The advantage of being out of town is that there is less road noise and parking is easy, but the port, ferry terminal and town centre are only a short 10 minute or so walk away. Very good position for touring towns around the lake itself and for Mantua, Cremona and Verona and a bit further to Vincenza and Padua. A wealth of amazing mediaeval architecture and quaint lakeside villages just a drive away. The hotel looks traditional from outside but is modern and spotless inside and well up to Best Western standards. Rooms are of an adequate size for the purpose and kept clean by the friendly staff. Most rooms seem to have some lake views and some look over the pool. If a lake view is important then specify this when booking. The hotel is built on a slight slope so all the rooms that begin with a 1 are actually on the 'ground' floor not the first. If allocated one of these rooms do check to see if you are satisfied as some do not have balconies and some are very near to the 'upper' car park and some are not that private. Br prepared for some dark areas and corridors, the result of a commendable energy saving policy with timed light switches. There is good and relatively cheap internet access in the reception area.
The pool is very good and when we stayed (September) there were no problems with getting sunbeds. The reception staff were very friendly and informative and met our request for tea/coffee facilities in the room straight away. Being used to Best Western hotels in America we did miss an ice machine but we were able to get ice from the kitchen.
One of us suffers from Coeliac and needs gluten-free food. We had e-mailed the hotel beforehand and when we went to dinner the staff all knew about the condition. Each evening Mimmo pointed out those items on the menu that were gluten-free and alternatives were provided. This was a great relief. Many thanks to the chef, Mimmo and all the, again, very friendly and efficient restaurant staff.

We only had 5 days to holiday and chose the Oliveto in Desenzano on lake garda through inghams. The hotel looks a bit tired from the outside and is not what i would describe as a 4 star (having stayed in 4 star hotels in spain) but i think it's just a bit old fashioned. It is spotlessly clean and the pool area has been refurbished to an excellent standard. Our bedroom was spacious and the bathroom was quite big. try and request a higher floor as we got a pool view but could also see the lake from our room so this was perfect.
We were half board and the food was fantastic. a really good choice at breakfast (although no cooked breakfast on offer unless you ask) and the evening meal is from a set menu with a choice of 3 starters, mains and puddings. the service is only fab (to begin with it can come across as a bit stuffy but i think the italians are just super efficient)
My only negative is the distance into the town. It is a 15/20 minute walk into the town centre which is not an unpleasant walk but being pregnant I found it a long way to do at least twice a day.
Other than this I would say if you can get a bargain then it is well worth a visit.

This was the fifth year in a row that we have spent our summer holiday in Italy and the Oliveto was our best hotel yet. We have had some lovely hotels and some not so wonderful but the Oliveto was the best on all levels. The room was spacious with a very comfortable bed and the chambermaids kept it beautifully clean. The bathroom was always well-stocked and the towels replaced regularly with more soft, white, fluffy ones. Reception staff were all extremely helpful and pleasant, never losing patience with our occasionally dozy questions! Dining room staff were ably led by Mimmo, who was always charming, and all the waiters were efficient and friendly, with warm smiles for everyone. The food was superb, we had our evening meal at the hotel as well as breakfast, and there was always a good choice. The outdoor facilities were great, with the most brilliant pool - a really good size! We shall make a point of searching out Best Western on future holidays, if this is the standard they maintain.

I was looking forward to a bit of luxury after our first hotel in Desanzaro - the Plaza - which was in a very good location in town but somewhat basic. The room we were given - 148 - was in the part of the hotel I think would normally be for conference delegates, but the main disappointment was that the balcony was on ground level and in the car park. The cars were parked right up against the room so apart from no privacy you were woken up in the early hours of the morning by cars coming and going. There was also no bath, just a shower. When we asked to change rooms we were told the hotel was full and the man on reception was generally quite rude. It was a good 15 minute walk into town and the buses stopped around 8pm. It wasn't a huge problem but next time I'd stay in a better hotel in town.