Best Hotels in Lake Garda: 17 Picks for Every Budget

Our top picks at a glance

• Best overall: Villa Cortine Palace, Sirmione, €€€€
• Best for a spa break: Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda, Gargnano, €€€€
• Best old-world lakeside grand hotel: Grand Hotel Fasano, Gardone Riviera, €€€€
• Best without a car: Hotel Piccola Vela, Desenzano del Garda, €€€
• Best adults-only: EALA My Lakeside Dream, Limone sul Garda, €€€
• Best near the theme parks: Le Greghe Suites, Lazise, €€€
• Best for hiking and windsurfing: Hotel Lago di Garda, Nago-Torbole, €€
• Best value: Hotel Bell'Arrivo, Peschiera del Garda, €

How we chose the best hotels in Lake Garda

Every hotel here scores 8.5 or higher on Booking.com, read on 5 November 2026, with the review count shown. Small properties need 9.0 or higher, and two picks have fewer than 300 reviews and say so.

We read no nightly rates, so prices are tiers from € to €€€€. They are our relative judgment across Lake Garda, not checked rates, so look at your own dates before you commit.

The list runs in our order of preference, not by commission. It is built around where people actually base themselves: Sirmione and the south, the east shore, the west shore and the northern end. For the towns themselves, our Lake Garda travel guide and things to do in Lake Garda cover what each one is like.

The 17 best hotels in Lake Garda, compared

1. Villa Cortine Palace – Sirmione

A secluded grand hotel five minutes' walk from Sirmione's historic centre, with a garden, a pool and a tennis court.

€€€€ · 9.6 on Booking (571 reviews) · Viale Gennari 2, Sirmione

Best for: a splurge in Sirmione without sleeping in the crowds · Skip it if: you want to step out of the door straight into the old town

Booking describes it as secluded, and that is both the appeal and the trade. You get gardens and quiet, and the old town and the Scaliger Castle are a short walk away rather than at your door. Sirmione fills with day visitors in summer, so a hotel set back from the centre is a calmer way to see it at its best.

Tip: if you arrive by car, ask the hotel about parking before you drive towards the old town, which restricts traffic.

→ Check rates at Villa Cortine Palace

2. Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda – Gargnano

A spa resort on the west shore, set on the coast among hills and olive groves.

€€€€ · 9.5 on Booking (589 reviews) · Via Feltrinelli 136, Gargnano

Best for: a quiet spa stay on the lake · Skip it if: you rely on trains and want to wander between towns

The west shore is quieter and steeper than the south, and Gargnano sits well away from the rail line. Trains stop at Desenzano and Peschiera on the south shore, so plan on a transfer or a hire car, or use the Arriva bus along the west shore.

Tip: treat it as a destination hotel and book the nights you want to spend inside it, rather than as a base for sightseeing.

→ Check rates at Lefay Resort & Spa

3. Grand Hotel Fasano – Gardone Riviera

A historic hotel set right on the lake shore, with a modern wellness centre that Booking lists as free to guests.

€€€€ · 9.3 on Booking (453 reviews) · Via Zanardelli 190, Gardone Riviera

Best for: old-fashioned lakeside grandeur on the west shore · Skip it if: you want a lively evening scene on your doorstep

Gardone Riviera is a villa-and-gardens town rather than a party town, and this is its signature address. It is a good base for the Vittoriale, the estate of the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, and for slow boat days.

Tip: ask for a lake-facing room when you book; the whole point of this hotel is the shoreline.

→ Check rates at Grand Hotel Fasano

4. Park Hotel Imperial – Limone sul Garda

A Limone hotel with balcony rooms and free access to a swimming pool, hot tub and sauna.

€€€ · 9.1 on Booking (1,569 reviews) · Via Tamas 10/B, Limone sul Garda

Best for: a pool-and-spa stay at the foot of the mountains · Skip it if: you hate crowds, since Limone is a small, popular village

With more than 1,500 reviews behind a 9.1, this is one of the most proven hotels on the list. Limone is a short hop from the cycle path that hangs above the lake, and it has no train, so most guests arrive by car or bus.

Tip: Limone charges its own tourist tax, about €2 per person per night at most hotels, so budget for it.

→ Check rates at Park Hotel Imperial

5. Hotel Piccola Vela – Desenzano del Garda

A short walk from Desenzano's historic centre, in the town on the Milan–Venice train line.

