The hotel appeared very authentic and was nice giving a traditional feel to to it. The grounds and gardens were very well maintained.|The reception area was of contemporary style and looked modern and the staff in reception were very helpful. There's an outdoor pool, which was a bit cold at first but perfect for cooling down on hot sunny days.|The bedroom was large and looked just as it was in the brochure/website. Although the décor was dark with navy bedcovers and curtains, the curtains kept the room cool along with air conditioning. The room was very clean and well maintained and facilities such as the TV, fridge and safe were great to have. We used the fridge for storing bottles of water and snacks. The housekeeping staff were so helpful and flexible. Three of us were sharing a room and the room was a good size for us. The twin beds were really comfortable. The sofa bed was smaller and less comfortable but it didn’t spoil our stay. The only thing missing for us was an iron, but our clothes were fine in the end.|Although the hotel is not on the lakeside (it’s a 5 min walk away from the lake), we enjoyed having breakfast on the terrace looking over to the lake and mountains in the distance. You could also have breakfast indoors either in the dining room or the conservatory but the terrace was perfect for us with a great view.|Breakfast itself was really good. For those who like hot food, there was bacon, scrambled or boiled eggs and sausage (a bit like mini hot dogs). Given that we were eating on the continent, breakfast was what I had expected with fresh fruit melon and pineapple, fresh cured meats and cheese, cereals, yogurts, croissants, pastries, jams, chocolate spread, fresh fruit juices and cakes. There was sliced bread and a toaster as well as a coffee machine. The staff were very friendly and helpful and there was no pressure at all regarding how many times you went to choose items for your breakfast. They were very good at clearing and setting up tables, particularly on the terrace and the staff were certainly friendly, helpful, and put us at ease, with no rush for us to leave. There was also an outdoor bar and restaurant available which gave a nice social atmosphere, again the staff were very friendly and helpful.||In terms of location, it’s a 30 min walk to town from the hotel but it’s a nice walk along the lakeside. There is also a bus stop outside the hotel, and you can catch the bus. While we were there it cost a Euro to go on the bus and it ran every half hour up to the early evening. It was great for getting to the train station (in 5-10 minutes) or to the centre of town (in 10-15 minutes). The only downside was the bus service stopped after 8pm but we would just take the bus into town for dinner and then walk back to the hotel along the lakeside which was busy with people walking and had lighting. We also went to a few local restaurants which were a 5-10 min walk from the hotel, which was good if we didn’t want to go into town. There was also a Penny Mart supermarket just down the road from the hotel which was handy.||We picked Desenzano as it has good rail and lake ferry routes and we did a lot of travelling directly to Venice, Verona and Milian by train. On the lake, we took the boat and visited Malcesine which was a great day out visiting the castle and going up on the cable car. We also visited Sirmione and Garda on different days, both beautiful places to visit. Desenzano was the perfect location for all our travelling, and we were delighted with the hotel.