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Italy Lakes / Mountains All Resorts (A-Z)

(Skiing has its own page under S)

Abano Terme - Italy

Hotel President- Abano Terme

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson- July 06

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : A.Brown- Dumfries- (43,54):

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel manages to combine traditional elegance with modern state of the art facilities and treatments.

The five star rating is well deserved with outstanding customer service, levels of service and surroundings.

The restaurant service is superb combining a self service buffet for starter and then moving onto traditional waiter service for the next four courses. As the service is individual at you table you are able top instruct how much or how little you want on your plate. The food is superb with a nice candlelit atmosphere and pianist playing in the background. You are advised that jackets should be worn at dinner, however this level of formality was not adhered to making dinner comfortable but not over formal.

Having never been on this type of holiday or had any treatments before we didn't know what to expect and were a bit nervous. The treatments, whether health treatments or beauty treatments were fantastic and the staff helped us to get to grips with things in a very unassuming manner, and as we went as part of Thomsons were included in our stay making it exceptional value for money.You can choose which treatments
you prefer on arrival but the mud baths and massage were an experience!

The pool was fantastic and you every whim catered for - no need to take towels as everything was supplied.

The poolside bar for drinks or lunch was teriffic value.

The hotel offered us a free wine tasting trip in the local hiils- this is a must.
There is also a wine tasting evening in the hotel which again was free to residents.


The hotel is situated 50m from the centre of Abano Terme and while in the centre of things the hotel was in a quiet location next to the pedestrian precinct.

Abano Terme is a quiet and relaxing place but with enough bars and hotels to offer a variety. There is entertainment in the main square every night where locals and holiday makers meet by the numerous water features.The town is big enough for those who like to wander rather than be by the pool.

Abano Terme is within easy reach of Venice, Verona and Padua and the concierge at the hotel has every piece of information to hand that you require to visit whether it be by train or bus. The Opera at Verona is a must for the atmosphere- a bit of advice - pay a bit extra for the seats rather than the steps!

I would suggest that this holiday is not suitable for children but for adults it is a totally relaxing experience and we are going to book up immediately for next year at the Hotel President.

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Bardolino - Italy

Hotel Bologna - Bardolina - Lake Garda

Operator and Date: Inghams August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Catherine  - Newcastle   ( 59, 55, 36, 30 & 1)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our second trip Lake Grada and the resort of Bardolino. Bardolino is a beautiful little town with many winding streets and fantastic cafes and resturants. We stayed in the Hotel Bologna a small family run hotel. The family were friendly and spoke very good English. The hotel was clean and the breakfast plentiful. Our room was clean and well furnished. 

We would highly recommend this lovely location and fantastic hotel.

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Hotel Bologna - Bardolina - Lake Garda

Operator and Date: Inghams - August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : C Dobson -Newcastle (55)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Have just returned from holiday at the above and had a wonderful time.
Bardolina is a lovely resort on the shores of Lake Garda and easy accessable to other resorts on the lake lots of lovely restaurants at different price ranges.
The hotel Bologna is a lovely clean family run hotel and you are made to feel very welcome the pool although not huge was never to busy and was kept lovely and clean as was the whole hotel lovely white fluffy towels in the well furnished comfortable rooms.
We will definately be returning in the future.
Dont expect lots of wild night life but enjoy the slow relaxing pace like the Italians do music was to be found most nights either in the park or the main square and the ice cream was to die for.

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Hotel Caesius - Bardolino

Operator and Date: Crystal Lakes & Mountains - May 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : D&D - Lincolnshire (50s)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We went at the end of May 2005. Travel arrangements and Crystal staff first class. Lovely hotel, suite well worth 4* rating.  Food good, lovely pool area. some building work going on nearby but no problem at all.  Hotel at Cisano and good 15-20 minute walk to Bardolino - but is quite flat - good for walking around & cycling. Enjoyed the holiday & would go back.  Weather lovely, warm evenings even next to the lake.  Use local buses & ferries, easy & run on time!

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Hotel Caesius - Bardolino

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - 2004 / 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : 39,41,70

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The walk to the town is all on the flat along the lake side and very pleasant. However my mum who is 70 found it a bit of a trek, but she isn't that fit. It is about one mile. The hotel bus needs to be booked in advance and you have to prearrange the time to be pick up which is not very convienent. And according to my mum it didn't drop you very close to town.

Also make sure you get this seasons Ferry timetable we didn't and nearly missed the last Ferry back to bordolino.

The Hotel itself is on the lake edge but is separated by a busy road. The rooms we had were great and the food was very good with excellent service.

The buildings work is nothing to worry about and didnt interfere. No noise.

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Hotel Caesius - Bardolino

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Derek & Christine Bament  - Sussex 57 & 55

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Our first visit to Lake Garda. Very enjoyable though the weather in August is hot (in excess 31C every day) and humid. (Thunder on 3 evenings). The resort was much busier than we had imagined though as the pace of life is very relaxed this was not a problem and if anything added to the atmosphere in the evenings.

We cannot praise the staff at the hotel too greatly. They were very friendly and helpful particularly as my wife has special dietary needs. The food was of high quality and as previous reviewers have said you need the exercise of walking or cycling along the promenade to burn up the calories. The one reservation that we would have about the hotel is that when well occupied the pool is unable to really cope with the numbers. Try a dip in Lake Garda instead. Very pleasant, though take along some footwear to walk over the stoney/shingley lakeside edges.

We were offerred a free half day boat trip around the southern parts of Lake Garda which was very pleasant and the full day coach trip organised by Thomson allowed us to have a "taste" of the other resorts on the Lake some of which have more spectacular settings.

Local ice creams "something to die for".

All in all a very enjoyable holiday.

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Hotel Caesius Therme - Bardolino

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Lakes & Mountains - Sept 06

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Corinne Redwood & Chris Leighton (29, 30)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We spent 7 nights at Bardolino on Lake Garda during September 2006. Here follows a rather lengthy account of our trip - hope it is useful!

The Journey

We flew from Birmingham to Verona with Thomson-fly, which took less than 2 hrs each way. There were minimal delays in both directions and the in-flight service was adequate (meals were included but there was no entertainment). We had only a short wait at Verona airport before boarding our transfer coach for the 45 minute drive to Bardolino.

The Weather

Unfortunately we had a week of unsettled weather, including a couple of cold and rainy days. This restricted the excursions we could do but did allow us to make full use of the indoor pool and spa at our hotel.

The Hotel - Hotel Caesius Therme, Bardolino, Lake Garda (www  hotelcaesiusterme  com/)

We stayed at the Caesius for 7 nights, having chosen it because it was the closest and cheapest 4* hotel to Verona in the Thomson Lakes and Mountains brochure. We were unsure of what to expect as there were few photos in the brochure and many of the facilities were not due to open until 2006. The rep told us that the hotel had only started out as the 2 small buildings and pool in the grounds of the main hotel and that the main complex was indeed brand new for 2006. The official rating is 4 1/2 stars now and it would not surprise me if the Thomson ratings and prices increase in 2007 as the Caesius is a very nice hotel. 

