BellaRiva

Style

Klimt-patterned pad

Setting

Genteel Gardone Riviera

A classic Italian house set right on the shores of Lake Garda, boutique hotel BellaRiva makes a charming base for a peaceful lakeside getaway. With pristine grounds, sleek decor, attentive service and serene mountain-and-lake views, it’s just the place to indulge in a spot of idle reverie.

Facilities

Rooms

23, including eight suites.

Checkout

11am. Earliest check-in 3pm, but both are flexible subject to availability.

More Details

Rates include a buffet breakfast with pastries, cold meats, smoked salmon, mozzarella and fruits, as well as a selection of cooked eggs à la carte.

Also

Italian design whizz Piero Lissoni’s light touch is evident behind the hotel’s classic turn-of-the-century façade (he’s also responsible for the Conservatorium’s quirky-cool interiors in Amsterdam). The reception and bar areas mix soft-toned furnishings, carefully preserved original mouldings and floor-to-ceiling murals inspired by Klimt’s golden phase; upstairs, the original light stone treads and ornate ironwork make way for a sharp sheet-glassed staircase to the top-floor extension.

Hotel Closed

Every winter from October until mid April (specific dates vary annually).

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Golf

Laundry

Pet Friendly

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

At the Hotel

Swimming pool, grounds with direct access to the lake, in-room treatments, library and DVDs, bikes to borrow, boat rental, mooring (costs extra), free WiFi throughout. In rooms: flatscreen TV, air-conditioning, minibar.

Our Favourite Rooms

Rooms are simply decorated, with dark wood, beautifully soft white linens, and Klimt-patterned bedheads. The dazzling lake view is the real show-stealer here, so plump for a room with a balcony or terrace to make the most of it. Balcony Room 303 is spacious and light, with two floor-to-ceiling glass doors and striking vistas of the gardens and lake. We love View Suite 302’s bathroom, with a big freestanding tub for long soaks and the same spectacular outlook.

Poolside

The outdoor infinity pool sits has a large wooden deck, surrounded by sunloungers and parasols – the perfect spot to take in those tranquil lake views.

Spa

There's no spa, but in-room treatments are available on request.

Packing Tips

Amateur anglers may want to bring their fishing rods – the wooden jetty and boardwalk along the hotel’s grounds make a good spot to cast a line or two. Oversized sunnies and sharp sandals are a must for long lunches on the promenades.

Also

The hotel is easily accessed from the only road that sweeps round the lake, meaning you may catch the sound of passing cars in between tweeting birds, gently lapping waves and church bells wafting across the water.

Children

Welcome. Cots for children under three are free; an extra bed or sofa-bed for three to 16 year olds costs €50 a night. Babysitting can be arranged with a day’s notice, and costs €20 an hour.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

At night, the grounds are alluring, with glowing orbs scattered between the trees. Ask for the table at the furthest corner of the terrace for the best view and a bit of candlelit privacy.

Dress Code

Pedicures are de rigueur to show off a bare foot or summer sandal; Mr Smith will need crisp shorts for eating lakeside (and lounging poolside).

Hotel Restaurant

The Grill’s charming tiled open kitchen is a carnivore’s delight, with tartare, smoked lamb loins and corn-and-hay fed local beef on the menu. The meat-averse won’t starve though, with options such as creamy burrata, asparagus with truffle and home-made gnocchi. Meals are taken alfresco on the hotel’s lakefront wooden deck; there’s also a small and sleek parquet-floored dining room if the weather’s not up to it. The buffet breakfast is laid out on the long kitchen table in the library.

Hotel Bar

Housed in an extension built over the water, the bar has panoramic windows and sweeping lake views. Grab a deep armchair, admire the original mouldings above, and make yourself at home: Enzo, the gregarious barman, talks about wines as if they were old friends, but can also whip up a gentle mimosa or a heady passione (rum, passion fruit, banana syrup and prosecco, if you’re wondering).

Last Orders

You can call for drinks until midnight. Breakfast is served 7.30am– 11am; lunch 12.30pm-2.30pm; dinner 7pm–11pm.

Room Service

An all-day menu is available from 7am to midnight; during restaurant hours guests can also order from the main menu.

Planes

Verona airport is the nearest, about 70km or a 50-minute drive away, with good links to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Budget flights land at Bergamo airport (an hour’s drive); for better international connections, try Milan airports Linate (90 minutes away) or Malpensa (just under a two-hour drive).

Trains

Trenitalia trains (http://wwww.trenitalia.com) from Milan, Verona and Venice arrive at Desenzano station, a 30-minute drive from the hotel.

Automobiles

Lake Garda’s shores are best explored with a hire car, though it’s a short ride on local buses to nearby Salo or picture-perfect Gargnano. The hotel has free onsite parking, and is easily accessible from the main road circling the lake.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

An hour’s drive from Gardone, test the warm waters of Thermal Park Garda’s large man-made lake (+39 0457 590988; open all year, from 9am to 11pm and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays). Swimmers can luxuriate in the calcium-and-magnesium rich water and relax in the hydro-massage grotto. Desenzano’s markets make a good day trip on the ferry – raid Thursday’s farmer’s market (8am to 1pm) for cheeses and salamis, or stroll through the antiques market on the first Sunday of the month (9am to 6pm, closed in January and August). For a taste of Italy’s eccentric (and controversial) history, visit Vittoriale degli Italiani’s (+39 0365 296511) sprawling estate a short walk from BellaRiva: there’s an amphiteatre, a seaplane propeller hanging from a ceiling, and a whole boat hauled up the hill to rest among the trees.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .