Casa Fantini Lake Time

Italian concept hotel announces Spring 2021 opening on the shores of Lake Orta

Casa Fantini is a stunning 5* concept hotel nestled in the historic Italian village of Pella on the shores of Lake Orta (pictured below), with views over the lake to the captivating medieval San Giulio Island. The hotel will reopen for spring 2021.

Undisputedly one of the most magical locations for a hotel, Casa Fantini is an intimate place of harmony where architecture, landscape and light blend in perfect balance and just for a moment, time seems to stand still.

Often overlooked for its bigger sisters Como and Maggiore, Orta is one of the most enchanting Italian Lakes -an undiscovered gem just an hour away from Milan. The lake itself has inspired many writers of the 18th and 19th Century including Lord Byron, Honoré de Balzac and Robert Browning.

Central to the ethos of the hotel is the concept of Lake Time. A stay at Casa Fantini is about slowing down, retreating from the world, taking in your surroundings and becoming at one with nature and the environment. Lake Time is about reading a book, meditating, listening to music, switching off from the pressures of day to day living.

Contemporary and elegant, the hotel has been designed by world famous Italian architect Piero Lissoni of Lissoni Architettura, who worked with hotel owner Daniela Fantini, CEO of Fantini Rubinetti, to interpret her vision for a hotel inspired by the slow pace of the lake.

The hotel is split between two buildings- one a X1X century house and the other thoroughly contemporary, resulting in a unique design with perfect symmetry.

The lake and its natural surroundings are the inspiration for Casa Fantini’s Interior. Lissoni’s signature style is a blend of elegance and understatement. He uses warm materials such as wood and textiles integrated with iconic pieces of contemporary design ensuring all blends in harmoniously with the natural environment.

Casa Fantini is the brainchild of Italian designer Daniela Fantini who created the hotel to be a reflection of a family home. The Fantini family has lived on the Western shores of Lake Orta for more than three generations. The headquarters of Daniela’s family business, Fantini Rubinetterie, which makes elegantly designed bathroom fittings, has been operating in Pella since 1947 with showrooms in Milan, Moscow and New York.

Daniela explains, “Casa Fantini is born from my love for the spirit of the place, for what is genuine and handcrafted and in that represents the culture of the territory, where I find my roots. A place where to live an emotional experience in LAKE TIME spirit at a slow pace and surrounded by the mystic aura and silence inspired by the lake.”

The lounge, with its breathtaking views over the lake. is the beating heart of Casa Fantini. Guests are encouraged to come together for an aperitif at the end of the day and owner Daniela Fantini is often seeing welcoming them to her home. Guests can mingle in the bar, garden, and swimming pool or take excursions that are selected and handled by Casa Fantini Lake Time.

Casa Fantini has 5 Superior Rooms, 4 Prestige Rooms, and 2 Suites. All rooms have a view of the lake. Super Rooms have a spacious terrace with lakefront view overlooking the gardens and San Giulio Island. Not surprisingly given the owners design credentials, every room at Casa Fantini has stylishly innovative bathroom, featuring a shower cabin with a Turkish bath and chromotherapy.

Prestige rooms also have a small lounge with mini sofa and armchair while the 2 Suites, set in the old building of Casa Fantini are spacious and extremely comfortable.

Spa treatments can be taken in your room and are available on request. These include the Sleep Ritual, a treatment which acts upon three different senses – smell, hearing and touch – to create a state of deep neurologically regenerating rest. The synergy of the exclusive blend of essential oils, the TranquillityTM Sound (432 Hrz music) and the practice inspired by the Indonesian massage Sea Malay as well as the ayurvedic massage, paired with the use of soft brushes, create a sensation of relax and rest for the body and the mind.

The food at Casa Fantini is central to the Lake Time experience. Michelin starred Chef Paolo Bullone (from Agrodolce Restaurant in Imperia) creates innovative seasonal menus using the highest quality seasonal ingredients, locally sourced where possible from small artisan producers. Choose from one of the 4 or 7 course tasting menus with wine pairings or a la carte with dishes such as Tortellini with Breme onion, parmesan and black truffle followed by lamb with cherries and onions from Tropea or Catch of the Day with seasonal vegetables followed by a desert of passion fruit souffle and homemade chocolate ice cream.

Guests at Casa Fantini can take part in custom-tailored “Experiences”. Explore the lake in your own private boat with a delicious picnic packed by the chef (water skiing, rowing and fishing also available), or take a photography tour with a professional photographer who will teach you to look at Lake Orta through a photography lens, discovering the shades, details, reflections and shadows of the lake. Or hop into a vintage car guided by a local historian and discover the culture and history of this unique area. There are also nature walks through the trees of the Mottarone Park, visits to local design houses and e-biking, where you will take in the panoramic views from the Belvedere of Quarta to the Sacro Monte of Orta San Giulio.

Surrounded by mountains, woods and lakes, Lake Orta is heaven for hiking and trekking lovers with The Croce di Egro, Mount Mesma and the Torre del Buccione all to discover

For food lovers, wine and food tours can be arranged. In just two hours from Casa Fantini you arrive in the land of wines and truffles. The Langhe, with its precious villages of Alba, Neive, Bergolo and Barolo, is the peak of a Food and Wine tour in the North of Italy.

Prices for a Superior Room at Casa Fantini start at 523 euros in low season (March/April/May/October).

The ultimate in a luxury stay, the hotel can also be hired for exclusive use. Price available on request.