The reception is light and airy with lots of comfortable chairs and some interesting water sculptures. The reception desk is open 24hrs and you can book excursions and hire bikes and keyboards for the internet from there. The main bar and restaurant are on the floor below. Dinner is 4 courses by waiter service and you are allocated the same table for the duration of your stay (more on the food later!). You can also eat in the Augustus a la carte restaurant for no extra cost if you book in advance. Breakfast is served in the main restaurant from 7-10 and in the Augustus from 8-11 - there is slightly more choice in the main restaurant but we preferred the Augustus as the terrace overlooks the lake. The bar is open for most of the day and serves ice creams and cakes as well as drinks. Evenings there were fairly low key with entertainment in the form of small groups of musicians on some nights. The drinks normally came with some sort of snack such as crisps or peanuts, plus there was a free buffet of cakes and fruit every afternoon. There is also an 'Enoteca' - a wine tasting bar where you could buy wine or attend wine tasting evenings and some nights they served free aperitifs before dinner. Lunch could be bought from the pool bar, terrace bar or it was only a 5 minute walk to the cafes of Cisano.

The other hotel facilities were equally as impressive. The gardens are lovely and fit in well with the pool areas. There are 3 main outdoor pools - one which has various Jacuzzi functions and a small children's pool. There were always plenty of sun beds and parasols available. The outdoors pools looked lovely but it wasn't really warm enough for us to want to use them. We didn't have the best of weather while we were there, so the indoor pool and spa were a godsend. The pool itself is not very big but has an added bonus of a separate Jacuzzi pool with 5 different types of Jacuzzi - we loved this. The spa area was open in the afternoons and had three different saunas of varying temperatures and humidity and a number of 'emotional showers' - if you've not come across these before then I won't spoil the surprise. We spent a lovely couple of afternoons making full use of this, only slightly marred by the presence of other guests in the nude (I know there's nothing wrong with naturism but it doesn't mean I want to experience it at close quarters!). There was also a free gym and a treatment spa which had thermal pools and Ayurveda treatments at varying costs - but we didn't make use of this. The hotel also lay on activities such as aqua aerobics, walking and boat trips - details of these can be found in the weekly newsletter that you can get from reception.

The hotel is located just outside Cisano on the lake road to Bardolino on the land side but only a 1 minute walk from the lake shore. The promenade walk to Bardolino is flat and takes less than 30 mins. Buses run past the hotel in both directions - the nearest stops are in the centre of Cisano or Bardolino. We didn't hire a car, but if we had done then the hotel has a large free underground car park.

When we booked, there hadn't been any 'standard' rooms left so we had to pay a bit extra for a room with balcony/terrace. We were actually given a room in one of the garden buildings with a terrace, which I wasn't too happy with as it was only separated by a low bush from the room next door and we therefore had little privacy. The room itself was very nice with a large wardrobe and lots of storage space, although we could have done with more hanging space in the bathroom. The hotel provides you with pool towels, robes, slippers and a bag for use while you are there - a nice touch. The TV had BBC World and you could also use it to surf the internet by hiring a keyboard from reception. Despite a notice saying that non-hotel items would be removed from the minibar, we managed to use it to store our water all week (you can get very cheap mineral water from the Aldi just down the road - turn right out of the hotel). The hotel website claims that the rooms are soundproofed but this definitely isn't true, though it wasn't excessively noisy. You are given key cards on arrival - keep these with you at all times as the lift and the majority of external and internal doors can only be opened this way.

Overall, we really liked this hotel and were glad that we had chosen it. We would recommend it to anyone, but there were very few families with children there so it is more suited to couples.

The Food

We stayed at the Caesius on a half board basis. Breakfast is served buffet style with a huge range of hot and cold foods including sausages, bacon, eggs, cereals, cold cheeses and meats, bread, yoghurts and pastries. We never came away hungry! In the evening, we did have the choice of booking a table at the a la carte restaurant, but the food in the main restaurant was so good that we never felt the need to go elsewhere. Every night we had a 4 course waiter service meal, with a set starter, a choice of first and second courses and salad and desert buffets. The menus were different every night including dishes such as wild boar pasta, beef carpaccio with pear sauce and French onion soup. The service was sometimes a little slow but we would go and get salad or bread while we were waiting.

We ate lunch at the pool bar a couple of times and the sandwiches/burgers etc were good and not too expensive. We also ate in some of the cafes in Cisano which were fine. When we went to Verona, we found a lovely café by the Duomo (face the front entrance and it's on your right) and also one by the lakeside in Malcesine (face the ferry stop and then take the street to your right). Generally we spent no more than 15 euros per person on lunch.

Days Out

The day after we arrived, we went to the tourist office in Bardolino and picked up leaflets for local attractions and copies of the current bus and ferry timetables. You can buy bus tickets either before boarding, or on the bus for a small surcharge. I'm not sure if you can buy ferry tickets on the boats themselves or not as we only travelled on one once. The buses are much cheaper and quicker than the ferries.

Verona - We caught the bus from Cisano which took about 45 mins and cost about 8 euros for a single ticket. On arrival, we went straight to the Arena and bought Verona cards. These cost 8 euros for 1 day and give free entry to the majority of Verona's museums and churches and free use of local buses - very good value for money as we were able to see almost everything of interest in one day. Our best tip would be to visit the roman amphitheatre just north east of the Duomo as there is a lift that takes you up to a museum on the hill with fantastic view over the city. Also be warned that the Castelvecchio is not actually a castle but instead houses an art gallery so it is not worth going inside unless you like that sort of thing.

Malcesine - We were advised by our rep that it wasn't worth going up Monte Baldo on the cable car if weather conditions meant that you couldn't see the other side of the lake clearly from our hotel. We were hoping to go up on a dry, clear day, but events conspired against us and it was rather dull and wet on the day that we chose. We got the bus from Cisano which took about an hour and then walked a short way to the cable car station. It cost 16 euros each for a return ticket to the top, so we were gutted when we got to the top and it was 7 degrees and raining with little visibility. Amazingly, after a cake and coffee stop at the café, the mist lifted and we were able to have a bit of a walk around and take some photos. It was still very cold though - so either go on a warm day or take lots of warm layers. Afterwards we visited the castle, which has great views of the surrounding areas and it worth a visit. We thought that Malcesine had a lot of character and were glad we had visited it.

