very good tennis courts,incl.the option of playing indoors on 2 clay courts if wet.the tennis coaches are brillant,my 2 children enjoyed their time with francesco while we were impressed by Giorgio's coaching(speaks 5 languages fluently!).
the hotel rooms:basic but functional and very clean.no noise at night as the hotel is situated in large generous gardens which are kept beautifully.who wants to spend much time in the room anyway here!
the beds were very comfortable.
as we took only breakfast i cannot comment on the dinner option but breakfast was very basic and a bit of a let-down.with children a fridge would be great in the room which they said would be integrated in next winter's renovations.
one restaurant we found in malcesine is the Taverna dei Capitano,wonderful,they make their own fresh pasta,read my separate review for this please.
we will definitely be back to clubhotel olivi and their very friendly and attentive and helpful staff and hope they continue to improve the rooms a bit and the breakfast a lot.

Arrived at hotel, having booked 3 months previously - play a lot of
tennis and had spotted this hotel.
Promising start - reception modern and staff friendly . Taken to room in
Family and Friends accommodation. Very disappointed in the room - on
first floor at the back. View of a brick wall from the balcony - dark
inside. Inside clean, but stark. Furniture badly chipped in places - bit
like student accommodation. There are no pictures of this accommodation
on the website, so unlike the other rooms actually shown on the website.
No indication given at time of booking that there was a difference, or
that there was no view whatsoever. These are the 2 room Family and
Friends rooms and appears that they are all at the back with no lake view.

Had to wait for a day to speak to the manager who was not around - she
was not helpful at all. Did not take any of our points on board, was evasive
and said that there was nothing that could be done. Said that we were
thinking about leaving, and she offered to call round local hotels to
find something else for us - got the impression that she wanted rid of us.

Were put into another F&F room one floor above where we were, but still
no view, and also exactly the same set up.

On the last night we had to move rooms, and were put in one of the
Junior Suites, which was the other room that we thought about booking to
start with, but since we believed the quality of the rooms were the
similar went with the F&F. These are smart rooms - certainly live up to
the reputation the hotel is trying to foster.

Food
Disappointed in the food - at breakfast given a choice sheet where you
chose the starter and main for the evening. Sat at same table every
night. Buffet starters - OK, next two courses came out in double quick
time, buffet desserts, which our son enjoyed - in at 7.30 out at 8.30.
The staff were clearing tables and setting out next days breakfast while
everyone was still eating. Our son said it was just like school dinners.

Facilities
The facilities are good - tennis courts and pool. There were storms,
which meant that uncovered courts were unplayable for a time - when we
did play they were great courts. The swimming pool and lounger area were
excellent. Not a great deal to do in the rain though.

Summary
Setting is stunning - views down the lake with mountains on both sides.
Room poor quality - did not live up to expectations at all. Reception
staff friendly and very helpful - manageress not so. Food poor quality -
bit like being in a hospital. Overall did not represent good value for money.

I note that the Hotel has now revamped their website and now displays
pictures of the Family and Friends rooms - these still do not represent
the ones we stayed in.

Just returned from a five day stay at Club Hotel Olivi, recommended by my sister. This is my third visit to Lake Garda and definitely the best value hotel I have stayed in. The staff were without exception pleasant, friendly and helpful and you get the impression that they genuinely take a pride in giving excellent service. It is well worth paying the slight extra for a lake view and I would recommend requesting a top floor [only two storeys] room near the pool. The food was plentiful and varied: dinner started with a superb salad buffet which often included prawns, parma ham and bresaola, then a choice of first course or second course [often fish] and desserts. We paid 15 euros each to be picked up at the airport which took all the stress out of travelling.

As for Lake Garda, it was still warm enough to swim and my top tips are: Take the boat to Castelleto and walk back along the lakeside - very pretty and you can make lots of stops along the way at cafes for coffee lunch. Go to Monte Baldo early [or you will queue] and then walk down from the half way stage back into Malcesine. Take the bus to Bardolino on market day - pretty, bustling little town.

All in all a very enjoyable trip.

This was our first stay at Lake Garda, and we chose Hotel Olivi tennis center for a number of reasons; firstly, we both enjoy tennis, and so the hotel's clay courts in such a picturesque setting looked inviting, coupled to professional coaching available. Allied to swimming in the lake, a ferry trip or two, visits to the historical castle and the modern cable car ride up Monte Baldo offered opportunities to graze the locality without exhausting ourselves completely. These activities all went wonderfully, and so to the hotel. We made a late reservation and found ourselves in the main hotel with a room overlooking the gardens, facing the mountains and to the side a view of Lake Garda. The bed, bathroom (walk-in shower) and facilities were fine, and the standard of cleanliness was excellent.

We went half-board, with a buffet service breakfast. This was a treat, eaten outside on the terrace, in picture postcard panoramic surroundings. Dinner was a four course affair, guests helping theirselves to a dazzling selection for the first course. Courses 2 and 3 were served up by the efficient waiters, with quality rather than quantity being the watchword. Course number 4, the dessert was a self-service operation, with a choice of umpteen tongue-tickling sweets.

There were ample lounge areas to relax, but whenever possible the terrace or the pool area were the places to be. The pool deserves a mention, large, deep in most places, but with a shallow area railed off. The diving board made for even more fun, and the temperature of the water made it an ideal place to cool off. Although the hotel must have been almost full, there was a large number of sunbeds, and plenty of ground to find a quiet spot if one wanted.

For the energetic, amenities also included a pool table - with the narrowest pockets ever seen - a table football table (free), a full-size table tennis table (free). The tennis courts were easy to book, and the hotel would help you find opponents if you wanted. The tennis coaches, provided more concentrated training at a rate of about 20 Euros per hour, in small groups or individually if you wished.

There was one drawback to our stay at the hotel, in that our room's air conditioning unit did not work. This was very unfortunate, as it was hot at night. The hotel apologised profusely, providing a very effective portable unit. Sadly, it was rather noisy, and couldnt be left on during the night. What a pity the problem had not been solved before our arrival - a man on the roof above our room was evidence they were trying to solve the problem after all. I am sure that this was a one off, and it should not deter anyone from staying at this high class venue.

To sum up, this is a superb hotel, run with great professionalism and pride by all its' staff, from the top down. We hope to return at the same time, next year, and are already looking forward to it!