October 5, 2026

The Broken Rackets Club Takes Lake Como: Grand Hotel Tremezzo & Passalacqua

For the first weekend of October, we brought our Broken Rackets members together for three days at two of Italy's most remarkable properties: Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Passalacqua. A weekend designed around our shared love of tennis, but equally about discovering beautiful places, enjoying exceptional Italian hospitality, and spending time with a community brought together by the sport.

Friday: First Sets at Sunset

Our weekend began at the iconic Grand Hotel Tremezzo, a Belle Époque landmark overlooking Lake Como, where our members arrived on Friday afternoon and settled into their rooms. At 5 PM, we made our way to the hotel's beautiful clay courts for our first tennis session. With the sun beginning to descend behind the surrounding mountains and the late afternoon light settling across the lake, it was the perfect introduction to the weekend. For the next ninety minutes, we warmed up, rallied, and played a series of friendly games. Some members were meeting for the first time, others reconnecting from previous Broken Rackets experiences.

As always, tennis made the introductions effortless. The rest of the evening was left deliberately unhurried. Guests had time to explore the hotel, relax, or simply take in the views. Some chose a casual dinner by the pool, enjoying wood-fired pizza in the gardens, while others made the most of their evening at leisure. It was exactly how we wanted the weekend to begin: good tennis, good company, and nowhere else we needed to be.

Saturday: A Private Boat Ride to Passalacqua

Saturday began with breakfast in Grand Hotel Tremezzo's magnificent dining room. With its elegant interiors, generous breakfast selection, and sweeping views across the lake, even the simplest morning ritual felt like an occasion.

At 10:30 AM, we gathered by the hotel's private dock to board our boat to Passalacqua.Travelling by water is perhaps the most beautiful way to experience Lake Como. As we cruised along the shoreline, we passed grand historic villas, picturesque villages, and gardens cascading towards the water. From the boat, the scale and beauty of the lake revealed themselves in a completely different way.

Our destination was Passalacqua, an extraordinary 18th-century villa nestled above the village of Moltrasio.

Originally built as a private aristocratic residence, the villa has an extraordinary history. The celebrated Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini stayed here in the 19th century, composing La Sonnambula within its walls in 1831. The residence remained in private hands through generations of different owners until 2018, when the De Santis family, also owners of Grand Hotel Tremezzo, acquired the property. Following an extensive restoration, it reopened as an intimate 24-room hotel in 2022.

Arriving at its private dock, we made our way up through the property's magnificent Italian gardens, past manicured greenery, terraces, and beautifully arranged landscapes. Every turn seemed to reveal another remarkable view of the lake.And then, tucked within the gardens, we arrived at the tennis court.

It was one of those courts that reminds us why we started Broken Rackets in the first place.With the lake stretching out beyond the grounds, we spent the late morning playing tennis together. Friendly rallies turned into games, with a little healthy competition, plenty of laughter, and moments between sets to simply appreciate where we were.After our session, everyone had time to freshen up and enjoy Passalacqua's spa facilities before gathering again for a long, leisurely lunch outdoors.

Seated together overlooking the gardens, we enjoyed an exceptional Italian menu, accompanied by conversations that continued well beyond the tennis court. There was no rush to leave the table. Between the food, the setting, and the company, it was one of those lunches that perfectly captured the pleasure of spending a weekend in Italy.

Later in the afternoon, we returned to Grand Hotel Tremezzo. While some members took the opportunity to rest and enjoy the property, others weren't quite finished with tennis and headed back to the clay courts for a few more games.That evening, we reunited for dinner at La Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi, Grand Hotel Tremezzo's celebrated restaurant overlooking the lake.

Over beautifully prepared dishes, we shared stories from the day, reflected on our favourite moments, and enjoyed another evening together. By now, the conversations had moved far beyond tennis, which is perhaps one of our favourite things about these weekends: the connections that form naturally when people have the time and space to get to know one another.

Sunday: One Last Rally

By Sunday morning, it was clear that nobody had quite had enough tennis.Before breakfast, we headed back to the courts for one a gentle mobility session to slow down and recover from two days of tennis before one final tennis session. Then we gathered for breakfast, enjoyed our final moments at the hotel, and slowly began saying our goodbyes.

Three days had gone by remarkably quickly.What stayed with us wasn't only the extraordinary beauty of Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Passalacqua, or the opportunity to play on two exceptional courts. It was the smaller moments in between: conversations on the boat, laughter during a match, lingering over lunch, and the familiar faces that became new friends.

For us, that's what Broken Rackets is all about. Tennis is what brings us together, but the experiences and connections we build around it are what make these weekends so memorable. Until the next court, and the next destination.