Movieland Studios Theme Park (www  canevaworld  it) - We went to catch the bus from Cisano, only for it to drive past our stop as it was full. The next one wasn't due for 45 mins and we had no idea if it would stop either, so we decided to go back to our hotel and ask reception to call us a taxi. Luckily we were actually able to flag one down a short while later. It wasn't cheap though, costing 16 euros for a 10 minute ride, but it did mean we got there just as the gates opened. 

Entrance to the park wasn't too expensive (about 16 euros each) and in high season you can buy joint tickets that allow you to use the water park as well (this closes in mid Sept). As the name suggests, it is a theme park based around the film industry. During the whole day, 'film crews' patrol the main areas and try and get you involved in re-enactions of scenes from various movies (e.g. Scooby Doo, Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend). This was a bit daunting when we first got there but we did get used to it. As we were there out of the main season, the rides were not running for the whole day, so you had to consult the map and timetable that you were given to work out what to go on when. As it was quiet, we were able to go on everything at least once in the 6 hours we were there - particular highlights were the submarine simulator (you will get very, very wet), Magma (recreation of a disaster movie), the Horror House (a haunted house recreating scenes from well known horror movies with live actors) and the Terminator 2 experience. There were also live action shows on during the day - we particularly liked the Rambo and Stuntmen Academy ones. We had a really good day out but it would have been better if there had been a few more rides - if you want rollercoasters then I think that Gardaland would be better. We went to get the local bus back to our hotel but then a free 'Movieland' one turned up so we got that instead (I wouldn't rely on it though - take the number of a local taxi firm just in case).

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Hotel Capri - Bardolino

Operator and Date: Crystal Holidays - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Barrie & Elizabeth Crawford (54, 57)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel Capri is under 5 minutes walk from the lakeside on the main road.  When arriving at the hotel, the bus drops you off at a car park on other side of the road.

Accommodation is fine and well kept.  All rooms are en suite with a balcony (with a table and 2 chairs)and air-conditioning.  Breakfast is a typical continental buffet affair with a good choice - fruit juices, cereals, fruit salad, fruit, cold meat, cheese, tomatoes, boiled eggs, yogurt, rolls, etc.
There is a good sun terrace and pool, which is in the sun for the full day.  If you don't take your own towels for the pool these can be hired at a small cost.  The pool is about 20 yards long, but is under 6 feet deep at the deep end.  The hotel also has a bar which serves drinks (also to the poolside).

The pace of life in Bardolino is relaxed.  There are plenty of cafes and restaurants for a drink, snack or full meal.  Our favourite restaurant was Agli Oleandri, with San Martini Pizzeria a close second.  We also had a good meal at La Formica.  For ice-cream lovers, don't miss Cristallo's beside the jetty - people come especially for their ice-cream sundaes.

Getting about the lake is easy and as it was our first time there, we did both the Lower and Upper Lake trips.  When you buy the tickets you are given a time-table so that you can visit a number of little towns.  You leave Bardolino around 9.00am and are back around 7.00pm and both trips give you a flavour of the other resorts on the lake.  If you only have time to do one of them, we would suggest the Upper Lake trip.
Garda to the north and Lasize to the south are both about a 3 mile walk away along the lakeside and is virtually all traffic free.

We went on 2 organised trips - to the opera at Verona (wonderful experience) and Venice by night which leaves about noon and returns around 12.30am.  The drive to Venice takes about 2 hours, but there's plenty to do and see, although it's very crowded.  Gondola rides and a boat trip are optional extras.
If you want to visit Verona on your own, there's a bus service which leaves from the tourist information office.  The journey takes about 45 minutes and you get dropped off near the centre of town.

All in all a lovely relaxing holiday and we would happily go back again.

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Color Hotel - Bardolino

Operator and Date: BOOKED DIRECT - JULY 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : M & J Lunn (30's)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This hotel as well as the resort itself is fantastic if you want to kick back and relax.
Color is one of the nicest hotels we have ever stayed at and if honest we are not that easily pleased.
The staff are very kind and helpful, the pools,bars & restaurant are very stylish and spotless.
The rooms are very comfortable and stylish and the atmosphere in the hotel was relaxed and calm which made that difference.
The poolside bar is open until midnight so very nice after an evening out to end the night there.
I would reccomend this hotel to couples and families with children of all ages. It was a real pleasure staying here and we will definatley be going back. 
We can't fault a thing!!

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Color Hotel - Bardolino

Operator and Date: August 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : 35,45

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

If you are going to Lake Garda don't miss it

We've stayed a few times at the Color Hotel in Bardolino and each time had a very nice room, last time a spacious suite and experience. The location is great and very convenient, charming  interiors and unique design.
The  gardens ,the pools, are very nice and confortable. The staff is very helpful and most of them speaks fluent English.
The atmosphere in the evening is wonderful with all the color lights .
We can suggest you .... if your are going to Garda Lake  don't   miss it !!!

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Color Hotel - Bardolino

Operator and Date: Booked Direct - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Keith Chelmsford (59, 48, 17, 15)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Color Hotel is excellent!  

We booked directly with them, after looking at their website.  It was very easy as all the receptionists speak fluent English and it is much cheaper than a package.  All the staff are extremely efficient and couldn't do enough to help.  The hotel is spotlessly clean, modern, and the interior design is brilliant.  We stayed in a Perla Suite which is the most expensive option, but it was lovely.  I understand there are cheaper rooms, but I don't know how they compare.  They will also arrange for you to be picked up from the airport in a stretched limo (cost 45 euros more than a taxi but worth it to see our teenage daughters' faces)!  All four of us are vegetarians, but this was not a problem as the chef was happy to cook an alternative if necessary, or adapt something from the menu. If you are booked on half board basis you have the option of taking lunch instead of dinner, which we did one day as we wanted to try a lakeside restaurant one evening.  The town of Barolino is a pleasant 5 minute walk from the hotel.  It is easy to get around by boat (reception will supply a timetable)as some of the other lakeside villages are well worth a visit.  We also went to Verona by bus (about 1 hour) - a lovely city.  We had reservations about taking two teenage girls to Lake Garda, but the number of shoe and handbag shops in Bardolino kept them more than happy!  

All in all a great holiday and a lovely hotel which we just could not fault in any way.      

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Hotel Gritti - Bardolino

Operator and Date: Thomson June 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Lynn Archer 57, 61

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

One of the best hotels we have stayed in.  We were slightly apprehensive having seen some comments about repetitive foot and unresponsive staff but our fears were unfounded.  The food was excellent, and the staff most helpful.  The only moans we heard were from a couple who were returning for the third time!!! so obviously it can't have been that bad even for them.  Evening entertainment was by the poolside bar and there was an evening each week for every taste,from classis to Jazz and from dancing to easy listening.

Excursions were well organised to Verona and Venice.  It's a good idea to go to the organised welcome meeting to find out how the ferry time table works but once mastered the ferries are prompt and easy to use.

