The last night of a wonderful holiday we stayed at this hotel. It is a lovely town, great location,the hotel looked good from the outside and we were tired. We trusted our DK Book of the best hotels in Europe and paid our €100 for a family room with lake view. Bad mistake. I am not going to waste my time writing a long review, but feel I should warn you. This is a list I made on the night.

No shower
Grotty short beds
Green paint on ceiling
Window handle falls off
Noise echoing through hotel
Residents who did not seem to be tourists
1950s dated tired
Light brown walls
No pictures, rugs nor personal touches
Wardrobes difficult to open
Child bed worn out - son kept waking
The beds left me itching for 36 hours afterwards
hot, dry room despite rain outside
receptionist friendly
I felt this was a grotty and horrible experience

A nice looking 4 star around the corner was €20 more.

The Hotel Grifone is located in the old section of Sirmione, on the eastern shore of the city against Lake Garda. It is accessible by car, be sure to let the hotel know that you are bringing a vehicle so that they put you on the list for admission at the city gate. Once you drop things off, parking is about a quarter mile away in another hotel's car park. The city streets are narrow and not suitable for larger vehicles.

Checkin was handled well, and the staff was friendly and helpful. The hotel has a small coffee bar for breakfast and a high-end restaurant attached for dinners, but there are many restaurants in walking distance. The public areas are quiet and dated, however there is a lovely porch overlooking the lake where you can sit and enjoy a drink. There are elevators up to the rooms, and the hotel is accessible.

Rooms are basic, almost like a hostel. There is a bed and a small desk and not much else. The bathroom is similarly basic, a stand-up shower with wrap around curtain, good water temperature and pressure. However, the views from the window are spectacular, and the location couldn't be better. The rooms are clean, the bed was comfortable, and the price is half what other lodging costs in the area.

If you want a cheap hotel on a perfect location, this is it. Only be prepared that it can not be perfect for that price.

We had a room on the third floor, with a little balcony (only one chair) and a perfect view over the town and the lake (when standing up right). No airco, so very hot and we counted more than 50 mosquitoes the next morning! Very basic furniture and a bit of a bad smell in the bathroom. The restaurant was unfortunately closed on Wednesday, so we couln’t sit on the nice looking terrace under the pinetrees. Next to the hotel is a very little strip where you could take a dip in the lake. But in a 5 minute walk there is a public beach.

my and I have had a wonderfull 4 nights on lake garda,the experience was enhanced by the situation of our hotel.we spent every night on our balcony looking out at the castle and lake.it is one of the best value hotels we've stayed at and certainly best situation.we did note that not all rooms have balconies