B&B Topaze — Hotel in Sirmione

We had high expectations of this B&B given its #1 rating on Tripadvisor so made a reservation for two nights. We arrived after a long hot drive at 16:00, well within the listed arrival window. However, there was no answer when we rang the bell and we could not enter as the outside gates were locked. We decided to wait in case the owners had just popped out for a short time. While we were waiting, another couple arrived who had also made a reservation. After 30 minutes wait we tried ringing some of the other bells by the gate and eventually an elderly gentleman appeared who spoke only Italian and seemed surprised to see us. Fortunately, my wife speaks reasonable Italian so we explained who we were and eventually we were given the keys to our room. However, it was then discovered that the beds had not been made so we were given another room. All this took some time as the Italian gentlemen really did not seem to know what was going on. It eventually turned out that he was the father of one of the owners who had gone on holiday to Kenya and left him in charge, even though he was not really up to the job. That was not his fault and, in our opinion, he should never have been put in that difficult position. Having once settled in, we were very happy with the room – spacious, modern, comfortable, well-equipped and with a modern shower room/toilet. Breakfast was served by a friendly lady who came in each morning and it was a pleasure to eat outside in the garden. The B&B is conveniently located in a quiet residential area of Colombare and its shops and restaurants are a five-minute walk away. It’s a good 35 minute walk into Sirmione although you can catch a bus nearby. In terms of accommodation and location, B&B Topaze deserves its good rating. Unfortunately the reception was a shambles, so if you decide to stay here, first make sure the owners will be around...

Considering the high reviews we found online, we had high expectations of Topaze and were slightly disappointed- regardless of the obvious effort from management. You could tell that they tried really hard and put in a lot of effort, but unfortunately it didn't quite pay off.||||The room was fine: a good size with adequate amenities. However, nothing was quite perfect- the towels provided were hand towels and although we received a larger towel upon request, it was not then replaced on subsequent days by housekeeping, ensuring difficulties when showering; the bed was made but we had to put the duvet inside the sheet ourselves; there was no soap provided in the bathroom; the bin was not emptied; the shutters did not shut entirely, etc.||||The wi-fi worked for 5 minutes on one occasion, and the owner seemed unable to understand or help us to fix this, so we went elsewhere for wi-fi.||||As another review states, breakfast was a bit of a fight. We were first out on the first morning and enjoyed a nice Italian breakfast, but on the second day we had a little lie-in and came to breakfast after about half an hour to find one doughnut to share and the scraps of cheese and ham left over. We didn't make the same mistake on the third day!! It would be nice if you felt there was adequate food available for everyone.||||The location was great, and the owner gave us a map on arrival with some information of the area.||||We had access to bicycles, which was helpful, and the owner's father was so helpful to get us these whenever we wanted- regardless of the fact that neither of us could understand each other!! He, and the owner, were accommodating and you could tell they put in a lot of effort, for which I've given them 3 stars; however, it doesn't quite live up to the high expectations we had from...

Considering the high reviews we found online, we had high expectations of Topaze and were slightly disappointed- regardless of the obvious effort from management. You could tell that they tried really hard and put in a lot of effort, but unfortunately it didn't quite pay off.||||The room was fine: a good size with adequate amenities. However, nothing was quite perfect- the towels provided were hand towels and although we received a larger towel upon request, it was not then replaced on subsequent days by housekeeping, ensuring difficulties when showering; the bed was made but we had to put the duvet inside the sheet ourselves; there was no soap provided in the bathroom; the bin was not emptied; the shutters did not shut entirely, etc.||||The wi-fi worked for 5 minutes on one occasion, and the owner seemed unable to understand or help us to fix this, so we went elsewhere for wi-fi.||||As another review states, breakfast was a bit of a fight. We were first out on the first morning and enjoyed a nice Italian breakfast, but on the second day we had a little lie-in and came to breakfast after about half an hour to find one doughnut to share and the scraps of cheese and ham left over. We didn't make the same mistake on the third day!! It would be nice if you felt there was adequate food available for everyone.||||The location was great, and the owner gave us a map on arrival with some information of the area.||||We had access to bicycles, which was helpful, and the owner's father was so helpful to get us these whenever we wanted- regardless of the fact that neither of us could understand each other!! He, and the owner, were accommodating and you could tell they put in a lot of effort, for which I've given them 3 stars; however, it doesn't quite live up to the high expectations we had from...