Residence Bellavista — Hotel in Manerba del Garda

Being at this hotel gave us a great base to explore Lake Garda from. It’s easy to find if you use the directions given on the website and in a quiet location.||||We were greeted warmly by the owner, Michele and shown to our room. He explained how everything worked and was happy to provide anything extra we needed. ||||Something to note is that we spent time looking at each room on the website before booking and booked a top floor room (A7) so as to be up higher and have a sunny balcony/veranda all day long but when we arrived we had been booked into room A3. This was a similar type of room but immediately below on the first floor with a covered balcony. Michele explained he had given us a different room as A7 sleeps 4 and ours sleeps 2 so that he could take another booking. It was the same view and we were happy with it but if like us you want a specific room I would mention it when booking to avoid being moved before arrival. He did also refund the difference in room price without us asking which was good. That one small issue aside we couldn’t have enjoyed our stay more. ||||As it’s a self-catered apartment the basics are provided but you’ll need to buy some bits on arrival. There’s a gas hob and oven but no microwave. Cable TV is available and for techy people it has USB and HDMI connectors. The air-con is extra but the ceilings are high and it wasn’t needed. The apartment was very clean and there’s a safe for valuables. The pool was quiet and the water was clean. There’s a pool bar open in the evenings for drinks and whilst we saw the food which looked good we didn’t have the opportunity to try any.||||There’s a bakers 100yrds down the road and a small shop a bit further on but a 5 minute drive away is a big Aldi supermarket where you can stock up with everything you need. Michele’s english was excellent and he seemed to be a very hardworking manager/chef etc. It’s a family run business and he lives on site just across the car park. One night we asked for a couple of wine glasses which he gave us. A couple of minutes later we got a knock at the door and he was standing there with his home-made pizza telling us we couldn’t have wine without trying this. It was those sort of touches that made our stay. ||||If you want to eat out one night I can recommend going to a restaurant a five minute drive away called Osteria dei Poeti. It opens at 19:30 and is a bit tricky to find but the food is fantastic and it’s reasonably priced.||||It's also worth nothing that Venice is only 1h35mins by train and we did a day trip. The trains can be bought cheaper if you get up early but our 2nd class tickets cost 50Euro return.||||I like to travel and rarely go back to the same place twice, but the combination of the bella vista and nice hosts means that not only would I recommend staying here to friends and family, but I would happily stay here again myself. The view really is spectacular. Well done Michele and his family...

Great residence with amazing views - both from the front and back facing apartments. The rooms are spacious, airy and clean, and quiet. The family who run it are lovely and very helpful and had lots of information available. They also speak a bit of basic English which helps. ||The pool was an essential for my children and was great, just the right size and easily accessible with wonderful views. There is a little bar at the pool where you can get a sandwich, drinks and sweets. It was perfect for us. You can buy an inflatable ring for the swimming pool at the shop at the bottom of the road for 7 Euro - and they will inflate it for you at the residence.||In the summer there is a local market on Tuesdays and a food market on Fridays (the roast chicken stall is out of this world!) Our balcony overlooked the market and it was a great experience drinking our coffee watching the world go by and hearing the Italian language. ||A few minutes walk downhill from the residence is the main piazza with a few small shops, a great geletaria for ice creams, and a couple of good restaurants (including La Luce Sul Lago) - that are good value for money and have a lovely atmosphere. There are also free concerts each week during the summer.||Altogether we had a wonderful stay and will be going back as soon as...

The hotel is placed in a beautiful village of Manerba about a kilometer or two away from the lake. Close enough to walk but far enough to offer complete peace and quiet away from the busy lakeside resorts. We spent most of our time by the pool (which we mainly had to ourselves) admiring beautiful views of the lake and the surrounding mountains and enjoying a quiet break from our busy lives. The village has everything one needs with no shortage of restaurants and cafes, even a bakery with some amazing cakes. Michaele and his family do a great job of running the hotel and the restaurant. They are very friendly and helpful and somehow manage to stay out of your way while being there when you need them.||||We enjoyed a wonderful family holiday in Residence Bellavista and hope to...