€€€ · 9.4 on Booking (1,245 reviews) · Viale T. Dal Molin 36, Desenzano del Garda

Best for: a car-free first visit · Skip it if: you want the postcard-pretty harbour-village feel of the north

Desenzano is the practical answer to "where do I stay if I'm arriving by train?" Fast trains from Milan reach Desenzano in about 50 minutes, and the Arriva bus continues to Sirmione. The catch is atmosphere: it is a working town first and a resort second.

Tip: check the walking route from the station on a map before you book, and use the Sirmione bus instead of driving into the old town.

→ Check rates at Hotel Piccola Vela

6. Villa Paradiso – Sirmione

A central Sirmione hotel with air-conditioned rooms, free WiFi and free private parking.

€€€ · 9.6 on Booking (483 reviews) · Via Cesare Arici, Sirmione

Best for: a mid-priced base with parking in Sirmione · Skip it if: you need a pool or a spa on site, which Booking does not list

A 9.6 from nearly 500 reviews makes this the best-scored mid-range hotel on the list. Free private parking matters in a town where visitor traffic is tightly managed. The catch is the crowd: the centre of Sirmione is packed with day-trippers between late morning and evening in summer.

Tip: do your sightseeing early and late, and treat the middle of the day as hotel time.

→ Check rates at Villa Paradiso

7. Du Lac et du Parc Grand Resort – Riva del Garda

A resort set in parkland, with two swimming pools, wellness facilities and a fitness area free for guests.

€€€ · 8.8 on Booking (2,694 reviews) · Viale Rovereto 44, Riva del Garda

Best for: families and active guests who want pools plus hiking and cycling nearby · Skip it if: you want a small, intimate hotel

With nearly 2,700 reviews it is the most-reviewed hotel on the list and the biggest, and its score is the lowest of the upscale picks for that reason. Riva is the northern gateway for the Ponale path and the mountains, and there is no train: the usual route is a train to Rovereto and a bus of about 40 minutes.

Tip: pair it with a ferry day pass in summer and keep the car for the hills.

→ Check rates at Du Lac et du Parc

8. EALA My Lakeside Dream – Limone sul Garda

An adults-only hotel in a quiet lakeside spot, with an infinity pool and rooms overlooking the lake.

€€€ · 9.5 on Booking (478 reviews) · Via IV Novembre 86, Limone sul Garda

Best for: couples and anyone who wants a child-free pool · Skip it if: you are travelling with children, since it is adults only

A 9.5 from 478 reviews is a rare combination of high score and real volume for a small, adults-only hotel. Booking also lists a free shuttle service, so ask the hotel where it goes and when before you plan around it.

Tip: book a lake-view room; the view is why the score is so high.

→ Check rates at EALA My Lakeside Dream

9. Le Greghe Suites – Lazise

A Lazise stay on the east shore, an 11-minute walk from the Canevaworld Movieland park and a short walk from Acqua Paradise, with a terrace.

€€€ · 9.2 on Booking (1,780 reviews) · Strada delle Greghe 9, Lazise

Best for: families who plan to spend days at the east-shore theme parks · Skip it if: you want to walk to the lakefront cafés

Booking measures its position from the theme parks rather than from the water, which tells you what it is for. Gardaland is also on this side of the lake, with a free shuttle from Peschiera station. The catch is the lake: check the walk to the lakefront on a map.

Tip: if you are visiting more than one park, ask the hotel which days it recommends for the crowds.

→ Check rates at Le Greghe Suites

10. The Lake Suites – Lazise

A recently renovated bed and breakfast on Lazise's Piazza Chiesa, with a garden.

€€€ · 9.7 on Booking (216 reviews) · Piazza Chiesa 3, Lazise

Best for: a polished small B&B in the middle of an old harbour town · Skip it if: you want a restaurant, pool or spa on site

The score is the highest on the list, but the sample is small, so read 9.7 from 216 reviews as strong rather than settled. It is a B&B, so expect a smaller range of services than the resorts above it. Lazise is a good east-shore base for the wineries and the boat pier.

Tip: book early for summer weekends, because a handful of suites sells out first.

→ Check rates at The Lake Suites

11. Borgo il Mezzanino – Salò

A hillside stay in the hamlet of Villa above Salò, with a terrace and views over the garden.

€€ · 9.3 on Booking (333 reviews) · Via del Monte 20, Villa, Salò

Best for: a quiet, car-based stay above the west shore · Skip it if: you are without a car, since it is a hamlet outside Salò town

The address is Frazione Villa, not the lakefront, so this is a countryside stay with Salò a drive away. That is a feature if you want peace and a catch if you do not have wheels.

Tip: check the parking and the route up before you book.