Bardolino has plenty of restaurants and bars for an evening stroll.  Garda is about an hours stroll away.  Going first thing in the morning keeps you in the shade for most of the way.  Nice for a stroll round the shops, a coffee and/or lunch and get the ferry back.

It's such a beautiful place we plan to go back next year possibly to Malcesne and try to see the bits we missed this year. 

If you like lovely scenery, and plenty of different places to sample it's ideal.

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Nettuno - Bardolino

Operator and Date: crystal - august2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : 30& 37

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Bardolino is a great resort proballt the best in the area. Plenty of bars & places to eat. Go bed and breakfast if you like to go to a varity of restaurants. The Nettuno food however was still A class so dont let half board put you off.
This hotel looks dated from the outside this does nort do this hotel justice. The staff are helpful and even the mini bar is not badly priced. Lucky enough to have partial lake view but dont think paying for view in this hotel would be costwise.The pool is small and hotel and lake garda are poopular with the 60+ age group. Dont let this put you off as its shoppers paradise dont buy shoes or swimwear before you go.

Go to Balzano on train if you like shops its a really pretty ex part of Austria. The dolamites are good and also a trip to Venice however weekend break gives more time.Wine tour a must  glasses in 1 hour 2 of those 15%!!Then 45% grappa & olive oil & cheeses and meets to try.This is half day trip but weell worth it.Only wish I could have brought more home to drink!Superb wine.

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Hotel Parc Gritti - Bardolino

Operator and Date: First Choice - 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Janice & John Oakford 54 & 58 Mal & Richsrd Lewis 59 & 60

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This is one of the nicest hotels that we have ever stayed in, nothing was too much trouble for the staff, who were very helpful and friendly, the food was excellent, accommodation was great, a bowl of fruit was left in the room on our arrival, and a bottle of water and bubbly, the fruit bowl was replenished every other day. Towelling robes and slippers were left for us to use.
Hairdryers were supplied and towels around the pool were provided, plenty of loungers around the pool, and the pool bar was very good value. We will most definately return to this hotel.

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Hotel Parc Gritti - Bardolino

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Tom & Margaret Davidson 53,53

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel was superb, clean and the rooms were great. We decided not to pay extra for a balcony and landed up with avery large L shaped room. Facilities in the room included, TV, mini-bar, air conditioning bath robes hair dryer etc.
There are 3 choices of where you want to eat at no extra cost.
The reception staff speak very good English. Take Euro travellers cheques as the exchange rate in the hotel was not too good.
Trips to go on as a must is the Venice by night, the Dolomites and Florence.  Florence is 4 hours each way so be aware of it before booking. Take warm clothes for the Dolomites but do not miss it.

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Hotel Ventaglio - Cisano, Bardolino

Operator and Date: Crystal  - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Wilma Reid - Carnoustie (55,58)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from our first trip to Lake Garda, and could not have chosen a better resort than Bardolino. We specifically wanted a bed and breakfast hotel, and opted for the Hotel Ventaglio, situated in Cisano, on the outskirts of Bardolino, a good 20 minute walk from the centre of town. This fifteen bedroom hotel, exclusive to Crystal, was more than we expected - immaculate and tastefully decorated room, lovely clean swimming pool and generous buffet breakfast. The manager, Salvo, and his staff, Francesca in particular, are justifiably proud of their little hotel, and nothing is too much trouble for them. A ten minute walk from the hotel takes you to the lakeside, then it's another 10 to 15 minutes to the town, but it's an extremely enjoyable experience. There are several excellent eating places near the hotel, in particular Ristorante da Angelo, just practically round the corner, where the food is really nice, and inexpensive. We can't recommend this place highly enough, and would definitely return in the future. Incidentally,  most of the hotels we saw actually looked better in reality than they did in the brochures, and from conversations we had with fellow travellers, we heard absolutely no bad reports. Well worth a visit.

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Hotel Villa Letizia - Bardolino

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Hartleys - Greater Manchester (55 & 52)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Good location - on the lake front. Has a rooftop sun terrace, together with a further area on the gravel "beach" (which we found to be pleasanter). Smallish hotel with 40+ rooms - adequate size and small balcony, air conditioned.

Friendly & efficient staff. Breakfast buffet has all the "standards" expected in European holiday hotels - pastries, fruit, cereal, cheese, ham, etc. Dinner includes a  salad, four choices of starters (normally including a soup and a pasta), four main courses and three desserts. Starters and mains normally include veggie and fish options. The salad is a buffet with the remaining courses being served to you. In the Italian way, potato and vegetables with the main course are little more than a garnish. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of the food.  Dinner selections have to be made at breakfast, though.

For a change, we ate out a couple of nights. Bardolino is full of restaurants - all of which seems to be of good quality and a reasonable price. They have a much wider selection of pizzas than we are used to in the UK and of a much better quality - we tried these on several lunchtimes. The centre of town is only a 10 minute stroll.

The ferry is a great way to get about and see some of the other nearby villages and small towns and would particularly recommend trips to Lazise and Garda (although both are only a hours stroll away) and Sirmione and Malcesne.

We would certainly consider staying in Bardolino again and at the Villa Letizia. It was a very relaxing 10 days. We'd also think about staying in Sirmione.

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Baveno - Italy

Hotel Splendid - Baveno

Operator and Date: Archers Direct

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : David Owen

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Beware!  This hotel has two annexes.  If you are allocated a room innthe remote annexe the numbers start with 0 (zero)  Rooms 011. 023 and 033 are approx twelve feet square.  The rooms and shower rooms are so small, there is only a folding door to the miniscule bathroom.  There is no room for a "normal" door.  If you and your wife/partner/etc want tosit on the balcony - at 4feet 6 inches by 2 feet - remove the table first.

Archers Four Star - i think not!!!

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Cadenabbia - Italy

Hotel BelleVue- Cadennabia

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Derek & Chhristine - Sussex (59,57)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Having read some of the earlier reviews pre 2005 we were uncertain as to what to expect. The hotel is now owned by the same company that has the 4* Grand Hotel Menaggio and major renovation work is being undertaken.. 

The hotel claims to be the oldest on Lake Como and was certainly built before 1823. Having compared a photo we took with that in Thomson's brochure it would appear a third floor has been added to the adjoining buildings to the original hotel and these are still in course of being furbished. 

We were awoken on the first morning by workmen hammering at shortly after 07.00. We complained to the rep and thereafter work started at 08.00. At no time had Thomson advised us that building/renovation work was being undertaken. We paid for a lake view. We were not disappointed. It must go down as one of if not the best view we have ever had. 

