picturesque landscapes.

The palette is a restful combination of neutrals with materials tending towards the organic: locally sourced wood, travertine, marble, linen and cotton.

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Weather allowing, there’s sunbathing aplenty on chic sandstone-coloured, deeply padded loungers, but there’s also swimming (in pool or lake), paddleboarding, waterskiing, wakeboarding, biking and hiking.

You can even hire one of the hotel’s electric boats (from €100 an hour) to take a leisurely tour of the lake and take a closer look at the Isola San Giulio with its Benedictine monastery – the dragon infestation having been sorted by St Julius in the Middle Ages, so legend has it.

And while there’s a lot to be said for dozing next to the glittering lake, it’s worth building up an appetite for the Michelin-chef designed tasting menus that are served up in the restaurant of an evening.

Good to know

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Alternatively, given this is an aparthotel with each suite boasting a fully equipped kitchenette and dining area, you might choose to raid the Cannavacciuolo meal box provided in the room containing the makings of, and recipes for, three simple pasta dishes, although some might baulk at the €190 price tag.

The celebrity chef is building something of an empire on the lake’s shores – he also owns the magnificently extravagant Villa Crespi with its three Michelin starred restaurant (where guests at Laqua can score a priority booking), as well as a shop in nearby Orta San Giulio.

Start the day right with a long breakfast overlooking the lake, loading up at a leisurely pace on wholesome, fresh and local fare from an array of house baked pastries, cakes and tarts to wonderful peach, apricot or pear juice, San Daniele ham, marinated salmon and phenomenal scrambled eggs.

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A large spa glows with blue light – a visual clue to the high-tech treatments on offer in what the hotel calls its Longevity Suite.

More traditional relaxing massages can be enjoyed but there’s also a cryotherapy suite and infrared, electromagnetic and LED-based treatments on offer for the aesthetically inclined.

Don’t let all the sleek design fool you, Laqua by the Lake is extremely welcoming to children, from special baby toiletries and towel provided in the room to the family friendly fun on offer at the pool and lake.

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