We chose the Hotel Monte Baldo because of the good reports on TripAdvisor. However we were very disappointed with the hotel. Our holiday on Lake Garda was wonderful, with the exception of the Hotel Monte Baldo.
Among our problems were arriving at 10 pm in the evening and finding no-one on reception. We eventually located someone in the kitchen who had limited English and intimated that we were too late for any food. Our tour rep said that each hotel had their own arrangements for the evening meal we had paid for – clearly this hotel had no arrangements.
We had paid for half board so were looking forward to our nightly evening meal. This had to be taken on the lakeside – which might sound very romantic, but not when the wind is blowing! We had brought with us smart/casual clothes to wear in the evening, but we had to resort to jumpers and trousers to keep warm. So no relaxing romantic meals for us! Few other guests made an effort to look smart and we even had dogs lying around the tables during our meal. (The hotel said they were not allowed in the dining area but they were clearly there) As it was getting dark just after 8 pm (and the dinner slot was 7.30 – 8.30) it was inevitable that darkness would fall during the evening meal. One evening we ordered fish, which was on the menu every night. We had already realised that the fish fillets contained bones, so this particular evening we were expected to eat fish, with bones, in the dark. We asked for a candle, which some of the guests had, and one was brought to our table, but not lighted – the waitress said she didn’t have a light, and we weren’t smokers so we continued in the dark! In the end we had to resort to asking another guest for a light.
We felt that being British was a drawback. It seemed that the Germans were the majority nation by far in the hotel and they appeared to receive much better service than we did. We almost felt that the waiters were avoiding our table because none of them spoke any English, although we did our best to speak a little Italian. A smile would have gone a long way to make us feel welcome – sadly we didn’t see any smiles.
The sunbeds on the deck by the lake were always ‘bagged’ early by guests putting their towels on them although when we looked there were never any people lying on the sunbeds.
There were many others ‘gripes’ but one that stands out was that on the last day we went down to settle up our bill at ten minutes to 8 in the morning. We were told that Reception was closed and it would open at 8 am! The person suggested we come back later as the bill had not been prepared in spite of a recommendation that we pay the previous evening. Surely a couple of minutes doesn’t make that much difference when you want to pay your bill?
We would say that the cleanliness of the rooms and the quality if the food was very good, although the room decor and furniture was a little tired.
Our holiday on Lake Garda was good, despite the efforts of the staff at the Molte Baldo Hotel. We would never go back there as they seem unfriendly and unhelpful.

From the roadside this hotel doesn't look very special but once inside you will see that it has a long lake frontage which is fabulous. We stayed for a fortnight and had booked a lake facing room with balcony. In addition, we also had a balcony off the bathroom - useful for sitting in the shade during the heat of the day! We could not find any fault with this hotel except that the aircon didn't cool the room enough. The food was excellent, extensive buffet breakfast and waiter service 3 course dinner plus salad buffet. The meals were always served outside on the terrace which is right by the lake. Even the ducks knew when it was time for breakfast or dinner!
There is a pool as well as lake bathing. I find it very annoying that some people choose to put their towels on loungers first thing in the morning and leave them there all day whether they are there or not. We sat there one afternoon for about 4 hours and nobody turned up to occupy half the chairs although the towels were out. But this is not the fault of the hotel, just other selfish holiday makers.
This is a family run hotel and all the staff were friendly and helpful. We enjoyed our stay very much and should we decide to have another holiday in Gardone we would definitely stay there again.

We had booked a room in the Villa Acquarone, and got nr.31 on the second floor. It must be about 40 m², with good beds, a comfortable bathroom and a beautiful view.
This cosy, pseudo-informal and very dignified hotel is possibly as close as you can get to being a paying guest in a private home : staff greet you as if it were your third visit and they spare no effort to make you want to come back, and the owner supervises everything with hawkeye vision while pretending to be the concierge. Old world hospitality, then.
It rained and rained, but the park was impeccable all the time and there wasn't a leaf in the swimming-pool. Staff went out of their way to entice us into having breakfast and dinner lakeside, and not once did we have to flee a shower.
The food, which some visitors found bland, was exactly the type needed to make you feel comfortable with your extra holiday calories. Fresh and delicious vegetables and pasta, juicy and lean meats, lake fish : mom's recipes with a strong "less is more" philosophy. Something nice each day, and no guilt needed.
We promised to come back - and we will.

Myself and my wife stayed at the Monte Baldo Hotel during the first two weeks of June 2008. The hotel is superbly located on the edge of Lake Garda offering stunning views, immaculate service and cleanliness, but most of all - excellent Italian food freshly cooked, and imageinatively presented. Tables are situated outside on the lake side, and for a gastronomic romantic experience dinner at the Monte Baldo is top of my list.

We booked our holiday through Inghams and although we were highly satisfied with our bedroom (superb view) which was spotlessly clean with all facilities, nevertheless the decor was looking a little bit tired. Our bedroom was on the third floor - newly refurbished rooms on the second floor are beautiful, and newly decorated, but cost more. If you were on honeymoon it would be worth paying the extra.
There is a small pool, with plenty of sunbeds positioned in or out of the shade for sunbathers to relax and enjoy the lake-side views.

During our two week stay we met only one other English couple staying in the hotel.
Most guests were Italian, German, French and Swiss, many who love the hotel and its situation so much that they return regularly. A few hundred yards away is the Hotel Grand, reputed to be the best on Lake Garda. We twice joined friends for dinner at the Grand which has all the facilities you would expect from a hotel with 148 bedrooms, and catering mainly for the English. I would not have swopped hotels. The Grand couldn't hold a candle to the excellent food we enjoyed at Monte Baldo Hotel, and it would be hard for any hotel to capture the same friendly Italian atmosphere generated by a family who have owned the Monte Baldo since 1925.

The Gardone Riviera has a quiet, up market buzz, with a pictureesque promenade handy for boats which travel all round the lake. If you are looking for an idyllic setting then this is the place for you, but apart from pleasantly situated coffee bars and a few shops those looking for nightlife could be disappointed. The hotel and the setting make up for it - there are lively spots in Salo aprox 2 miles away from Gardone.