Hotel Kristal Palace — Hotel in Comunità Alto Garda e Ledro

My partner and I have stayed in many hotels, and sadly this one fell far below what we would expect from a 4-star property — mainly due to the quality and upkeep of the rooms. We’re not overly fussy, but the issues we experienced went far beyond minor inconveniences. The hotel itself looks smart from the outside, the lobby is nice, the staff were friendly, and the location is beautiful, but unfortunately the rooms really let it down.

This was our last stop around Lake Garda at the end of our honeymoon, and instead of finishing on a high, it left us disappointed.

Check-in was smooth, and a kind staff member even surprised us with a honeymoon gift of chocolates, fruit, and wine. From our balcony we had a stunning mountain view, and at first everything seemed fine. But once we settled in, serious problems appeared.

In the bathroom we found a large brown streak on the toilet bowl which, when cleaned, was confirmed as faeces. The toilet seat itself was badly stained at the back, showing long-term neglect. The shower sprayed from the pipe connection above, drained so poorly that water built up around my feet, then leaked across the bathroom floor and into the room. We had to use nearly all our clean towels just to soak it up.

Other issues were obvious: dried snots on the wardrobe doors, blood splatter on tiles, shaky sliding wardrobes that felt like they could come off their tracks, and an overall dated, worn style. This was not what we had hoped for on our honeymoon.

We complained, and to her credit the receptionist was excellent — understanding and quick to act. She upgraded us to the executive suite, which looked more modern. Sadly, even there problems remained: a loose bathroom door lock, another unstable wardrobe, shower leaking through the sealant, and an air-conditioning unit that made a loud vibrating noise at night and disturbed our sleep.

Around the hotel, the corridors often smelled of cooking grease. The rooftop bar staff were friendly, but service was inconsistent and sometimes drinks never arrived. There was also no toilet on the rooftop, meaning you had to take the lift all the way down or go back to your room, which was inconvenient.

Smaller frustrations added up too. No iron was provided — only a limited paid pressing service. After travelling with suitcases, we had very creased clothes, some of which we simply couldn’t wear. We even tried using the hairdryer to remove creases, which of course didn’t work well. At the previous 4-star hotel we stayed at nearby, an iron was standard, so the difference was obvious.

Overall, while the staff were helpful and the setting is beautiful, the poor cleanliness, maintenance, and lack of some basics were far below the standard expected of a 4-star hotel. With proper care this place could be much better, but as it stands, it left us disappointed — especially for the end of our honeymoon. See video and...

It’s been a week since we returned from Riva Del Garda and already we’re missing the morning smell of real Italian coffee and the picture postcard views. We booked last minute the last week available in August at the Hotel Kristal Palace and we plan to rebook as soon as possible. This small boutique, Tonnelli family-owned hotel (one of 5), was by far the best hotel we have stayed in. Rated at 4+* stars and with fantastic trip advisor reviews (the deciding factor for us booking!) it undoubtedly gave 5+* star service throughout our stay. The hotel itself is in a great location, a short walk to the shores of the lake and approximately 15-20 minute walk from the Riva ferry port. Sounds far but there is a scenic shoreline promenade to walk with so much to take in, the time passes in quick! Close to a local supermarket, shopping centre and bus stops for exploring the area, it sits just a street back from one the main streets which take you into Riva centre. Our room was spacious and tastefully decorated with an excellent shower room with toiletries provided. A selection of towels and a delicious fruit platter and bottle of prosecco was there for our arrival to mark our anniversary. A very thoughtful gesture. The Sky Pool bar and roof terrace with pool give you outstanding 360 degree views of the lake and surrounding landscape and provides a blissful environment for an early morning breakfast. The food served is the ultimate Italian cuisine and the fine dining restaurant outdone themselves every night, offering a 4-course meal, created by the talented chefs whom you could watch through the large glass windows that looked directly into the hotel’s kitchen from your table. Throughout the hotel, the cleanliness level is excellent including the attention to detail, which can be found from the sparkling clean window sills with beautiful orchid displays to the pool bag provided with beach towels and flip flops left in your room. A special thanks go to Massimo and the chefs in the restaurant, for going above and beyond to cater for my partners vegetarian requests, to Juri and Zane for their impeccable manners and fantastic friendly service, to Michaelangelo in the Sky Pool bar for creating the tastiest cocktails we’ve ever drank. Although I only name a few I must stress all staff were outstanding in the service they provided. The staff, we feel, ultimately make this place what it is. We had the honour of a chance meeting with one of the Tonnelli family members whilst in the hotel and we were humbled by how grateful he was that we chose one of their hotels to stay in. We thanked him for providing us with the best holiday we could have asked for, the first in 3 years. Without a doubt we will be back and cannot recommend the Kristal...

A good friend and I have just returned from an amazing holiday at the Kristal Palace Hotel. I cannot rate the hotel and staff highly enough. When we arrived, pretty tired as we’d been up since 3am, and were first shown our room we were disappointed that the room was quite small and It didn’t have a lake view which we’d asked for! The Director, Joseph, was so good with us and said he would upgrade us but he wasn’t able to do that for 2 days as the hotel was full. After 2 days, we had settled into our room and decided not to move.

The rooftop pool was so beautiful.and to swim in the warm water with the mountains as the backdrop was wonderful. Every morning we helped ourselves to the most amazing breakfast. Matthias the chef was also there to cook all forms of hot breakfast, including crepes. The service was excellent by staff who were very respectful, fun and friendly. I wish I could remember the name of the waiter who mainly served us. He was brilliant as was Zana. They were also there in the dining room in the evening, where they served a 4’course dinner that would have won master chef every evening!

Massimo was the excellent head waiter.

One evening we had a pianist playing the grand piano as we enjoyed our dinner.

After dinner there was music on the roof top with a couple of brilliant guitarists and singers. We were served drinks by another delightful young man whose name I sadly can’t remember. At reception, nothing was too much trouble for Eleanora. She was always there with a smile.

Lastly Rashid helped us with our lugguage and who drove us most days in the shuttle bus into Riva where we caught the ferry to various towns by the lake. Rashid was always smiling and helpful. The cleanliness in our room and generally in the whole hotel was very good indeed. This was one of the best holidays I have ever had. I cannot recommend this hotel more highly and can’t...