There is a busy road that runs pass the hotel albeit the traffic is usually cars and motorcycles, the latter being probably the noisier. This road runs pass almost all the hotels along this side of the lake including 4* and 5* and if you are a light sleeper it may be advisable to take one of the rear non lake view rooms. Our room was large, clean but disappointingly furnished. The slatted shutters to the balcony were difficult to move. Possibly because of this and the building work that had been undertaken above our room the balcony was dull and dusty It was only in the latter part of the holiday when we happened to see how some of the other rooms were furnished that we realised that our room was only partly renovated; new skirting board not painted, door to bedroom only coated in primer/undercoat. Suspect Thomson have taken the rooms with the cheapest rate for its clients.

We have visited two other Italian lakes staying in 4* accommodation. The food here was just as good though the choice of hot breakfast was limited to fried egg, scrambled egg and bacon. My wife requires a gluten free diet which the hotel were happy to accommodate by pointing out which meals she could not have and cooking gluten free spaghetti or a meal without the accompanying sauce if this was what she wanted. The starter and dessert were buffet service while waiters brought you the pasta and main courses. Servings of these latter courses were not substantial but it is a 4 course meal. Restaurant staff helpful and efficient.

Entertainment is low key. Thomson's brochure refers to live music 3 nights a week. This would appear to consist of a pianist playing background music at dinner.

There is a small swimming pool and sun bathing area at the rear of the property.

Cadenabbia

The little village in which the hotel is situated was disappointing. It appears to be the "poor relation" of the other villages/towns. There is a pavement alongside the lake that will enable you to take probably a one to two mile stroll. There are cafes, and restaurants both here and at the adjoining village of Tremezzo. While the pavements in the latter are paved those in Cadenabbia are loose gravel. Other than presumably emptying the litter bins the local authority appears to be doing little to improve the village's appearance. It looks tired and dusty. Possibly the lack of a large 4*/5* hotel and larger restaurants, which the other villages/towns seem to have means it does not have the revenue to justify the cost.

Summary
The hotel would appear to be much improved from earlier reports and I would suspect further improvements will be undertaken during the winter when it is closed. Some of the interior work that requires repainting/renovating cannot be done when it is occupied. It was very busy when we were there with a broad spread of nationalities. There could be concern that when all the new rooms are in use whether the dining room will be able to cope particularly at breakfast when queues were already forming for the coffee, fruit juice machines, etc. Nevertheless if you are looking for a quite, relaxing holiday we think the hotel gives quite reasonable value for money.

NB If you go to this or any of the other hotels on Lake Como and are flying from London Gatwick consider carefully the transfer time after arriving in Italy. Thomson fly only to Verona and the scheduled time for getting from this hotel to the flight departure time from Verona airport is in the region of 5 hours 40 minutes. Inghams and Jules Verne fly from Gatwick to Milan where the same hotel to flight departure time is 3 hours 30 minutes.

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Hotel BelleVue- Cadennabia

Operator and Date: Shearings - June 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Emma  - London

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Please , please , please can Shearings and other tour operators stop using this hotel.
Most people in our party that stayed at the hotel last week were disgusted with the standard and I see there are other bad reviews on this website.

The good things about the hotel are that Cadenabbia is a good location to get to other parts of the lake and the view of the lake from the hotel is good ( If you managed to get a room that had a view that is ).
The staff were helpful but the Shearings representative wasn't. When we asked to be moved we were told that if we weren't happy they would arrange a flight home for us ( Hardly the answer you want when you have booked time off work).
The food was plain and boring ( Served to you in school meal fashion ) I had to literally ask for an extra potatoe one night as they only gave you 1.

The hotel needs alot of money spending on it and was probably very grand in it's day but when I looked at other 3 * hotels around the lake they put this one to shame.
The first night we didn't sleep due to the very busy and noisy road outside ( Not mentioned in the booking details) when we moved rooms one night due to the noise they managed to put a party of students in the room next to ours - another noisy night.The bathrooms are tiny and your knees touched the sink when you're on the toilet , there is dust everywhere and if you're really lucky ants crawling from the rotting windows.

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Hotel BelleVue- Cadennabia

Operator and Date: Independant, May 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : J. Craven,  South Wales,over 60

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Lots of people unhappy with accommadation, some rooms were described as like "the Black Holes of Calcutta". Beds were very clean, linen changed regularily, and towels changed every day.  

The dining room floor was a disgrace, the parquet flooring having collapsed in many places, and I am surprised that there hasn't been a serios accident there. At times to get a meal meant waiting in a tremendous queue as there did not seem to be any organisation. Some of the meals were tasty, but on the whole not to be reccomended.There were cockroaches on the floor of the dining room, and unfortunately some of these had found their way into the luggage of some of the party,goodness knows how. 

The area is very beautiful, although the very busy road that runs at the front of the hotel, apart from being noisy means that going for a stroll in the evening is a little difficult. No complaints about the staff, they did their best and all were very pleasant.

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Diano Marina - Italy

Hotel Iva - Diano Marina

Operator and Date: Consort Travel - July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Bob/Caroline Hose 59/58

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Have travelled to Italy many,many times before. This is the first time by coach, and the first time to Liguria.
We paid a supplement to travel on "Royal Consort", an upgraded coach with reclining seats, more legroom etc. Our two drivers Titch, and Leon were exceptional for their dedication to their passengers and good humour, and service on- board.

Hotels at the two overnight stopovers in Paris-outbound, and Dijon-return were excellent with good rooms and food.
Diano Marina is a typical Italian resort with good beach facilities, very clean and
with good shops etc (no tourist tat).There is a pedestrianised main street
with excellant bars and restaurants, also there is a seafront esplanade, again with many bars, all reasonably priced.

The owners of the Hotel Iva were always pleasant and helpful, the food for the evening meal was plentiful, although catering for our group was slanted at the tourist.Other guests had a differnt menu.
We only had another vegetable apart from potatoes once all week.Breakfasts were boring, hard rolls, ham and cheese. The other guests were offered fresh croissants.
Our room was very small. Because the double bed was only 15 inches from the wall/window I had to climb over the bed.Also had to straddle the bidet to use the sink.!!!!Although fresh towels every day and maids kept rooms very clean.

Consorts brochure mentions that there is a climb from the town to the hotel, but does not mention that the hotel is on the main road into the resort and suffers from heavy traffic noise(including construction lorries going to building sites)from around 0600 till 0200 in the morning, you either close the windows and suffocate, or listen to the noise. Our first good nights sleep after six nights was the stopover on the journey home.
There are two excellent included excursions. recommend Monoco/Monte Carlo
but take your passport if you want to go in the Casino.The visit to the OLD town of Dolceacqua was also very interesting and included a visit to a typical restaurant,local buffet style lunch including wine.EXCELLENT!!!!

