Gardesana Hotel

We just returned from our first holiday to Lake Garda and stayed here for 4nights. The hotel is in a good location, about 15/20mins walk from the main town of Riva Del Garda and about 2mins walk from the public beach. The hotel itself was clean and tidy, breakfast was very nice and the staff were very helpful and polite. We did find that due to the hotel being close to the main road and our room facing onto the road that it was very noisy, due to the amount of traffic that passes in and out of Riva. This was constant through the day and into the night.

We have just returned from 7 days in Riva where we stayed in the Gardesana. I found the hotel to be basic but very clean and staff were friendly and helpful. We shared a twin room and although very small it was sufficient and was spotless. The balcony was also small with enough room for one chair basically but the pleasant views of the garden and the mountains in the distance more than made up for this. There is so much to do and see in the area that it is unlikely you would spend much time there anyway. Something worth pointing out is that there is no lift in this hotel and it would not suit someone with impaired mobility as all rooms are situated upstairs. This was also a bit inconvenient where luggage was concerned but that is a very minor point and although no one offered to help us transport the cases I am sure they would have done if we had asked. On the food front, we were reasonably well served. There was a choice of menu for our party each day and as we were vegetarians the staff were happy to oblige us by offering alternatives. The cooking was pretty average on the whole but on one evening the hotel had a gala night in which it served up 5 courses per person which went down very well with the carnivores by all reports. The veggie alternative was fine too and I felt they had really made an effort to include us. Staff offered on more than one occasion to provide an alternative if the selected dishes didn't appeal to us. The hotel is situated about a 20 minute walk from the centre of Riva but is not in any way remote and even in the evenings it felt quite safe to be out and about. It is very close to the lake and the beach and the walk into Riva is beautiful using this route. All in all I would have no hesitation in returning to the Gardesana. It is not a deluxe hotel but it is good value for money and the service is excellent.

Can recommend Lake garda to anyone . Our hotel the Gardesana in Torri Del Benaco was the best the service the the hotel itself everything We were picked up in Milan by Agenzia Viaggi Molinari Who,s transfer prices were the best i found (some were asking silly money )Again a great service we shall be useing them again .

I would agree with the previous reviewers however I did not find it noisy like the contributor from Cork, I was at the side of the hotel, so perhaps that makes a difference. It is a small, comfortable, clean hotel with friendly staff and I loved the food. Not suitable for people with mobility problems as there are no lifts.

I though the hotel was very clean and location was excellent, especially if you had a car as parking was provided. Two problems I had with the hotel was the lack of air conditioning and the noise from the road and the noise from the people in the room next door to us. I would not stay in this hotel again.

Stayed for a week at the end of July. Situated with the majority of hotels about 20 minutes walk from the centre of Riva. Great value, really clean and the staff were very friendly. Nice pool and garden at the back of the hotel which is very quiet and relaxing. Only a couple of hundred metres from the Lake, where a path takes you to Riva alongside the lake and through lovely gardens. Riva itself is a fantastic town, large enough to contain a variery of excellent restaurants and shops - with a bit of culture thrown in. We had a room at the side of the hotel - if we stayed again, we would ask for a room at the back overlooking the garden - much quieter although the noise from the road wasn't too bad. Breakfasts above average for Italian hotels, evening meal OK too. Special mention to the serving staff who were lovely, especially the wonderful Elisabetta who gave everyone personal attention. Room and bathroom exceptionally clean. Only minor complaint is the lack of air conditioning but not really a big problem. In summary, a great value, well run and clean hotel.

