Hotel Olivo — Hotel in Comunità Alto Garda e Ledro

Great location, a 3-minute walk to the historic center of the town, and about a 2-minute walk to the main bus station, where you can catch buses going pretty much anywhere in the region. Great views from the hotel, too.

Check-in was easy and starts pretty early (2pm) and the staff are super friendly and helpful.

The single room was very clean, spacious, and had good air conditioning. There's a mini-fridge in the room (though it's more cool than cold). The bed was really comfortable, and even had a top sheet (which I've found rare in Europe). Nice view from the balcony of the church next door and the mountains.

The bathroom was also very clean and the shower was a decent size with good water pressure. Sufficient number of towels that were all pretty soft. The only thing is that the hand soap, shampoo, and shower gel are all in one bottle, so you have to bring it back and forth between the sink and the shower. Not really an issue (unless you forget to move it back to the sink after getting dressed and step in the wet shower with your socks), but a bottle in each location would probably be better.

Breakfast starts at 730 and is pretty good with a decent selection of vegetarian options. There's brewed American coffee (not espresso mixed with water) and you can also order espresso-based drinks from the server, who was super friendly.

Arguably the best part of the stay is that is comes with the Garda-Trentino GuestCard, which is digital and you can obtain the morning before you arrive in Arco. The card includes: free public transport on all buses in Trentino and a number of trains (all of the buses are coach-style and have ample luggage storage underneath); free access to local sights (including Arco Castle, a climb to the top of the Torre Aponale in Riva, and the Museo Alta Garda); free round-trip ride on the Bastione funicular; free round-trip ride on the Madonna di Campiglio cable car; and numerous discounts. There is also another app you can download and use for free with the card called Bus&Go, which is effectively an Uber-type shuttle bus that transports you to/from anywhere in the area spanning from Arco to Riva to Torbole, and operates...

The family-run Hotel Olivo is my first choice in Arco and that is related to my specific needs. If you are the type of tourist that like to discover the area more or less by yourself, this hotel is a good start. But if your main purpose for a vacation is just relaxing, sun and bath, and if you require a hotel swimming pool, this is maybe not your first choice. But if you are a more active and exercising tourist (running, MTB, road bike, walking, climbing etc) this hotel is very good as your ”base camp” and comes with a charming and multilingual staff (german, french, english). I have stayed here 6 times, and I have no reason to stay elsewhere in upper Garda. The hotel has some good stuff, and to mention a few: The rooms are air-conditioned and hold a good standard. The tap water is very good (probably one of Europe’s best), and hence no need to buy drinking water. So - if you are an active tourist interested in the local culture, exploring and training, this is an appropriate choice. In the hotel you also find a restaurant with very good food and nice local wines. Free WiFi and free garage for the car, possibility to store your bikes and the vicinity to Arco centre is very compelling. The tourist bureau is just across the street, and three bike rental shops are nearby (500 m). In the village a few hundred meters away you will find an impressive amount of out-door and climbing gear shops as well as a good amount of other shops for maps, books, food, ice-cream, nice cafés and restaurants. In Arco, you do not really encounter the usual tourist traps but you meet the locals instead. As a summary: Arco is active, yet calm. For my purposes, this reasonable priced hotel has it all, but you have to put some own effort to your stay to get out the most of it (as usual). If you just want to be waitered all the time, pick some 5 star hotel in over crowded Riva del Garda. If you stay at Arco, you can always take the bus, your car or rent a bike for the beach in Riva or Torbole. By car or bike you will also be able to discover the amazing mountain landscape through an enormous network of...

I can't speak too highly about this place. We chose to stay in Arco, rather than Riva del Garda, close to the Lake. A good move on our part. The hotel is situated centrally and conveniently close to restaurants, shops and the tourist information office, just around the corner. The staff were very attentive and helpful and the room was clean and tidy when we arrived. The bed was comfortable and the air-conditioning worked very well. No problems with bathroom either. Very pleased with everything overall. Breakfast was included and there was a good selection of food, giving us a good start to the day. We did eat out in the evening on a couple of occasions, but were not very impressed with the places we visited. We decided to eat at the hotel restaurant instead and were very pleased with the food and the service. Actually, this was better value than eating out. Arco is well situated for visiting a great selection of places in the area. We also benefitted from a free Trentino Card, giving us free access to number of attractions as well as free public transportation, although this was something we did not use, as we had a rental car. Altogether a great place and a wonderful hotel. The hotel itself could be best described as 'traditional' rather than modern. A very welcome change to the rather boring "chain' hotels we so often have to stay in. Can highly recommend both the hotel and the town of Arco itself. Thank you to everyone there for helping to make our holiday in Italy a very enjoyable one....