Our tour guide for the excursions was also excellent. Marisa, an italian lady, born in Italy,who lived in Australia for a while, excellant english , and lots and lots of info about the region, its history and culture etc.
The outbound journey went without a hitch taxi/feeder coach to Dover, and changeover to the "Royal Consort" before boarding the ferry, all made easy by Titch and Leon.

The return journey arrived at Calais early, and again as we had time before the ferry Titch and Leon took us to a wine Hypermarket. Six bottles of excellant Cote de Rhone, for £16...
Ferry was an hour late leaving Calais, and one of the coaches was delayed ariving at the interchange, so we set of nearly two hours late. We also had an extra changeover...three coaches from Dover to Bridgwater, arriving at 0230 instead of 0050. Luckily the taxi we had arranged to meet us at Bridgwater agreed to come out and collect us.
Liguria is and excellent region of Italy, with stunning views, coach travel was excellent,but hotel not up to standard.

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Gardone Riviera - Italy

Grand Hotel - Gardone Riviera

Operator and Date: Crystal - June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Mark Rainford - Cork (30, 30, 10 months)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Resort : Nice, but a little quiet. Mainly geared towards the more senior traveller. there is not enough to keep younger people amused in the evenings

Hotel : In general pretty nice, however I was absolutely disgusted with the way we were treated.

We paid for 2 adults to go half board for 2 weeks ( a tidy sum in itself) and took along our daughter (10 months old) for free, as with all hotels. At dinner on the first night we asked for a BABY portion of pasta, which consisted of about 10-15 pieces of penne and some tamato sauce. they also brought out 3 pieces of melon (of which she could only eat one). Although we were asked to sign for wine, water and any additional food from the A La Carte menu, we were never asked to sign for the baby food, or even given an indication that there was a cost. had there been so we would have fed her elsewhere, or fed her off our own plates (there was a free dessert buffet after all).

When we came to pay the bill (expecting to have the wine and water costs) we got a nasty suprise, 14 x e25. Apparently the manager had 'decided' that the baby portions should be charged at e25 a time. Now I've never met a baby yet that could eat e25 of food (unless they were eating caviar), but it is not so much the amount of the charge, but the fact we were never told about it that really annoyed me.

On making a complaint to the receptionistwe were told that the waiters had not informed us of the charge because 'it is not beautiful for the waiters to talk of money around the food!' - presumably charging e350 for a 10 month old baby is beautiful!.

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Grand Hotel - Gardone Riviera

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - June 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Pauline Hodge (70+

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Grand is a 4 star hotel, and Winston Churchill is supposed to have stayed there. If you want a holiday where you have clean sheets and towels every day, also a wonderful attentive service this is the hotel to stay at. However, if you enjoy good cooked hot food, then forget it, as the meal every night was cold, and no matter how many times we said so, not only us, but other guests as well, nothing was ever done about it. 

Lake Garda is a beautiful place to visit, but personally I would have preferred to have stayed in Garda town itself, it was more lively, more shops, and certainly more choice of restaurants to eat in, and if we go back to Lake Garda that will be our choice.

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Grand Hotel - Gardone Riviera

Operator and Date: Expedia - May 2004

Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Roger Nunns - Huddersfield (47, 47)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Stayed 5 days at Gardone in GH Gardone. Massive place right on water front with all rooms at front overlooking lake - make sure you get lake facing room. Old style hotel with good rooms - biews are amazing. Stunning views of expanse of lake and bachdrop of mountains including picturesque snow topped ones.

Gardone at this time of year was very quiet and peaceful with lots of our OAP friends on organised tours. Being so quiet, it means you can enjoy the freedom to do what you like at a leisurely pace - no queues, hassle - just how we like it!

Although you can get around on public transport, I'd recommend hiring a car. We flew into Verona having spent the previous week in Sorrento. Piked up a car at the airport with AVIS and drove to Gardone - easy. Having the car meant we could drive up into the mountains - breathtaking views.

Of all the places I've been to in Italt, Garda is the place I will return to although I now want to see Como and other lakes. Best other towns visited were Sirmione (lovely but busy) and Riva del Garda (worth a day trip).

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Villa Sofa - Gardone Riviera

Operator and Date: Sunway Holidays- August 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Dillon - Dublin Ireland (51, 52)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked our holiday with sunway over the internet, six weeks before we traveld. The trip was for a four star hotel on Lake Garda our choice (sunway)We asked for a lake view and told them that we both had problems walking as I have high blood presure and my husband has a hip problem. The rep put this on the form. 

When we arrived we found that the hotel was up a very steep hill, the room was facing a main road which we got changed. The staff at the hotel were very frindly and helpful, but this was not a four* hotel more like a four* B&B no evening meal's no food room service and the breakfast left a lot to be desired. The walk up hill every day for something to eat was a nightmare. 

We hired a car for the first week and went to see all the towns on the Lake, which were beautiful, Malcesine being the best,  The rep from Sunway told us we could ring her if we wented anything we did not see her for the two weeks we were there. 

We had been to Lake Garda last year with the Travel Department at a four star hotel which I have to say was a much better service. Both my husband and I were very disappointed with the hotel and lack of service i.e. no meal's after breakfast and the climb up hill to get there also Sunway holidays which we would never book with again. 

Having said all this Lake Garda is a wonderfull place and we would go back again but not with Sunway.

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Ischia - Italy

Hotel Continental Terme - Ischia

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Sheila Crozier  London (35, 30)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed in Continental Terme Ischia for the second week of our honeymoon and found it be a very relaxing stay. We had a large room with a large balcony overlooking the olympic mineral pool, just one of the many mineral pools in the hotel itself.

The GROUNDS of the hotel are large but still feel cosy,romantic and private because there are lots of pretty buildings set through the leafy grounds. One of the buildings houses an indoor thermal spa next to a pretty waterfall, another houses a BEAUTY shop for treatments such as mud wraps etc, there is also a free GYM. The hotel offers a free INTERNET service and a TENNIS court with equipment you can borrow.
The FOOD is typically italian with a good variety and choice each evening,very good fish and a buffet gala evening on wednesday (yum yum, just pace yourself) breakfast is predictable but good quality continental.
Nightime ENTERTAINMENT is a little safe, pianist/singer doing popular muzak although he does it very well.
STAFF are friendly and very professional, the concierge was knowledgeable and helpful, the head waiter was the same.

The LOCATION was good, just a short distance from the harbour with FERRIES to Naples, Sorrento and nearby islands. The hotel is also 20 min walk to one of the main sandy BEACHES on the east of the island, lots of shops and gelateria! This resort is popular with italian families visiting from the mainland.
BUSES stop across the road from the hotel which are frequent and can be used to visit the rest of the island including the mountain and other beaches many of them sandy.
There is a supermarket about a 200m from the hotel, and a chemist about 700m away up a busy road. About 100m away from the hotel in the other direction is an italian pizzeria which is internationally famous, Gaetano the owner has visiting japanese chefs whom he trains to make true italian pizzas. Certainly worth a visit.
The hotel was popular with italians, I was surprised it wasn't as popular with british visitors, however the british people we did meet there had been coming back for the last 6 years!

We had a lovely stay and actually found it hard to venture out from the hotel, unusual for us. It was topped off nicely by seeing dolphins riding the ferry waves as we returned to Naples to go home.
Overall a good quality 4 star hotel with a relaxing feel on an island that has some good stuff to offer if you can drag yourself away from the hotel.

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Italy - Lake Como

Hotel Bellevue - Cadennabia, Lake Como

Operator and Date: Inghams - September 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Bob  + Gill Staff - Cambridge

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This part of Lake Como is very beautiful, and the Hotel Bellevue is in a excellent location to view and enjoy it. We have been going there for several years, eachtime seeing the Hotel and service improve.
This time the food had improved a lot, and waiter service at evening meal a big plus.
There is a four course meal on offer with good choice, a excellent salad bar, and good choice of sweet course. The menu is present at the entrance to restaurant and on table to choose from. Very helpful and obliging waiters and waitresses.

The bar service is good, and improved since last visit.
We had a room with terrace at front of Hotel with beautiful view of lake.
Yes, the traffic is noisy, but not the fault of Hotel. You do get used to it.
Our rooms were very clean and maid sevice every day. The bathroom was large with a good shower. Always clean every day. The maids worked very hard and the corridor outside room hoovered and cleaned every day. A minus point is having just one lift, but the Hotel being the age it is etc, you get used to it.
Everyone must remember that this was a old Palace with a lot of history which you enjoy remembering when there and all the famous people that have been there.
We believe that further improvements are on the cards which we look forward to seeing on next visit.
Receptionists were very helpful and obliging when we asked questions and queries.
We hope that other people, after visiting here will go back again, and enjoy the holiday as much as we did.

Staff at reception were very helpful, and obliging of anything asked and queries.
Plenty to see and do when here, so we went on several trips out which were good value, as well as our own excursions.
We will be booking next year again, and hopefully other people will enjoy a further visit they have been before.

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Britannia Excelsior - Cadanabbia

Operator and Date: Shearings - May 2007

Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : Jim Curry (62,60)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a one week all inclusive holiday with Shearings at the Hotel Britannia Excelsior in Cadanabia. Firstly, let me say that the site of the Hotel is excellent. We were though very glad that we paid the supplement for an upper floor room with a lake view (arranged very kindly by the Receptionist Nicola). Lake Como is superb. Without the lake view room we would have been disappointed and would certainly advise anyone going to the Hotel to pay the supplement.
The Restaurant cannot cope with the number of guests and endeavours to have two sittings - but getting a table was never easy! Other Nationalities also appeared to be allocated the far end of the Restaurant (which was better) and Shearings appeared to be allocated tables at the front entrance to the Restaurant. After a day or so we fought our way to any available table!

Food was - shall we say O K at best - only part self service - with the main hot courses being served.
We did feel we were in the School Dinner queue at times and cannot understand why the Hotel does not make the whole Restaurant self service.
Staff at the Hotel could be more pleasant with some exceptions but the girl behind the free bar was exceptionally efficient.
Staff kept our room very clean with towels regularly changed.
The Ferry which stops very close to the Hotel was a great service. For 10 euros you have a pass that you can use all day long calling at Bellagio(we loved the place), Varenna and Menaggio.
Shearings organised many day trips (the Rep and her daughter were excellent)and although we only went on two day trips ourselves they were very good - particularly the St Moritz trip which included a train journey on the Bernini Express through the Alps.
Como itself is also worthy of a visit.
Flights with Ryanair were on time but it was a long journey from the airport to/from the Hotel (about 2 hours).
Although we arrived at the Hotel at 2.30 am the Hotel did provide a hot meal which was most appreciated.

To summarise, we had a good holiday with Shearings who gave value for money (and the little gift left on our bed at the end of the holiday was a nice touch),Lake Como is a must for a holiday,the Hotel Restaurant and the Hotel Staff could do better - but we were lucky that the weather was very kind to us in May.

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Britannia Excelsior - Cadanabbia

Operator and Date: Shearngs - 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Lynda Cattell - Romford (58, 58)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After reading many reviews about this hotel we arrived with trepidation.  However we spent a delightful week at this hotel!  

This holiday was excellent value for money. The hotel has been refurbished, apart from a couple of lounges.  The restaurant was impressive and the choice of food extremely good. All meals are buffet style - which enables good choice for everyone.  Our room, on the first floor, had recently been redecorated with new furniture. Very comfortable beds and everywhere extremely clean.  Spacious tiled bathroom with walk in shower.  The owners were very 'hands on' and are making this hotel a pleasure to stay in.  Cadenabbia is well located for easy reach of many towns round the lake. Short pleasurable ferry ride to Bellagio across the lake.  

We enjoyed excursions booked through Shearings, especially the trip on the Bernina Express train through the Alps. Not to be missed if you get the chance!  All staff were extremely helpful.  The only downside was the packed lunch from the hotel.  But this is only a minor criticism in what was a very enjoyable and extremely good  value for money holiday.

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Britannia Excelsior - Lake Como

Operator and Date: Shearings September 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Michael and Helen Roberts. 65 yrs of age

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Lake Como is beautiful. Cadenabbia is,nt. One has to take local bus to Como for any shopping, restaurants sight-seeing etc.  One bonus is ferry stop is just by hotel Sail around the lake for 7 euros all day or get of at beautiful bellagio where we spent a lot of time . In 7 days we had two days in Como town. 4 in Bellagio and one in St Moritz [ not to be missed]. I don't recommend hotel britannia excelsior . If you go to Lake Como and if I go again I would only stay in bellagio.

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Britannia Excelsior - Lake Como

Operator and Date: Shearings June 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Jean Liverpool (59,58)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from Lake Como. Firstly may i say that the location was beautiful and the perfect setting for a nice relaxing holiday. The Lake itself is extremely picturesque and the scenery is breathtaking. 

HOWEVER, if i were to return (and i most definitely would) i would NOT stay in the Hotel Britannia if it was given to me for free!! The room we were allocated was tiny and stuffy without a fan or air conditioning. It reminded me of a youth hostel. The furniture was falling to bits and the whole hotel was a health hazard.

I cannot fault the staff, although i would like to ask the management to give their staff a break as they are highly overworked. 

Bellagio was fantastic and i would recommend everyone to choose a hotel there. Although the food was edible, I preferred to eat in the pizzeria next door, The Hotel Riviera. I highly commend the hotel chef in Hotel Britannia as I think he does his very best with the terrible quality food he is given.

Finally, i have to say that on reporting our complaints to our rep we were not at all satisfied with her service. Apart from this we had a lovely holiday!!