→ Check rates at Borgo il Mezzanino

12. Hotel Baitone – Malcesine

A lakeshore hotel on the Gardesana road, about 4.3 miles from Malcesine itself.

€€ · 8.8 on Booking (546 reviews) · Via Gardesana 516, Malcesine

Best for: a lakeside base with room to relax on the east shore's upper stretch · Skip it if: you want to walk to Malcesine's castle and cable car

Booking puts the hotel 4.3 miles from Malcesine, so it is not a walk-to-everything address even though its postal address says Malcesine. It suits a car or a bike, and the Monte Baldo cable car in town is a short drive away.

Tip: check the bus stop and the timetable before you rely on public transport from here.

→ Check rates at Hotel Baitone

13. Hotel Lago di Garda – Nago-Torbole

A Torbole hotel with panoramic lake views, 328 feet from the public beach.

€€ · 8.9 on Booking (1,098 reviews) · Via Lungolago Conca d'Oro 11, Nago-Torbole

Best for: windsurfers, sailors and hikers at the northern tip · Skip it if: you want swimming without afternoon wind

Torbole is where the Ora wind arrives in the afternoon and the Pelèr blows in the morning, which is why windsurfers come here. A Booking score of 8.9 from more than 1,000 reviews means the view and location are reliably good. The catch is the weather: it can be choppy in the afternoons.

Tip: swim in the morning when the water is calmer.

→ Check rates at Hotel Lago di Garda

14. Aqualux Hotel Spa Suite & Terme – Bardolino

A Bardolino hotel with modern interiors and a large wellness area.

€€ · 8.7 on Booking (984 reviews) · Via Europa Unita 24, Bardolino

Best for: a spa break on the east shore in wine country · Skip it if: you want a small, historic hotel

Bardolino is wine country, and Aqualux is a design-led wellness stay in it rather than a lakefront classic. The score of 8.7 is below the leaders for a reason: this is a big, modern spa hotel and tastes vary.

Tip: pair it with a winery visit rather than a hot, long boat day.

→ Check rates at Aqualux

15. Hotel Bell'Arrivo – Peschiera del Garda

A lake-view hotel in Peschiera's historic centre, on the south shore's rail line.

€ · 8.6 on Booking (1,698 reviews) · Piazzetta Benacense 2, Peschiera del Garda

Best for: a low-cost, car-free base on the Milan–Venice line · Skip it if: you want a high score, since 8.6 is the lowest on this list

Peschiera has a train station, and a free Gardaland shuttle runs from it. Verona is about 15 to 20 minutes away by train, which makes this a sensible split between the lake and the city. The honest catch is that 8.6 is the weakest score here; that is why it is the value pick, not the top pick.

Tip: pair it with a day in Verona; the trains are quick.

→ Check rates at Hotel Bell'Arrivo

16. Hotel Sportsman – Bardolino

A tranquil Bardolino hotel with a private beach and facilities for sports lovers.

€€ · 8.7 on Booking (469 reviews) · Via Gardesana dell'Acqua 17, Bardolino

Best for: an active family stay on the east shore with its own beach access · Skip it if: you want a polished, boutique feel

Booking describes a private beach and facilities for guests who want to be active. At 8.7 from 469 reviews it is solid rather than exceptional, which is exactly what you want from a value hotel.

Tip: ask which sports and beach facilities are open for your dates.

→ Check rates at Hotel Sportsman

17. Cascina Borghetta – Sirmione

A peaceful farmhouse-style stay in the Lugana wine district, a 10-minute drive from Sirmione.

€€ · 9.1 on Booking (284 reviews) · Via Borghetta, Sirmione

Best for: wine lovers with a car · Skip it if: you want to walk to the lake

This is the one pick below our 300-review line, kept because the score is high and the setting is distinctive. It is in vineyard country, not in the old town, and Booking puts it a 10-minute drive from Sirmione.

Tip: if you do not have a car, check how you will get to and from Sirmione before you book.

→ Check rates at Cascina Borghetta

Also good in Lake Garda

• Grand Hotel Terme, Sirmione: 9.0 on Booking from 1,313 reviews, a larger spa hotel on Viale Marconi.
• Hotel Villa Florida & Suite Apartments, Gardone Riviera: 9.5 from only 165 reviews, so promising but a small sample.
• Agriturismo Corte Patrizia, Caprino Veronese: 9.2 from 327 reviews, a farm stay in the hills above the east shore rather than on the lake.
• Quellenhof Luxury Resort Lazise: 9.4 from 187 reviews, a resort that falls under our review-count bar.

Which area should you stay in?

