Hotel du Lac and Hotel Gardenia al Lago
A Family Affair on Lake Garda: Hotel du Lac and Hotel Gardenia al Lago
By Lulu Townsend
There are places on the west shores of Lake Garda where life is slow and purposeful. In the charming town of Gargnano, two neighbouring family-run hotels carry that feeling from morning coffee to evening aperitivo. Hotel du Lac and Hotel Gardenia al Lago are run by the Arosio family, who have welcomed travellers here for two generations. The matriarch, Tina, oversees Gardenia with her sons Andrea and Giorgio, while Valerio manages Hotel du Lac, a short walk away. The result is two distinct stays that share the same care, traditions and sense of place and nostalgia.
Hotel du Lac
Painted Venetian red and set right at the lake’s edge, Hotel du Lac has 12 rooms, six facing the water with a balcony or terrace. Inside, Belle Époque furniture, original tiled floors and bright, well-kept bathrooms give a quietly nostalgic charm. It feels personal and unforced, more like a family house or a lovely pensione than a hotel.
Breakfast is a generous buffet of homemade cakes, biscuits, jams, chia pudding, scrambled eggs and bacon. Arrive early to secure a table that sits just above the water’s edge. In summer, start your day with a swim from the hotel’s private steps, with towel hooks and handrails beneath the surface, or take a brisk dip in October before the season closes.
Days at Hotel du Lac can be as peaceful or active as you like. The family owns nearby Lido dei Limoni, open in the summer and perfect for sunbathing by the water where the beach bar serves al fresco lunches and drinks. Mountain bikes and kayaks are available, and weekly guided walks wind through Gargnano to the family’s Fondo Crocefisso limonaia, where olives, lemons and vines grow on ancient terraces. It is here you can taste the produce and understand the deep connection between land and family that defines this part of the lake.
Hotel du Lac is an excellent choice for a honeymoon. It’s romantic without being ostentatious, offering lakefront accommodation, generous breakfasts, and privacy at a price that suits travellers who value quality without extravagance. It’s also wonderfully romantic and a perfect place to propose, perhaps on the roof terrace beneath the canopy of kiwis at sunset, or by the water’s edge when the lake is still. Within walking distance, you’ll find plenty of trattorias serving simple, tasty food, from fresh lake fish and handmade pasta to grilled vegetables and local olive oil, and just opposite, there’s a small gelateria (try the yoghurt, it’s delicious!), an ideal stop after an evening meal.
Hotel Gardenia al Lago
Just a short walk away, Hotel Gardenia is nestled within a lush garden of olive and palm trees that slopes down to the lake. In fine weather, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in the garden facing the lake. A raised terrace offers views across the water towards Monte Baldo, with the light changing throughout the day. The rooms combine early 20th-century furniture from the villa when it was the family’s summer house with light, uncluttered spaces; several feature balconies overlooking the lake, and the bathrooms are bright, decorated with colourful tiles, bidets, and proper towel rails.
Dinner at Ristorante Rivalagoi a highlight, with beautifully cooked steak, tender octopus salad and a focus on seasonal, local ingredients. The setting is intimate, softly lit and romantic, the service is charming and attentive, the kind that makes you feel looked after without fuss.
Downstairs, the bar is small and charmingly old-fashioned in the best way. The cocktails are outstanding, especially the Negroni - perfectly balanced, beautifully presented, and incredibly good value at under ten euros. It’s the kind of place where you order one drink and end up staying for a second or third, simply because the atmosphere feels just right and the night still feels young.
There’s also a historic underground wine cellar holding a personal selection from Lake Garda and other Italian regions, many from small growers focused on native grapes. It suits the family’s philosophy of authenticity and respect for local character.
From 2026, both hotels will offer guests the chance to experience Lake Garda from a different angle aboard the historic sailing boat Galeotto II, built in 1902. A slow glide across the water at sunset, sails full and the town slipping into evening behind you, feels like a natural extension of life here. After a day exploring or hiking in the hills, book in with Raul. His massages are excellent, the sort that quietly unknot shoulders and ease tired legs before dinner.
Andrea’s Limonaia
Lemon cultivation has shaped this coastline since the 13th-century. Between Salò and Limone, you can still see the tall stone structures that once protected citrus trees through winter and still do for those few remaining. Andrea has restored the family’s limonaia at Fondo Crocefisso, keeping the tradition alive. He produces limoncello, citrus salts, olive oil and jams, all sold at the local cooperative created by growers and producers to showcase Gargnano’s heritage. Each week, guests can visit to learn about the history and craft of lemon growing on Lake Garda.
If You Go
Where Gargnano, Lake Garda, northern Italy, about 90 minutes by car from Verona Airport or two hours from Milan.
When to visit April to October. Late spring and early autumn bring warm water, softer light and quieter roads. The hotels close in winter.
Stay • Hotel du Lac starts fromaround Euro 170 per night including breakfast. Best for couples, honeymooners, proposals and anyone who wants a lakeside setting with character and good value. • Hotel Gardenia al Lago From around Euro 165 per night. Best for travellers who enjoy gardens, long meals by the water and a classic lakeside atmosphere.
Eat nearby A short walk brings you to family-run trattorie and lakefront spots for lake fish, risotti, handmade pasta and seasonal vegetables with local olive oil. Ask the hotel team for their current favourites; they always know who is cooking well that week.
Do not miss A morning swim from Hotel du Lac’s private steps, an afternoon massage with Raul after a hike in the hills, a Negroni in Gardenia’s bar before dinner, and an evening in the garden at Ristorante al Lago as the light fades. From 2026, add a sail on Galeotto II to the list.
In a world of design hotels and fleeting trends, these two family-run treasures remind you that true Italian hospitality is an art. You come for the lake, for the food, for the sense of calm, but you leave remembering the people who made you feel part of their life story.
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