Acquarella Resort

My family and I were looking for a destination outside of the main tourist attractions in Italy where we could experience the natural beauty of the countryside, make the most of its agricultural bounty by doing some cooking ourselves, and still have the convenience of nearby towns rich in history and services. Acquarella Resort delivered across the board. On top of that, it's only about an hour car ride from Rome's main airport. Our group rented 3 of the 5 units on the property, two of them looked out directly on the lake. For most of the week, we had the property to ourselves. All the units were super comfortable, clean, stylish, modern, and well equipped. The AC worked well too, which is important if you are visiting in the hot summer months when the sun beats down. This is a mostly unstaffed resort. While there is no on site reception staff or concierge, the owners were very responsive to the few minor issues that came up during our stay and came to the property multiple times to make sure all was going well. Moreover the members of their cleaning staff were there every day and were pleasant and responsive to our needs. The only downside of their staffing model was that it made check-in to the gated resort property a little hectic for our group, all of whom arrived at different times with the one family unit who got there before official check in having a bit of stress to figure out how to get in. This the only critique we can offer is that they need to do a better job proactively explaining check in procedures and operation of the electric gate that controls access to the property for cars and pedestrians alike. We traveled with a group ranging from grandparents in their 70s to nieces aged 8 and 9, and two 40 something couples. It was perfect for everyone. The lake is easily accessible and the resort supplies kayaks, SUPs, ample and comfortable lounge chairs on the private beach with umbrellas and other outside furnishing to enjoy the lovely shade provided by willow trees on the well watered front lawn or to take meals al fresco on your patio (front two units only). There's also a sweet roofdeck open to all units with outdoor furnishings and great lake views. The lake is stunning, clear, and clean. It's also shallow near the resort shore so the kids could safely play in the water without needing adults to be in with them. We could keep a close eye on them right from the porch of our unit. Similarly, the short, flat distance from unit door to lake makes it easy for older family members to enjoy the lake too. The nearby lake towns of Trevignano Romano (10 min drive), Anguillara Sabazia (15 min drive) , and Bracciano (30 min drive) all offer a variety of good restaurants, pasticcere, supermarkets, farmacie, and gelaterie (Lagogelato in Trevignano was a favorite of ours). Anguillara and Trevignano also both have long, flat, lakeside promenades. For those more adventurous, there are also several hiking trails nearby.