Lake Garda, ItalyGardone Riviera
Hotel Bella Riva
Restyled lakeside villa
Gardone Riviera Lake Garda, Italy
Renovated
2011
Price
$$$
Rated for
Design Luxe ResortOutside the door
Restyled lakeside villa
The shoreline villa trades historic ornamentation for clean Italian lines, keeping life focused on the waterfront lawn and infinity pool.
What it’s good at
Notable
Piero Lissoni set sheet-glass staircases against preserved mouldings and Klimt-patterned headboards.
Notable
Housekeeping delivers thirty-minute garment pressing alongside effortless lakeside arrival service.
Listed
Lakeside grounds hold an infinity pool, stand-up paddleboards, and direct lake swimming access.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Built in 1904 on a prime piece of real estate on Lake Garda’s shoreline, Hotel Bella Riva serves up classic northern Italian luxury with a modern twist.
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Fasano's quiet lakeside promenade is a short stroll away, and the eccentric Vittoriale estate rests just up the hill.
The rooms
Bedrooms have oak parquet floors and luminous patterned headboards. Selected rooms open onto private balconies over the water.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
The 20-meter infinity pool runs along the lakeside lawn, bordered by timber decking and sun loungers under white parasols.
At the table
The lounge bar serves cocktails and regional wines beneath a coffered ceiling, with arched windows looking out over the lake.
How it began
Giuseppe Cipani built the villa in 1904, establishing the only Italian-run hotel on a shoreline then dominated by foreign hoteliers.
Lake Garda
More like this
Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli
“Neo-Gothic lakeside palazzo”
Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda
“Hilltop wellness estate”
EALA - My lakeside dream
“Cliffside Lake Garda hotel”
Monastero Arx Vivendi
“Restored monastic citadel”
Hotel Lido Palace
“Belle Époque lakefront hideaway”
Cape of Senses Spa Hideaway
“Panoramic hillside spa hideaway”
Quellenhof Luxury Resort Lazise
“Olive grove spa resort”
Vivere Suites and Rooms
“Modernist vineyard agriturismo”
The app
Like this one? There are so many more.
Swipe any city’s hotels and heart the ones you love. The app gets your taste.
Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.