There is no separate where-to-stay page for Lake Garda yet, so here is the short version. Pick the shore first, then the hotel.

South: Sirmione, Desenzano and Peschiera. This is the easiest shore without a car, with trains at Desenzano and Peschiera and a bus from Desenzano to Sirmione. It is also the busiest in summer.

East: Lazise, Bardolino and Malcesine. Harbour towns, beaches, vineyards and the theme parks. Good for families, with heavier shore-road traffic in July and August.

West: Salò, Gardone Riviera, Gargnano and Limone. Quieter and steeper, with villas and gardens, but narrower roads and fewer public transport links.

North: Riva del Garda and Torbole. Mountains straight out of the water, hiking, cycling and windsurfing, and no train.

Our Lake Garda travel guide compares the shores in more detail, and the Sirmione travel guide covers the busiest town.

What Lake Garda hotels cost and when to book

Expect the highest prices in July and August, and book the small, high-scoring hotels first. We read no nightly rates for this list, so use the € tiers as a guide to relative price, then check your dates on Booking.com.

Budget for the tourist tax. Sirmione charges €1.10 to €4.20 per person per night in hotels, depending on stars, for up to seven nights, and under-14s are exempt. Limone charges about €2 at most hotels, and Riva and the Garda Trentino towns about €1.50 to €3. Those figures come from the town notices we checked in October 2026 for our guide, and rates can change.

UK readers searching for Lake Garda holidays will find many package deals built around the south and east shores. Booking a hotel yourself gives you more choice of shore, and the boats are worth planning around: in winter, the passenger boats stop from 2 November 2026 to 12 March 2027, so a lakeside hotel is a quieter base in those months.

For help with the cost of the whole trip, see our Italy trip cost guide, and for the best time to go, our best time to visit Italy guide.

Getting to your hotel without a car

Most of the south and east shore is reachable by train and bus. Fast trains from Milan reach Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione in about 50 minutes, and Peschiera is about 15 to 20 minutes from Verona. You can compare Milan to Desenzano trains on Omio and Venice to Peschiera trains on Omio, and our trains in Italy guide explains the two operators.

There is no train to the north or the west shore. For Riva, take a train to Rovereto and a bus, and for the west shore use the Arriva bus or a transfer. If you do drive, read our driving in Italy guide first, compare prices with DiscoverCars, and remember that Sirmione's old town restricts vehicles in season.

If you are flying into Milan or Venice, our Milan airport and Venice airport guides cover the onward trip, and the Milan to Verona route is the easiest way to reach the east shore.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best area to stay on Lake Garda?

It depends on how you travel. Sirmione and the south suit a first visit without a car, the east shore suits families, the west shore suits quiet, scenic stays, and Riva and Torbole suit hikers and windsurfers. If you are unsure, base yourself in Desenzano or Peschiera, where the trains stop.

What is the best hotel on Lake Garda?

Our top pick is Villa Cortine Palace in Sirmione, rated 9.6 on Booking.com from 571 reviews. For a spa, Lefay Resort & Spa in Gargnano scores 9.5, and for old-world grandeur on the west shore, Grand Hotel Fasano scores 9.3.

Is Sirmione a good place to stay on Lake Garda?

Yes, for a first visit. It has a castle, Roman ruins and a walkable old town. It fills with day visitors in summer, so staying overnight lets you see it early and late. Vehicle access to the old town is restricted in season, so check parking before you book.

Where should I stay on Lake Garda without a car?

Desenzano del Garda or Peschiera del Garda, because both have train stations on the Milan–Venice line. From Desenzano, an Arriva bus runs to Sirmione. The north shore around Riva has no train and needs a bus connection.

Is Lake Garda expensive?

It can be, but it does not have to be. Luxury resorts sit alongside value hotels like Hotel Bell'Arrivo in Peschiera and Hotel Sportsman in Bardolino. July and August are the most expensive months, and a tourist tax of about €1 to €4 per person per night is added in most towns.

Should I stay on Lake Garda or Lake Como?

Garda is bigger and more varied, with beaches, theme parks and vineyards, and it is easier to reach by train from both Milan and Venice. Como is narrower and built around grand villas. Our Lake Como vs Lake Garda comparison goes into detail, and our best hotels in Lake Como list covers the other lake.

Our final pick

Book Villa Cortine Palace if you want Lake Garda at its most polished, and Hotel Bell'Arrivo if you want a low-cost, car-free base with Verona a short train ride away. Choose the shore first; the right hotel follows.

If you are building a longer northern Italy trip, see our best hotels in Verona, our Verona travel guide and our Italian lakes overview.

Plan your trip