Excelsior Bay Hotel

My Parents have been to this hotel a number of times and I decided to blag a free trip there a couple of years ago. I went last year too as I enjoyed it so much. People say that it is over rated, which I kind of agree with, in that it is not a four star hotel in other countries, but for Italy, i would guess it to be more or less correct. The rooms aren't up to much, they do look a little dated, but they are very clean and towels and sheets are changed regularly. The service at the hotel is second to none. Even though the staff are rarely not at work they are always cheerful and very welcoming whenever we have been. My folks stayed in the Oriel(?) suite and the private terrace on the front is super. Its really very large and has an amazing panoramic view of the lake. The food was fantastic, and the staff there really take pride in it (although, strangely, I struggle to remember a single meal that wasn't served with a sprig of parsley.) As for the resort, the town is only a short stroll along the lake and the restaurants are great. You must also go to the crazy golf up near the campsite. Not for the golf but to meet the terminably miserable old woman who works there. Pure comedy! As a 25 year old, I was probably the youngest person at the resort by at least 15 years, but there are plenty of other places to reach. I went to Milan on coach/train for a ridiculously low amount of money. I would definitely recommend this hotel, if what you are after is good food, flawless service and ideal location.

Hotel in a ideal spot, the views are fabulous, and just a stroll from the very lovely town of Malcesine. The food in the hotel was excellent. The room (front lake view-stunning) was clean, confortable and the bathroom a good size with good shower. The staff efficient and friendly. As the weather was a little disappointing, it rained a lot, the public area was not adequate or comfortable enough for us and being small it was rather noisy at night and the noise travelled up to the 1st floor. Also to our surprise dogs were allowed in the hotel. Overall a good standard hotel, we enjoyed our stay.

Like other visitors to this site we were concerned to read the revies for the Excelsior Bay. We need not have worried. This is a lovely hotel in a beautiful place. It's location is just wonderful, on the lake side and within an easy stroll of the delightful town of Malcesine. The rooms are small but so clean with new towels every day and clean sheets regularly. It is not a large hotel so retains that friendly intimate feel. The staff are exceptionally good, all speak english and so helpful. The food is good and varied. The pool area is nice with free towels and sunshades. The outside terrace where breakfast is served has a lovely view of lake and mountains. The boats and buses are all good and easy to travel on. We spent many evenings just strolling around Malcesine, it's atmosphere is great. Give the Excelsior bay a chance, you wont regret it.

We were booked into the Excelsior Hotel at the last minute following a change of holiday destination and were most concerned when we read the previous reviews-the last two appeared after our departure.After four very enjoyable days in Venice we approached Lake Garda with trepidation.We need not have worried.The hotel was lovely and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there.The position was ideal-a lovely setting right on the side of the lake and a short stroll into the very pleasant town of Malcesine.The staff were very helpful and friendly.The food was excellent - varied and well cooked.The swimming pool was clean and it was pleasant to have a variety of areas in which to relax.Our room was fine with a lakeside view.It does appear that some of the rooms are not as nice -those overlooking the inner courtyard-and it would appear that the people having a problem with this hotel are those having these rooms. I would not hesitate to recommend the hotel-but perhaps check where your room is.

We (my husband & our three children) have just spent a really relaxing holiday in this hotel. The staff were excellent, very friendly and corrected a problem with our room as soon as we reported it to them. The food was really nice with 4 courses at dinner and a good choice. Our children had a pool view room which was very pleasant and quiet at night. We had a lake view room - a fabulous view. You could hear the entertainer outside who played till 11:30 at night, but as we were awake anyway it didn't disturb us at all. The bedrooms have airconditioning, and shutters to keep out the sun if you want. The hotel is on the edge of the town, a 5 minute walk away along the pleasant lakeside path. The children enjoyed the pool (plenty of sunbeds and the hotel supply pool towels - ask at reception) and also swam in the lake - the beach is rocky so you need beach shoes. Malcesine is a lovely town, we walked there late at night with the children and felt very relaxed and safe.

Went with my son for a week's holiday in August. The staff at the hotel could not be faulted - very friendly and helpful. The food was superb! Buffet style breakfast and four course dinner with 4 choices for 3 of the courses. The room was disappointingly small and ours had a view of the inner courtyard, but Malcesine is so beautiful and there are so many places to see, that we spent the minumum amount or time in our room. I would definitely go back there!

