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We found a stylish getaway at this Italian holiday hotspot that looks straight out of a TV show or movie, where you’ll find fine dining, luxury living and a fascinating history
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OK!’s Laura Mulley explores Italy’s picturesque Lake Garda
If season two of The White Lotus had you yearning for a chic waterside Italian escape, we’ve found just the place – albeit at the other end of the country.
While that particular series of the hit TV show was set in Sicily, we discovered an elegant five-star hotel on the western shore of Lake Garda in northern Italy, where you’ll find tranquil views, Michelin-starred dining and first-class service.
Grand Hotel Fasano
Formerly the hunting lodge of the Austrian imperial family in the 19th Century, Grand Hotel Fasano is now a stunning five-star hotel that still retains plenty of that grandeur, making up part of Lake Garda’s picture-perfect shoreline.
Complimentary pick-and-mix sweets in the foyer was a lovely touch we enjoyed during our stay, and lots of the rooms have balconies or terraces overlooking the lake. We loved how we could walk out directly from our spacious ground floor suite onto the terrace to enjoy our morning coffee while taking in the lake views.
Grand Hotel Fasano’s AQVA Spa has recently been renovated, and features a sauna, steam room and cold plunge, and plenty of space for lounging. It’s all very relaxed and open, and you can easily flit between the spa, the outdoor pool and the lake, which was a chilly 12°C when we were persuaded to take a dip in early April.
Although undeniably bracing, we had to admit that we did feel energised and invigorated after our cold water plunge and the experience was one to remember.
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A stunning five-star hotel on the shores of Lake Garda featuring a Michelin-starred restaurant, new spa and stunning views.
The food at Grand Hotel Fasano
Evenings at Grand Hotel Fasano start with aperitifs on the terrace, watching the sky and lake gradually turn from bright blue to soft watercolour shades. The bar does classic Italian cocktails brilliantly – Americanos, Aperol spritzes, Bellinis – plus anything else you could think of, and drinks come with enough canapés to almost constitute a light meal. The concoction that got every guest talking, however, was the eponymous Fasano cocktail. A mix of gin, passionfruit syrup and Ruinart rosé champagne, it’s presented in a quirky bird-shaped glass, referring to this building’s previous purpose as a hunting lodge. After dinner, we also cooed over the espresso martini, served in a teacup- shaped glass perched atop a thin stem.
Michelin-starred restaurant Il Fagiano is the hotel’s culinary highlight, serving an exquisite à la carte or a five-course tasting menu celebrating Italian cuisine complete with wine pairings, all presented and served to perfection. We found that all dietary requirements were really well accommodated throughout the whole hotel – something that’s not always the case in Europe.
Elsewhere, the hotel’s Trattoria Il Pescatore restaurant does delicious fresh seafood dishes, while Magnolia is the spot for relaxed lunches under its 200-year-old tree. Breakfast is taken on the terrace, and we found it hard to resist piling our plates high with sweet and savoury pastries, local cheeses and fresh tomatoes.
What to do around Lake Garda
One activity you simply must do when staying here is take a boat trip out onto the lake (this can be booked via the hotel). We sailed past the former villa of Mussolini’s mistress and the striking tower of Saint Marco onto Isola del Garda, the biggest of the lake’s five islands.
It has a fascinating history, once serving as a pirate hideout, a home for Franciscan monks and, now, privately owned by the Cavazza family for five generations.
Looking like something out of Succession, the villa, its gardens and some of its stunning treasure-filled rooms are now open for public tours, and the island also hosts a small number of exclusive weddings every year.
Another nearby tourist attraction that was an unexpected delight was a visit to nearby Vittoriale degli Italiani, the quirky former estate of Italian poet Gabriele d’annunzio. Something of an Italian dandy in the early 20th Century, or the Oscar Wilde of Italy, to say he was a hoarder is an understatement. His house is filled with oddities, including 33,000 books, a coffin-shaped bed, and the bronze shell of his pet tortoise.
Fans of good wine should also explore the best of the region’s grape varieties at nearby family-owned winery Conti Thun Wine Resort. It’s best known for its rosés (although it also makes delicious reds and whites), all of which are named after family members. Decorated with pink barrels, lights and flowers hanging from the ceiling, this is surely the prettiest, most Instagrammable winery you’re likely to see. Visitors can book in for tours, tastings and lunch, or you can even stay at the vineyard, which has 24 rooms plus a pool and sauna.
How much does it cost to stay at Grand Hotel Fasano?
Nightly rates at Grand Hotel Fasano start from around £518 for an executive room with lake view and balcony on a bed and breakfast basis.
Although not cheap, this is significantly cheaper than the Four Season hotel used in The White Lotus, the San Domenico Palace, Taormina, where rooms range from around $1,100-$4,900 per night.
For hassle-free airport transfers and taxi journeys, contact Nicola Astolfi on [email protected].
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