I've just returned from two weeks at the Gardesana and have to say that, for a single traveller, I was very content there. The hotel caters well for the single traveller, having single rooms at no supplement. The rooms are adequate in size and comfortable. The hotel itself is very clean and the food is a good standard, breakfast being pretty much the same each morning with a choice of cold meats and cheese, yoghurts, toast, bread rolls and plenty of jams, honey, etc to choose from. I stayed on a Half Board basis and found the evening meals to be very good. There are three choices for starter, main course and pudding - something for everyone I think. My previous experiences of Italian hotels meant that Veal would be on the menu every night in some shape or form, but not at the Gardesana - there was a good choice and not repetitive. The hotel has recently had a new pool installed which was very nice and clean. It has a jacuzzi part to it which is nice and the pool area was never overcrowded, on some occasions I was the only one using it (which suited me!!!). There is also a lovely garden area to sit in and the views of the surrounding area are lovely. It is only a few minutes walk from the lake and approx 20 minutes walk to the centre of Riva, but there is a supermarket a few minutes walk away and plenty of restaurants and ice cream shops. As a single traveller I don't normally venture far from the hotel on a night but I did go into Riva and felt quite safe walking back to the hotel late at night. There is no entertainment in the hotel on an evening but you can go to the Hotel Liberty which is a 15 minute walk away and sit out on their terrace and listen to music there. On a Wednesday night there is a violinist and pianist who are well worth seeing. I went both Wednesday nights I was there and it cost nothing, other than the price of a drink! The only downside I should mention is the fact that the air con in the restaurant isn't very effective and unfortunately there is no air con in the bedrooms. The weather was very hot during my stay and the nights could be quite uncomfortable with the heat. However, don't let this put you off as I gather you can hire fans from the hotel (I think at euro 2 a day) and those that used them said they were a god send! The staff are very friendly and helpful and I would like to thank Alessandro, the receptionist, for all the information he gave me about the hotel and Riva before and during my stay. I would like to think that maybe I will return to the Gardesana as it was a lovely little hotel, nicely placed just off the main road into Riva and convenient for most things. I also met some lovely people staying there and had a really great holiday. Well done Italy winning the world cup!!! Ciao

We stayed at the Gardesana in Riva during 6-13th August 2005, after reading reviews of hotels in Riva. The hotel is a few yards from the main road, so you do not hear the traffic and is only a couple of minutes' walk to the Lake on the other side of the road.I can thoroughly recommend the Gardesana, especially if you are looking for single rooms. We had a twin and our son had a single, both nice and clean and pleasant. Both rooms overlooked the neat garden with clean swimming pool, which was a bit cold as not heated. Food is good and varied(we didn't see one Pizza in the hotel all week!) although portions are quite small. The staff are friendly and all speak English in varying degrees, although they are not very flexible, so don't ask for something not on the menu! Breakfast is typical continental buffet style, but it would have been nice to see just one egg during the whole week! The tap water in Riva is drinkable and high in Mineral content, so I don't know why this is not available at the meal table, except they are making money selling you bottled mineral water! There is no hotel entertainment in the evenings, so most days we took the pleasant 10-minute walk into Riva town, as the shops are open until 10pm and sometimes there are street entertainers there. By the time we got back, the warm air is enough to put you to sleep and as CNN in the only English TV channel in the room, we relaxed for the day ahead.

stayed utilising 2 single rooms, find this hotel excellent if looking for single rooms, they are wonderfully clean and bigger than others we have stayed in. the food is well presented and very good, always bearing in mind the italian way of presenting food, always chose a substantial starter, the second course is good but not large, have found this to be the case in all italian hotels, there is a choice of three at each course, however the head waiter is very accomodating and they will prepare something else if nothing appeals, the staff are extremely friendly, and although most guests disappear around eleven, one can be served all night by the night porter, it is a pleasant walk to the main town along the lake and a little quicker along the main road, also a 20 min walk to torbole, we enjoyed and are returning for the 3rd time, there is also no supplement for singles, the pool area is wonderful if you like a little shade and dont want to sit by the side of the pool as one can opt to sit in the garden, all in all a pleasant hotel

Stayed here for 10 days in August after having been to Venice. Hotel is on the edge of Riva set back from the main road. The hotel is nice and clean (no aircon) with a nice quiet landscaped pool behind. Breakfast is pretty good but did not take an evening meal there but it always seemed busy. Staff are very helpfull and fluent in English. Just outside is a small strip of good cheap restaurants (the Bavaria is very good for cheap beer and pizza) and behind these you can get to the lake. It is about a 10 min walk to the main town. You can get a bus but the walk by the lake is very good.