Only one restaurant, miles from the lake, not courtesy travel, no cabs to get anywhere. I agree that the hotel is beautiful and the surroundings peaceful, but how can they claim to be a 5 star hotel when they only have 1 restaurant. And no shorts allowed. It's over 30 degrees and you have to dress up to have dinner. They don't have any courtesy trips, don't have any bus to drop you down to the lake. If you have a car, you can travel to other restaurants, but then you can't enjoy the good local wine.

Palazzo Arzaga is a great place to stay for a long weekend when you are looking to get away from everybody and everything. The location is slightly off the beaten track and the surrounds are the golf courses, farmland, and the local fields. There are no rooms with back street views and there is never the sound of a motorcycle zipping by at 3am revving the engine. My kind of Heaven. So many 5 stars are in the middle of towns (and glamorous towns) - but the pressure to sight-see, dress up etc follow you on your holiday. Palazzo Arzaga is not that kind of hotel.

Palazzo Arzaga was originally a house - and not a hotel - so it does not have that square box boring hotel feel. The breakfast is outside in the inner courtyard (not some side sunroom as with many large hotels!) and the inviting little study rooms have daily newspapers.

Ok - I agree the breakfast buffet isn't really up to scratch - but I'm quite simple and don't require 4 different muesli choices. And the dinner good but not great. (Well, mine was great but my boyfriend's was over salted) - but taking everything in stride the place is super friendly and calming. The hidden gem is the lunch on the golf terrace. The food there was better than our dinner!

The golf is the best bit. It's not a PGA or a Masters course, but it is very well kept and the Golf Club is PART of the hotel. Is there anything worse than going to a Golf Resort and the 'curtesy' bus has to take you to the golf course?! The Club holds your bags for the duration of your stay. And because it's is a proper golf club and it is on site (not an 'associated' nearby golf course) they are completely flexible. You can play the front nine in the morning, take a nap by the pool, eat a late lunch, then play the back nine. No problem. Heaven.

Oh- and there is a large driving range too! And a pro on site for lessons......

The standard double rooms are quite small. The larger executive rooms are more spacious and have lovely views.

If you don't mind asking for your coffee refills, waiting the extra 5 minutes to get served then you'll really like this place!

My opinion is that the amenities have the potential to be 5 star - they just need a few more staff and some more attention to the 'slicker' details. But for the sake of peace and quiet teamed up with the feeling of being in a house rather than a hotel - this place is fabulous.

I've been to golf hotels around the world and surely this does not compare with the glamorous resorts (e.g. Le Tousserok) but it is really a step above the large block hotels with attached courses in Portugal. The proximity to the Lago di Garda, the opera in Verona, and the ease of the golfing makes this a smart, relaxing weekend retreat......

Amazing 15th century restored building. We had an executive room in the main house, which was a good size and well appointed. Golf couses are OK (but no better than that) the best 9 (27 holes in total) is the Gary Player. Restaurant expensive and probably not worth it. Better to go to Desenzano del Garda (10 minutes drive) and all the restaurants there.
Every member of the hotel staff we met were great - very helpful and professional.
Would be happy to recommend and will visit again.

Brescia: Palazzo Arzaga Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort

Palazzo Arzaga is situated in a pleasant, but not particularly beautiful semi-rural setting 2 or 3 miles from the southern end of Lake Garda.

Our "deluxe" room was pleasantly, but simply appointed - not luxurious, but in keeping with the 15th century building. The only wardrobe was small and dark, and one had almost to lie on the floor to use the safe. The bathroom was modern and well equipped. The "balcony", barely 5 ft square, with tiny table and 2 chairs, adjoined that of the next room and was too cramped to use.

The breakfast buffet was abysmal by 5 star standards, including milk in cartons, packets of Kelloggs cereals, plastic sachets of butter and individual pots of preserves, a modest selection of breads, cold meats and cheese, and covered dishes containing an unappealing choice of eggs, tomato, and (by the time we went down to breakfast at 9 a.m.) dried up bacon and sausage. Muesli was not available. The flowers were artificial and the napkins paper. We were astonished that a member of the Leading (Small) Hotels of the World group could get away with this.

On our first evening we had a drink in the bar. Unasked and without a word or smile, the barman presented us with the bill while our glasses were still partially full, not enquiring whether we might like a refill. He seemed to want us out of there.

The (American!) concierge cut an incongruous figure in his black jacket and striped pants (we thought initially that he was the manager), and his somewhat overbearing manner made us feel ill at ease.

There is an attractive outdoor swimming pool (if you ignore the empty plastic bottles not cleared away). Spa treatments are given in very small rooms, virtually in a windowless basement. Wi-Fi access is offered, but no guest computer was available when requested. Housekeeping left something to be desired. Used towels, face cloths and bathmats were removed, but often not replaced. The handle of a drawer came off, but no one seemed to notice. There were no tissues. We had no turndown service one night; our room was not checked or tidied after the morning. We sensed a shortage of staff throughout.

We agree with your earlier reviewer (Feb 24, 2006), that the atmosphere is corporate. Throughout our stay most of the rooms were occupied by UK salesmen and their wives on a corporate freebie. As a result, the breakfast conversations sounded like an episode of Eastenders (for non Brits this is a TV soap opera set in the east end of London). The spa could not offer us appointments until after the corporate guests had left.

At 342.90 EUROS per night bed and breakfast (internet rate), we felt this hotel to be grossly overpriced. It is a 4 star hotel masquerading as a 5 star and well below what one would expect from a member of the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World group.

AVOID (unless someone else is paying, and perhaps even then).