We stayed at the Villa Maria Hotel Garni for 7 nights in June 2011 based on the reviews on TripAdvisor and the hotel exceeded our expectations.
The hotel is in a quiet residential area which is easy to find if travelling by car and the free parking is a bonus, although it is tight for space if a lot of large cars arrive as happened when we got there. It is an easy walk to the old town and will take 10 minutes at an easy pace. We personally preferred this location to the other end of Riva, where a lot of the hotels are located, as it was much easier to access the old town where the majority of restaurants are located.
We had asked for a room with a balcony and we received room 107, which was to the south facing side of the hotel, with a view to the mountains and the balcony was more like a small patio with a table and 2 chairs and a soft artificial grass surface. The room was very modern and clean and had a fridge, aircon, TV, safe and an excellent shower. Towels were changed daily and the bed was changed at least once in our 7 nights. WiFi was available in the room as well as in the breakfast room and it was reliable and fast.
The breakfast was ample with a selection of juices, cereals, breads meats and cheeses. Good tea and coffee are served and we found it very acceptable.
Marco and Francesca are very nice and have an excellent facility at a great price and we would recommend this hotel. One thing to note is that some websites show older pictures of the hotel before its modernisation, and I think their own website (www.garnimaria.com) gives the best views.
- Hotel Maria Garni
