Villa Crespi
Hyper-opulent Moorish fantasy meets refined Italian hospitality. Arabesque stucco ceilings, starry painted domes, Florentine mosaic floors, and inlaid parquet throughout. Every room is named after an Arabian princess. Small, intimate, and theatrical — this is 14 suites only, so it never feels like a regular hotel.
Dinner on weekends is exclusively for hotel guests — if you want to dine at the 3-star restaurant without staying, aim for lunch Wednesday through Friday
Why It Matters
One of Italy's most architecturally singular small hotels, housing a 3-Michelin-star restaurant (the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Italia), a Michelin Key 2025 designation, and Relais & Châteaux membership. Chef Cannavacciuolo is a celebrity chef in Italy — judge on MasterChef Italia — and Villa Crespi is his flagship. The Moorish building itself is genuinely one-of-a-kind in the Italian Lakes region.
Villa Crespi is a 19th-century Moorish Revival palace on the shores of Lake Orta — and yes, it has a working minaret. The cotton merchant who built it in 1879 was so captivated by Baghdad architecture that he spent 30 years constructing this fantasy in the Italian countryside. Today, chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo and his wife Cinzia run a 14-suite Relais & Châteaux hotel around one of only a handful of three-Michelin-star restaurants in Italy.
Where You'll Stay
6 room types available
Classic Room — Aisha, Muna, Najaa, Yasmin
Four Classic Rooms on the third and top floor — the former service staff quarters — at 24 sqm each. Compact but beautifully executed. Antique pink silk, queen-size bed, refined parquet floor, marble bathroom with stylish tub. The real bonus: a crenelated terrace unique to this floor with a lake view. The smallest rooms in the house, but the terrace makes up for it.
Queen bed · 24 sqm
Deluxe Room
Deluxe Rooms are on the first and second floors, wrapped in antique gold-colored silk and imperial red. Full Moorish treatment — parquet floors, period furniture, marble bathroom. A step up from Classic rooms in space and floor position.
Executive Suite
Located on the south side of the villa, Executive Suites offer a full view of the lake and surrounding park. Same signature Moorish styling — arabesque windows, parquet floors, marble bath — with the added advantage of being the lake-facing rooms at this tier.
Junior Suite — Leila & Samar
Two Junior Suites on the first and second floors, each 29 sqm. Royal blue silk decor. The L-shape layout has an antechamber at entry leading either to the sleeping area or to the marble bathroom. Large shower, natural light, garden views. Leila has a third single bed option. Both can accommodate an extra bed or cot.
Queen bed · 29 sqmMaster Suite — Rania & Sheherazade
The two top-tier suites sit on the first and second floors, each 51 sqm. Rania is draped in imperial red silk; Sheherazade lives on the second floor with the same grand proportions. Both feature a dramatic Arabian arch that separates the sleeping area from a separate sitting room with sofa, coffee table, and armchairs. A canopied queen-size bed, antique parquet floors, and a marble bathroom with ceiling waterfall shower and lake views are standard. Ideal for couples but can accommodate extra beds or cots.
Queen canopy bed · 51 sqm
Premium Suite
The Premium Suites feature a proper sitting room — perfect for longer stays or those who want genuine separation between living and sleeping space. All standard Moorish detailing: arabesque inlaid windows, antique parquet, period furniture, marble bathroom. Views include garden and lake.
The Property
Eat & Drink
2 venues on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
British-style afternoon tea served on the terrace with lake views — a selection of teas and sweet and savory accompaniments.
Half-day or full-day guided tour of the medieval village of Orta, a boat trip to the Island of San Giulio (home to a closed order of Benedictine nuns and frescoes dating back a thousand years), and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sacro Monte di Orta. Hotel can arrange these on request.
Guided tours to the Langhe region for truffle hunting or wine discovery. Available as part of the 'Wine and Truffles' package for 2-night stays.
Get a behind-the-scenes look at Chef Cannavacciuolo's kitchen. Watch sous-chefs prepare dishes, ask questions, and hear stories from one of Italy's most celebrated culinary operations.
Private limousine or transfer service from Milan Malpensa, Linate, Turin, or Bergamo airports. Hotel arranges on request.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
Gourmet breakfast included with stay. Can be served in-room.
Baby cots available on request in all room categories.
Landscaped park and gardens surrounding the villa leading toward the lake.
Pets are allowed at Villa Crespi.
The Orta-Miasino railway station is 800m from the hotel; free shuttle service provided.
No pool on site. Guests can access the beach club at sister property Laqua by the Lake (2km, shuttle available on request).
No gym on site. The Wellness Suite offers treatments but no fitness facilities.
BUILD YOUR VILLA CRESPI PLAN
Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
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