I have just returned from a 7 night stay at the Excelsior Bay and have to agree with previous reviews as to the standard of the hotel. First the hotel is situated in a fantastic location, right on the lakeside and just a five minute stroll into the town. Having breakfast on the terrace was lovely the scenery is beautiful. Now for the downside, I am a single lady traveller and of course have to pay the dreaded single supplement. Despite having booked early I was given a bedroom on the ground floor at the end of the corridor near reception. My room had a "patio" door which I couldnt open as it overlooked a garage, lorries and people were coming and going at all times of the day and night. Obviously I couldnt have this door open as anyone could have walked in, I also could not draw the curtains back as people could see staight into the room. This made the bedroom quite cold not having any sunlight. I decided to put up with it as the room was in fact a double room with twin beds. Another lady on her own had been given a single room which was tiny, she complained and it took until Wednesday for her to be moved. When she was moved she ended up next to me, (still in a single room). Quite honestly I have better things to do than wait around waiting to be moved to another room. I have to agree that the furniture was like MFI, quite old, my wardrobe looked as if it started off as black and had been given a coat of white paint which I streaky and you could see the black shining through! The whole room was painted in a murky grey, the bathroom door also opened straight onto the sink, the whole room was in need of serious updating. However, I think the people who had balcony rooms overlooking the lake were lucky, the view would have made up for the bedrooms. I have never stayed in a hotel as noisy! cleaners were clatting around from early in the morning until late afternoon. Also being close to reception I could hear everyone coming and going and the live music of course which was out on the terrace was directly at the end of my corridor, so if you fancied an early night you might as well give up until the entertainment had finished. One of my main gripes however was if you wanted to go for an early morning jog or stroll, you couldnt get out of the hotel!! They wouldnt open the main entrance doors until 7.30am to let you out because you might disturb the people sleeping in the lake view rooms above!!!! The food in the hotel is excellent, quite a nice variety. However, the service was appalling the poor waitresses about 3 of them! were rushed off their feet. Having dinner was like a marathon two to two half hour event. On gala night we waited so long inbetween courses that one couple left and bought a meal in the restaurant next door.!!! All in all I did enjoy my holiday, Malcesine is a lovely little town, but not for the night owls who like plenty of action. It's also really handy for nipping on and off the ferries to the neighbouring towns. I won't be going back to Lake Garda again as I feel I have seen all I want to see, but would go to one of the other lakes. To conclude, I love Italy but feel they really need to get their act together as regards hotel's some of them still seem to be stuck in a 60/70's timewarp. They have a lot to learn from 4 star hotels in the Far East for example. However I dont want to finish on a negative note and did speak to people who had been to this hotel several times. One couple I spoke to it was their sixth time and they loved it!

I had read such good reviews about this hotel that I could not believe the one recent bad one. I was prepared to really like the hotel and prove the review wrong but sad to say it was right. We sayed there for one week starting 11th. September 2004 The hotel has a lovely location. I booked in October 2003 but could not get a lake view room. We got a room overlooking the courtyard outside the kitchen so it was unsightly and noisy. The room was small and we only a tiny wardrobe and little other storage space. The cleaners start early and we had asked to avoid the rooms beside the stairs but they still made a right racket. The main gripe however was the dining room. It was so disorganised. I wish someone at the start had explained the menu to us . The language was not a problem just the way it was set out. The staff told us they were down from 7 to 4 waiting in the dining room. Those guests on the table d'hote menu were not allowed to eat outside which was disappointing but even worse was the waiting , the fact that we got the wrong dishes and general lack of leadership . Nobody seemed to be in charge. I love Italy but felt the resort suffered from such a large influx of day visitors. We were also unlucky to have several days of showers and some spectacular thunderstorms . I enjoyed having lunch in the town and watching the world go by but will not be back. Someone reviewing this hotel said said that you did not get good 4 star hotels in Italy well go to the Mioni Pezzato in Abano Terme (Thomsons Lakes and Mountains ) it is fab. We spent our second week there and it was bliss.

We stayed at the Excelsior Bay for 6 nights; we booked for 5 but stayed an extra night because we had such a good time. It certainly doesnt warrant a 4 star rating, but then nowhere Ive stayed in Italy ever has! The rooms are basic but very clean and light, with a balcony and a stunning view of the Lake...but get a Lake view room, no point in staying there otherwise. The location is probably the best in Malcesine, right on the lake and only 5 minutes walk into town. The pool area was nice and equally clean...no flies in the pool, my pet hate! Big downside was no pool service or bar though. The food in the restaurant was lovely but after a few nights we had to escape....it was similar every night and as with all Italian hotels, they like to make a fuss. Malcesine is a lovely town and seemed to have much more to offer than the others we visited on the lake. I'll certainly be going back again

We went to the Excelsior Bay Hotel last year, but it will stay in my mind as it was the worst 4 star hotel we have ever stayed in! On arrival the holiday rep said that most of the hotels in Malcesine were over rated on their stars but that we would have a lovely time at the Excelsior. He should have said that the rating on the Excelsior was over rated. The room was very very basic and we had an MFI reject wardrobe that was about 18 inches wide for two of us for two weeks! The hotel was extremely noisy, the cleaners arrived at 6.00 a.m. in the morning, and we were by the back metal stairs which they trundled up and down constantly. Every time someone along the corridor closed their door, our door rattled, the towels were threadbeare, the sunbed cushions were filthy and over all it was a complete let down. There was a mini-bar in the room, but it was empty. The service in the restaurant was extremely poor, they had very young inexperienced waiters and waitresses who basically hadn't got a clue what they were doing. There was no Maitre'd, the Head Waiter did his best, but had no support! The only good thing i can say about this hotel was the food, when it did arrive, was excellent. We wrote to Thomsons on our return but go absolutely no where. I asked them to reassess the starring of this hotel as I would hate any one else to experience the disappointment that we did. THE EXCELSIOR BAY IS NOT A 4 STAR HOTEL. If you want to experience an excellent 4 start hotel on Lake Garda, try the Grand at Gardone, much better value for money!