This Idyllic Italian Lake Is an Overlooked Alternative to Lake Como—Here’s Where to Stay

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The Afar take

Italy’s tony Lake Como tends to get the lion’s share of A-listers, but its northern Italian neighbor Lake Garda, about two hours by car east of Milan, exudes a more laid-back, convivial atmosphere. One of the most stately retreats on Lake Garda is Grand Hotel Fasano, which debuted in 1888 as a hunting lodge for the Habsburg royal family (a detail sure to intrigue those with a penchant for Empress Elisabeth of Austria lore, such as myself). The hotel was a stone’s throw from the front lines of World War I and became a hospital during World War II. Today it’s run by the third-generation owners, the Mayr family, as a quietly opulent retreat imbued with a rich heritage. Reopened in April for the 2025 season, Grand Hotel Fasano recently welcomed a new wing of four suites and completely renovated its Aqva Spa (more on that later).

Who’s it for?

Traveling couples and families who crave old-world luxury with contemporary comforts. True to its name, the neoclassical-style hotel exhibits an air of grandeur, but the environment seems fresh. An ideal warm-weather hideaway, Grand Hotel Fasano offers guests tranquility and postcard-ready views.

Courtesy of Grand Hotel Fasano

The location

Italy’s largest lake, Lake Garda is a two-hour drive east of Milan, and it’s a more low-key alternative to the perennially popular Lake Como. Take in its idyllic setting with a Consolini Paolo boat tour around Isola del Garda. Or, if you’re more of an indoor enthusiast, visit the moody former abode of controversial poet and novelist Gabriele D’Annunzio, and peek at Conti Thun’s 16th-century cellar before partaking in a guided wine tasting.

The rooms

Grand Hotel Fasano’s 86 rooms and suites are spread out over the main building, the Villa Principe alongside the lodge that once served as housing for staff, and a newly constructed wing housing a quartet of commodious suites. Tying these accommodations together is a muted aesthetic, accented with details like tufted headboards and elegant shell-shaped seating. I relished my executive room, complete with a freestanding bathtub in the bathroom and a sofa and balcony overlooking Lake Garda, a view that stopped me in my tracks every day.

Courtesy of Grand Hotel Fasano

The food and drink

Mornings unfold in the airy breakfast room—or on the adjacent terrace embellished with blooming lemons—where guests supplement the lavish buffet offerings (I found the spread of confections particularly impressive) with made-to-order egg dishes. For lunch, the place to be is the alfresco Magnolia, aptly nestled amid its namesake trees that date back some 200 years. The sage green plaid tablecloths and matching glassware complement a citrusy maccheroncini riff on cacio e pepe, while next door at dinner-only Il Pescatore, tangles of inky linguine slicked in cuttlefish and black bread cream conjure the Mediterranean.

Il Fagiano, open only in the evenings, shouldn’t be missed. The one-Michelin-star restaurant is enveloped in wood, an intimate setting for savoring the likes of celeriac ravioli and a brazen spaghetti brightened with oyster and raspberry. Nightcaps at the dark, loungey Rama’s are another essential ritual. Sip the Sunset on the Lake, a liquid ode to the surroundings starring chamomile- and green apple–infused Campari. When the sky morphs from orange to gold, however, I think there’s no better spot to revel in it than the sprawling La Terrazza, with a frothy Amaretto Sour in hand.

Staff and service

A mix of native Italians and multicultural denizens, the team at Grand Hotel Fasano is polite and friendly. The hotel had just opened for the season when I arrived, and the enthusiasm was palpable. I exchanged many a buongiorno with staff in the corridors, coffee was refilled without prompting, and the knowledgeable concierge was eager to make recommendations.

Courtesy of Grand Hotel Fasano

Accessibility

Elevators and six ground-floor guestrooms are available for those with limited mobility.

Spa and wellness: The Aqva Spa

The massages and body treatments incorporating Sothys products are certainly enticing (the signature 110-minute 1888 combines a scrub, a mud wrap, a massage, and a facial), but it’s the relaxation areas that made me want to linger for hours with a book, snacking on the complimentary dried mangoes. After a dip in the indoor pool surrounded by regal columns, keep unwinding on one of the canopied beds or the white loungers backdropped by sun streaming through large glass windows.