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Brittania Excelsior - Cadenabbia

Operator and Date: Shearing september 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Stuart Pauline Scarborough (67-65)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we have just had a week at this hotel,the room was small but ok,we were in the villa room 22 our friends were in the main building so ask for a room with a balcony in the hotel they had paid a little more than us but had a much better room.The food was good with a choise of two meats and fish every night plus lots of salads there was something for everyone plus free drinks .The bus stops outside the hotel and is a good service you buy your bus tickets at the small shop to the left of the hotel not on the bus.

To the right of the hotel you can buy a centre lake day ticket for the ferry for 10 euros  and travel to 6 towns round the lake as many times as you want.Bellagio is the best place for shopping and Varenna and Menaggio well worth a visit.A must do is the rail trip through the benini pass i dont have the words to discribe it.One word of warning at Bergomo airport Ryanair inforced the luggage wieght very strictly with some having to pay 56 euros many were caught out dont you be .

Have a great holiday.

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Brittania Excelsior - Lake Como

Operator and Date: Shearings, Jan 04

Opinion submitted in Feb 2004 by : Denise with party of 4, aged 34, 39, 60 and 63

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I went on this coaching holiday with my partner (who eventually proposed to me in Milan! - after 7 years!) and my parents, aged 60 and 63. Myself and partner usually favour flying and a more 'happening' type of destination (or multi-stay) but this holiday is typical for my parents. This review is my point of view.

GENERAL: You cannot fault Shearings on organisation; from feeder coaches being well on time at your pick up point, to dropping you off locally, at a requested area. The drivers got us there safely and back safely, we had more than adequate comfort stops. The drivers could have been a little more informative re: how long each stop was for, where we were during the course of the journey, etc. But these are minor points and on the whole were efficient and safety conscious.
The journey is lovely going through Switzerland and the more mountainous areas (once it has got light and you can see!). The Services that the coach stopped at were very good especially in Switzerland, very high standard of food there.

HOTEL: This hotel is difficult to describe; on the one hand, it is a grand old lady (think of Victorian Seaside resort hotels), on the other hand, it is 'tired' (as described by previous posters) and on the third hand it is extremely good value for money. Our room overlooked the lake, the most spectacular views you would want to wish for. What made this even better, was the fact that this was a free upgrade, as we were the only people in the hotel (the 46 which were on our coach). Our room looked over the lake to Bellagio and beyond to the snow capped mountains. Wonderful.

The room itself was a little 'flaky' and in need of some refurbishment. The furniture was elderly but more than adequate. On a minus side, our twin beds had blue fabric headboards which were grimy with many heads being placed there, which wasnt very nice. The beds however, were comfortable and the sheets were spotless. 

Towels were changed daily. The maid worked hard cleaning these rooms, and she was also the waitress in the evening! I can echo previous posters who said the staff work hard here. A good sided bathroom, we had a small tub with piping hot water (which you needed in sometimes freezing temperatures here in January). My parents room had a walk in shower.  The room, at first, appeared to have inadequate heating, but by mid way through the holiday I think the heating was cranked up and the room was warm enough although an icy draught whistled below the french doors facing the lake. We had to use a throwover as a draught excluder!

The food was adequate; the 'hot breakfast' although it smelt and looked good, was served luke warm. I gave up on 'hot' breakfast and stuck to continental. Lunch and dinner were 3+ courses, nice hot soup, salad, pasta, main meals were usually meat of some sort, potato and veg. All very edible.

Carafes of white and red wine were readily available with your meal (fully inclusive) and we took great advantage of inclusive drinks in the evening, too!

RESORT/AREA: Very quiet this time of year, although I can see it can be buzzing in the Summer months, with a lido and various bars and restaurants, but Ibiza it aint! I wouldnt advise this area if you are used to large, Brit-type places like Magaluf!  There is a very efficient ferry service just adjacent to the hotel, which will get you across the lake to Bellagio and Vereena for about a fiver each. Bellagio was quaint and Vereena I preferred, but this time of year most places were shut. It was nice to wander around the narrow streets and climb the steps etc.

INCLUDED TRIPS: we only attended the 'included' trips which were very good; the market in Como and Como itself is buzzing and good fun. We were unable to complete the Lake tour as the roads were icy so we had another trip into Como instead. DONT MISS the beautiful cathedral in this city - breathtaking.

Another included trip was a covered boat trip around the lake which was enjoyable, although the water became choppy and we had to cut it short. Wine tasting afterwards was fun!

I really cannot fault this holiday for value for money. This whole holiday, including travel to Dover, Coaching all the way there and back (1800 miles!), accommodation, all drinks and food and some trips, cost us the grand total of £219 each. What can I say. So although there are downsides to certain parts of this trip, overall, it was great fun and fantastic value for money. I will probably travel with Shearings again sometime, although I did find the trip home rather tiring.

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Hotel La Perla - Lake Como

Operator and Date: booked direct -July 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : M&J Lunn (30's)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This hotel is spotless,one of the cleanest hotels we have ever stayed in and the staff were very nice& helpful.
Our room was lovely with a balcony with views over the Lake. There is a small pool with sunbeds again overlooking the lake. 

The hotel is quite high up the mountain , a 5 minute car ride up a winding road from the lake side. No problem if you don't mind driving around as you can't walk anywhere by foot from it.On the good side it is a couple of minutes drive from Cadennabia where you pick up the boat crossing to Bellagio (every half hour) It is also a 5 minute drive to Menaggio which has a lovely square with plenty of restaurants around it.We reccomend you wonder through the back lanes to find a small restaurant with chairs/tables & cactus plants (can't remember the name) but look for lots of ittle cactus outside. Looks ordinary but very busy and food great and inexpensive. Take a look inside it's like Italy in the 50's.

The hotel is very relaxing, there is a small bar so you can sit and have a drink on the teraace in the evening that overlooks the lake.You can also get snacks from the hotel at certain times.

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Lario Hotel Mezzegra - Lake Como

Operator and Date: Shearings Holidays  August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : 67 & 63

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had arranged a holiday through Shearings and were disappointed when we had our hotel changed for the third time eventually ending up the Lario. I checked their web site to find a very comprehensive and well laid out site. 

The staff and management led by Enrico Panizza and Tina were superb,Allessesio the3 quiet and competent head barman, Don Giuliano the head waiter, ever so attentive, aided so professionally by Francesco,Claudio and Roberta. Like most hotels first impression is so important and the two receptionists Maria and Corrine set the fantastic standards we enjoyed. 

The accomodation was great and the food was a delight to savour each evening. Our only regret was that we had only booked one week but we look forward to returning to this beautiful part of this lovely country. This hotel deserves every bit of success it will inevitably receive. Good luck to all at the Lario.