Leonardo Hotel Lago di Garda - Wellness and Spa

"The rooms are just passable, and the entire structure of the hotel is in urgent need of renovation. This is particularly noticeable in the swimming pool, where you can clearly see that a load-bearing support column is heavily rusted. That is already quite borderline for a 4-star hotel. The staff is generally accommodating and professional. A very unfriendly, older lady behind the bar was, however, the big exception. Such a person really should not be unleashed on the guests. Unacceptable! The breakfast is very good, and the food in general is also quite alright."

"The location is good if your main purpose is visiting Movieland, which is within easy walking distance. Otherwise, it is less convenient: the lake is about a 40-minute walk away, although the hotel provides a free shuttle to the lake and to Lazise, where there is a good choice of restaurants and bars. There is no lake view from the hotel. Our room was spacious and modern, with a walk-in shower and separate WC, plenty of storage in a proper wardrobe, and sufficient shelving. Outside there was a small table and a drying rack. The kettle and complimentary coffee were much appreciated, as were the robes and pool towels. The hotel is dog-friendly, which we appreciated, and even provides a small area where dogs can be walked off lead. There are three pools, although only the indoor pool in the wellness area is heated. The wellness facilities themselves are large and well organised, with complimentary tea and water, two gyms, treatment rooms and a large pool with an outdoor terrace. Free outdoor parking is another definite plus. Staff were generally friendly, although the service felt somewhat impersonal. Unfortunately, there are also quite a few drawbacks. 1) Breakfast was disappointing, with industrial-style cakes and three machines producing mediocre, and at times barely drinkable, hot beverages. One of them even broke during our stay. Freshly squeezed juice and fried eggs are available only at an additional charge. 2) Housekeeping was accurate but extremely slow. 3) The indoor pool also tended to become overcrowded and rather noisy, despite rules against jumping into the pool and respecting silence and relaxation. 4) Most of all, the hotel appears to be in need of better maintenance: the corridor carpets were visibly dirty, plaster is crumbling in many areas, there were dead plants both at the entrance and in the wellness area, and we noticed dirty lamps and a dirty toilet brush in our room. 5) Breakfast could also become rather chaotic, with some guests filling their plates with conspicuously large quantities of food and, on one occasion, taking away boiled eggs. This is obviously not the hotel's fault, but better management of the breakfast area might help. For a four-star hotel at this price level, I would expect considerably more attention to detail and maintenance. The facilities are substantial, the rooms are comfortable and the dog-friendly approach is excellent, but the overall level of care does not quite match the category or the price. I am therefore not convinced that the quality-to-price ratio is particularly attractive."

"A mixed bag at this hotel: Pros: The spa facilities are nice and I had a really lovely massage. Plenty of outdoor space although more seating is needed around the adult only pool. A nice pool bar with a good menu. A convenient complimentary shuttle to the town. Unbrellas and bikes to hire. A nice quiet location. Comfortable beds, nice bathroom and a fridge with complimentary water (but only provided for one night). Cons: The hotel is in need of an upgrade - leaks, stained and worn carpets, decking which is a bit of a trip hazard. The pool outside is not heated and was fresh ! The breakfast is not the best - tables not cleaned, cutlery not available, no decaff options on the drinks, food basic. We found some of the staff rude and dismissive - particularly the bar staff in the evening. We had asked the shuttle driver to pick us up at the specified time and he didn’t arrive and there was no answer at the hotel so we had to pay for a taxi back. The telephone number on the website does not work and getting through to them is difficult. Lunch time menu - limited in the restaurant and when we asked if we could eat off the pool bar menu it was a no (the pool bar was shut because of the weather) but then someone on the table next to us had something off the menu which was a bit frustrating - service was inconsistent depending on who was serving you. This hotel has the basis to be really nice but there are issues that definitely need to be addressed for the customer to feel satisfied with their stay."