Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Grand Hotel Gardone, Lake Garda
Facts in brief
Official star rating 4
Location 8 minute walk to Giardino Botanico Fondazione André Heller
Annual opening 6 April to 22 October
Closest airport Verona or Milan
Distance from airport 1-hour from Verona Airport, 1-hour and 20-minutes from Milan Linate Airport.
Closest railway station Desenzano del Garda
Distance from railway station 30 minutes by car
Hotel facilities and services
Grand Hotel Restaurant, Lemon Garden Restaurant, Pool Bar, Winnie's Piano Bar, 24-hour Reception, 300-metre Lakefront Promenade, Jetty, Heated Outdoor Swimming Pool, Whirlpool, Sauna, Steam Bath, Small Wellness and Beauty Centre, Beauty Treatments and Massages, Laundry Service, WiFi, Babysitting on request, Secured Parking (€14 per 24 hours).
Out and about nearby
Historic villas of Lake Garda, only visible from the lake, Villa Vittoriale, Local vineyards and olive mill tastings, Salò with its magnificent 15th-century cathedral, Rocca of Manerba, the Thermal Baths of Sirmione, Grotte di Catullo, the Riviera dei Limoni, Verona's lovely gardens and festivals.
Sports nearby
Numerous Golf Courses, Tennis Club (300 metres), Horse Riding (5km), Running Track and Gym (300 metres), Windsurfing (10km), Kite Surfing (15km).
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Double room with partial lake or street view for 7 nights
From about
£1,180
Holiday Code EXH490
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Grand Hotel Gardone, Lake Garda
The first hotel to be built on the shores of Lake Garda, the Grand Hotel Gardone dates back to 1884 and embodies the elegance and style of a bygone era. Boasting majestic views over the lake, this stunning property enjoys a prominent position in the centre of the Gardone Riviera. Starting life as a popular winter resort, the Grand Hotel Gardone grew in reputation throughout the 20th century, attracting nobility and intellectuals from all over Europe including King George of Saxony, writer and poet, Gabriele d'Annunzio, Winston Churchill, Benito Mussolini and playwright and novelist, Somerset Maugham. Remaining to this day one of the most prestigious and refined destinations on the Gardone Riviera, the Grand Hotel Gardone fuses the classic elegance of its illustrious past with the practicalities and convenience of modern-day living. The majority benefitting from a private balcony, most of the 167 rooms overlook the lake, with just a handful facing on to the street or verdant gardens, shaded by palms and magnolia trees. Decorated in a style befitting the heritage and grandeur of the hotel, rooms are classically appointed with air conditioning, satellite TV and en-suite marble bathrooms. The elegance continues through to the main restaurant which is decorated in airy, neutral tones with a large veranda overlooking the lake. Here, you'll enjoy breakfast and an extensive dinner menu accompanied by buffet-style salads, cheeses and desserts. The poolside Lemon Garden meanwhile provides a romantic and atmospheric setting for dinner by candlelight, where the menu showcases the finest Italian and international cuisine, accompanied by a handpicked wine list of over 100 different vintages. For a more casual drinks and dining environment, the Pool Bar serves light lunches, snacks and cocktails whilst Winnie's Piano Bar pays homage to one of its most famous guests, with live music accompanying post-dinner drinks. The Grand Hotel Gardone's heated outdoor pool and sun terrace overlook the lake, with further relaxation opportunities available in the sauna, Turkish bath, whirlpool, not to mention a wealth of beauty, massage and wellness treatments. Or you might just simply like to stroll along the 300-metre private lakeside promenade, taking in the glorious vistas of this most tranquil and refined setting.
Room descriptions
Grand Hotel Gardone has 167 rooms and suites each with bath or shower and wc, air conditioning, satellite TV, safe, mini-bar, telephone, bathrobes and slippers.
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Double room with partial lake or street view for 7 nights
From about
£1,180
Holiday Code EXH490
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Grand Hotel Gardone, Lake Garda
The journey and how you get there
For a holiday to the Grand Hotel Gardone on Lake Garda, our clients usually fly to Verona airport or arrive by train. Desenzano sul Garda is the closest railway station. From the airport and the station, we recommend a private car transfer which we would include in our holiday price, or we recommend that you use a hire-car for the duration of your holiday, especially if you want to tour the region. We will arrange this for you if required.
Additional information
Children: Children are welcome and children 6 years old and younger stay free on B&B basis when sharing with 2 adults.
