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 Lake Garda Hotels
The largest of northern Italy's great lakes is a world of its own. With a southern microclimate - there are cypresses, vines, olive trees and citrus groves - it's like a little sea, with little ports and little vessels and little storms that blow up from nowhere. The southern end broadens into two bays sheltered by the Sirmione peninsula in between; the north narrows fjord-like into a rocky cleft between high cliffs on the west and Monte Baldo on the east. Try and avoid high season when the tourists in the pretty lakeside towns can be wearisome. The pick of places to stay on Garda's shores represents every genre of Italian hotel, from farm accommodation (agriturismo) and old-fashioned pensione to one of the most luxurious hotels in Europe. The hotels are listed by price category, and their order bears no reflection on our preference.
 Reviews by Fiona Duncan and Leonie Glass |
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| Luxury: Sybaritic lakeside hotel in a historic house |
| Location: Gargnano: on the northern edge of town, on the lake |
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| This astonishing hotel makes even the most spoilt guests feel lucky to be there, and the most jaded feel soothed and at home. Built in 1892, the villa was the summer residence of the super-rich Feltrinellis, and later sheltered Mussolini during the war. With much of the original furniture intact, it has been superbly restored, no expense spared, and once more feels like the most arresting and luxurious private home you could hope to stay in. A Michelin star for the food. |
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| Mid Price: Stylish bed-and-breakfast with breathtaking views |
| Location: up a steep hill to the west of Gardone Riviera |
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| High above the town and with magical views, this B&B is remote but surprisingly sophisticated. Raffaele Bonaspetti, an elegant, philosophical lawyer, transformed the house from a 14th-century ruin, decorating every room beautifully and filling it with exquisite things. He has also transformed the hillside, replanting the land with olives and cypresses to satisfy his passion for trees. Breakfast is a delicious buffet, prepared by Raffaele’s wife Catia. |
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| Mid Price: Liberty-style villa with gorgeous rooms and gourmet food |
| Location: Gardone Riviera: on the SS572 road and the lake |
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| One of the loveliest of Garda’s many liberty-style villas, built at the turn of the 20th century. Inside, intricately carved wood and marble work and the splendid gold and frescoed ceilings are the perfectly preserved remnants of another age. A magnificent Venetian style staircase leads to seven cosseting bedrooms, three of which have their original furniture and decoration. The hotel’s heart, though, is its romantic Michelin-starred first-floor restaurant. |
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| Mid Price: Handsome Victorian villa right on the water's edge |
| Location: Gargnano: 150m from the middle of town, on the lake |
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| Once a simple pensione, Villa Giulia is a beautiful, large house in Victorian style with gothic touches, owned by the charming Bombardelli family for more than 50 years. Gardens and terraces run practically to the water’s edge, while inside, airy rooms lead off handsome corridors. Bedrooms in the villa (preferable to those in the annexe and grounds) range from light and modern to large with antiques, beams and balconies with fabulous views. |
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| Mid Price: Elegant and intimate lakeside hotel, full of character |
| Location: San Vigilio: 2km west of Garda on a promontory |
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| Homely, yet sophisticated, with the intimacy of a well-worn country house, this 400-year old inn, privately owned by Conte Agostino Guarienti, has antiques and creaky wooden floors, a ceramic stove and sideboards displaying plates and bottles. You can eat in the cosy dining room, on a little arched veranda or under huge white umbrellas on the terrace. A delightful spot for the discriminating. |
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| Mid Price: Converted 18th-century farm makes a sophisticated boutique hotel |
| Location: Costermano, 6km east of Lake Garda |
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| The smart, younger and hipper sister of the Locanda San Vigilio occupies an 18th-century farm in countryside east of the lake. The cooking in the fresh, yellow painted restaurant is highly regarded and buzzes every evening with outside diners as well as hotel guests. There's also a cosy sitting room with deep pink walls and a wood-burning stove. The attention to detail continues into the stylish bedrooms: each a variation on a different coloured theme. |
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| Inexpensive: Fish restaurant with simple, budget-priced rooms |
| Location: Sirmione: on the lake, next to the castle |
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| One of Sirmione’s simplest, cheapest hotels, the Grifone has one of the loveliest locations, overlooking both lake and castle. Essentially it is a fish restaurant, with a mouth-watering selection of antipasti. It has an enticing tree-filled terrace with stunning views, and a scrap of a beach. Even if the weather is cool, you can enjoy the scenery through the restaurant’s picture windows. There’s no website, so phone +39 030 916014 for more information. |
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| Inexpensive: Cosy, family-run hotel, on the edge of the lake |
| Location: Gargnano: in the town, beside the lake |
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| The Arosio family have been welcoming guests to their friendly lakeside hotel since 1959. Endearingly old-fashioned, it seems to have changed little since. Downstairs, Persian rugs warm mosaic or tiled floors, and pictures jostle for space on the walls. Reception rooms and bedrooms are furnished with substantial antiques. Meals are accompanied by the sound of lapping water as the terrace and airy restaurant jut out into the lake. |
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| Inexpensive: Splendid belle epoque villa with lovely grounds and good-value rooms |
| Location: 1km outside Malcesine, overlooking the lake |
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| Perched above the Gardesana road, the Bellevue San Lorenzo is a cut above its many competitors. Its core is a fine old villa, whose spacious grounds are filled with olive, cypress and magnolia trees and dotted with contemporary sculpture. There is also a large pool, sun terrace and fitness and beauty centre. The best bedrooms are in the main villa. And the bill, when it comes, is a pleasant surprise. |
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| Inexpensive: Excellent food and comfortable rooms in Garda's showpiece fishing village |
| Location: Torri del Benaco: in the town centre, on the waterfront |
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| It’s a real treat to tuck into the chef’s speciality fish soup on the delightful first-floor dining terrace of this long-established hotel and restaurant, in a plum position overlooking Torri’s pretty harbour and 14th-century castle. It makes the perfect vantage point for watching the boats come and go. The almost identical, smartly renovated bedrooms have wooden furnishings and soft fabrics. Corner rooms are best; balconies are a must. |
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| Inexpensive: Working farm in deep countryside with modest rooms |
| Location: Solferino: 13km south of Lake Garda |
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| Vittorio Serengelli has converted his grandfather’s farm in rural countryside into a rather special agriturismo. Its riding school, stables, working farm, gymnasium and swimming pool make it ideal for energetic families and fresh-air fiends. Food for the unpretentious restaurant, Le Volpi (a few hundred metres away) is produced on the organic farm. Rooms are simple and rustic, with beams, tiled floors and antique furniture; two have sleeping platforms for children. |
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