Grand Hotel Fasano, Lake Garda

What do you imagine when you think of the north Italian lakes? If it’s manicured gardens stretching right to the lakeside, a border of steep valleys and docks leading out to private boats, then Grand Hotel Fasano could be the poster child for the stereotype.

Before we’ve even reached the front door, a suited doorman meets us and relieves us of our car, lest we have to walk more than a few feet to the main entrance. We notice a BMW parked up outside the front door – a courtesy car that guests can pay to use during their stay.

Inside, the hotel has retained much charm from its regal past with dark wood panelling, arched entranceways, and bright sitting rooms with French doors that open out onto the gardens and lake at the back. The decoration is in keeping with this traditional elegance – a grand piano in the corner, white birds in an ornate cage, lavish sitting areas, and voile curtains that blow in the autumn breeze. At the heart of the main reception room, children are helping themselves to jars of sweets arranged on a large circular table.

The room is tasteful luxury in beige and gold with an open plan design that comprises a huge bathroom, sitting area, bedroom and balcony. No expense has been spared in ensuring comfort here, from the blue velvet couches that make up the sitting area to the king-sized bed with plush headboard and cushions monogrammed with the hotel’s logo.

The bathroom is vast, taking in a double vanity area, large shower behind frosted glass and separate room for the toilet. A deep standalone bath takes centre-stage, and on the bath caddy are toiletries from iconic Italian brand Acqua di Parma. Fluffy towels, slippers and dressing gowns line the vanity shelves.

All of the amenities in the room are high quality, from the television to the Nespresso coffee machine, which is located conveniently close to the balcony so you can grab a cup in the morning and head straight outside to enjoy the view over the widest part of the lake and onto the vineyards of Valpolicella. To the left, the town of Toscolano Maderno sits by the lake in a burst of pastel colours.

In addition to the treatment rooms, the hotel’s new indoor pool area is a bright and calming sanctuary in white. The pristine pool is flanked by grecian-style columns and cloud-like day beds with canopies that can be drawn to enjoy a nap in full privacy. Aromas swirl around the new steam room, and the area also features a spacious jacuzzi that faces towards the gardens.

Unlike many of the high-end hotels in Lake Garda, Grand Fasano openly welcomes families and children, and there’s a separate pool area with slide for little ones to enjoy. It’s a real pinch-me moment to bask in the warmth of the outdoor pool with the brisk autumn breeze and sound of the lake lapping against the bank.

Grand Hotel Fasano is stunning both inside and out. The terrace bar is an idyllic spot to get comfortable on one of the cushioned sofas and order a cocktail while taking in the surroundings (including one of the many private speedboats that whizz by, occasionally docking at the hotel’s private pier).

Old school values underpin the service at Grand Hotel Fasano, and the attention to detail is second to none. The team remembers not just who the guests are, but also important details to enhance their stay. Having remembered from an earlier conversation that one of our party is gluten intolerant, our waiter immediately took us under his wing at at breakfast to point out every suitable dish. The subject of dietary requirements is also a point of note as they’re exceptionally well-catered for in Italy generally, and no risks are taken when it comes to cross-contamination. Italy has progressed much further than its European counterparts in this space, offering guests with dietary requirements a level of variety not experienced elsewhere – and Grand Hotel Fasano is no exception.

Breakfast is a thoroughly enjoyable event. Guests wander from buffet table to buffet table, picking from a generous selection of high-quality continental dishes, hot plates, and even a bellini bar. This is also not your standard continental hotel breakfast; it’s the first time we’ve ever seen cured swordfish and marinated salmon on a breakfast buffet table, not to mention the plethora of regional cheeses and charcuterie. We also order eggs Benedict fresh from the kitchen, which arrives under a silver cloche.

Overall, the culinary offering at Hotel Grand Fasano is impeccable, and there’s plenty of choice to suit any visitor in any mood. Due to its location slightly outside the town of Gardone, the team has striven to ensure plenty of on-site options (though it’s perfectly feasible to reach the nearby towns by taxi, and one of Lake Garda’s best-loved fine dining restaurants – Lido 84 – is just three minutes’ walk away) – there are four restaurants to choose from, ranging from Michelin starred Il Fagiano, with several outstanding tasting menus created by Head Chef Maurizio Bufi, to La Darsena, a more casual pizza and pasta restaurant a short distance from the hotel (and with a private dock to arrive by boat, if you’re feeling fancy).

We dined at Il Pescatore, which sits somewhere in the middle of Il Fagiano and La Darsena in terms of formality. It’s a chic and minimal spot overlooking the lake, with an excellent menu by Chef Pascuale Tozzi that delivers both taste and value for money.

Your evening nightcap awaits you at the hotel’s Gin Bar – a moody lounge with leather sofas and a menu of over 70 gins – before returning to your room to find that Housekeeping has stopped by to prepare turn down, complete with chocolate Baci on the bedside.

By the time our stay at Grand Hotel Fasano is over, we feel entirely rejuvenated. In an age of fast tourism, it has been refreshing to experience such considered service. The building is steeped in centuries of history, perpetuated not only by the chandeliers and wooden staircases, but by the traditional-style attention to detail that permeates through every aspect of the experience.

We stayed
in a Deluxe Lake View room, priced from €550 in low season including an exceptional breakfast and access to the spa facilities.

We enjoyed a 50′ full body Aveda Aroma Massage in the hotel’s Aqva Spa, priced at €105.

For best prices and availability, book directly through the Grand Hotel Fasano website.

This was a press stay – all opinions are our own.