Special offers
Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Double room with partial lake or street view for 7 nights
From about
£1,180
Holiday Code EXH490
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Grand Hotel Gardone, Lake Garda
About Italian Lakes
An Expressions tailor-made holiday to the Italian Lakes spans the northern Italian regions of Lombardy, Piemonte and the Veneto. We offer hotels located by the undisputedly beautiful Lake Maggiore, Lake Como and Lake Garda and also the smaller, quieter lakes of Orta and Iseo, both well-worth exploring in their own right. Each lake has its own character and atmosphere, distinctive terrain, architecture and style. Placed as the lakes are to the south of the Alps and to the north of the Po Valley, they naturally possess a charming mixture of the vibrant coolness associated with the Alps but enlivened by the warmth of the South. The landscape around the Italian Lakes is one of deep blue waters surrounded by greenish-blue tinged mountains, often snow-capped. On the shores of the lakes and the lower slopes of the hills you find a profusion of lemons and olives, chestnuts and palms, magnolias and camellias. Pretty villages with rustic stone and wood houses hug the sheltered bays and fishing boats still moor next to sailing boats. Wrought-iron balconies and colourful shutters adorn gaily-painted houses with terracotta roofs. Dining is usually al fresco in the summer months and a magical atmosphere is created with the lapping of the waters and the twinkling of the lights around the lake and in the hills above. The close proximity to Milan and Verona as well as other less well-known but artistically interesting cities means that you can visit the Italian Lakes quite easily for just a weekend or short break as well as a longer holiday. The Italian Lakes can all be visited as part of a rail holiday, and the many beautiful gardens located in the vicinity of Lakes Como and Maggiore are well worth a visit as part of a garden tour holiday. Our favourite four and five star hotels for luxury holidays in the Italian Lakes include Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni and Villa d'Este on Lake Como, and the Hotel Cannero Lakeside Resort on Lake Maggiore.
Highlights of the Italian Lakes
Historic villas are to be found on every lake from the Grotte di Catullo Roman villa at Sirmione on Lake Garda to Villa Melzi and Villa Olmo on Lake Como and the Palazzo Estense in Varese. Most of these villas also have extraordinarily beautiful gardens (which can be visited as part of an Expressions Garden Tour holiday) such as the Villa Carlotta on Lake Como, the Isola Bella in Lake Maggiore and Villa Taranto at Punta della Castagnola on Lake Maggiore. Monte Mottarone above Stresa on Lake Maggiore and Monte Baldo above Lake Garda can both be reached by cable car and afford spectacular views. At Gargnano on Lake Garda you can see the stone pavilions where lemons were traditionally cultivated. Within the region there are national parks such as the Stelvio National Park north of Orta and the Parco Nazionale della Val Grande above Verbania on Lake Maggiore.
Cultural highlights of the Italian Lakes
Much of the artistic and architectural cultural wealth in the region is concentrated in the great cities such as Milan and Verona but also in the less well-known but culturally-rich centres of Bergamo, Brescia, Pavia, Mantova and Vicenza (not directly on the Lakes but within reach for a day`s excursion). Highlights include the frescoes by Masolino at Castiglione Olona, the Rocca (castle) at Angera, the Flemish tapestries on the Isola Bella Lake Maggiore, the marble cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore at Como and the works of art in the Galleria dell`Accademia Tadini at Lovere on Lake Iseo. Milan has La Scala, the Museo Poldi Pezzoli, the Brera Gallery (containing Raphael`s `Marriage of the Virgin` and the Montefeltro altarpiece by Piero della Francesca) and its Gothic cathedral. Verona has its annual opera festival from June until the end of August, the Romanesque church of San Zeno, the Renaissance Loggia del Consiglio and the Roman Arena.
Festivals in the Italian Lakes
The Verona Opera Festival takes place in the Roman Arena every year with performances running from June until the end of August. Verona also celebrates Carnival every year culminating on the Friday before Shrove Tuesday. Como holds a flea market, the Fiera di Pasqua, over the Easter weekend. Music festivals take place in Bergamo throughout the year. The Mille Miglia veteran car race starts and ends in Brescia (via Ferrara to Rome in May each year).
Gastronomy in the Italian Lakes
The cuisine of northern Italy tends to contain more meat and butter than further south and rice and polenta compete with pasta. Saffron is used extensively as in Risotto alla Milanese. Bresaola is cured raw beef served as an antipasta (now often with rocket and parmesan). Manzo al Barolo (beef in Barolo wine), Costolette alla Milanese (veal cutlets in breadcrumbs) and Ossobucco (veal in wine and tomatoes) are all popular dishes. Panettone cake and Zabaglione are two regional desserts. This region produces some of Italy's most famous cheeses such as Gorgonzola, Bel Paese, Fontina and Taleggio as well as some of Italy's most exportable wines such as Soave, Bardolino and Valpolicella. Less well known but interesting wines are produced in the Valtellina in the north of Lombardy and in Franciacorta near Lake Iseo.
