Hotel Nike

Hotel Nike is in a fantastic spot by the lake, but the place itself was old and dated, with broken or out-of-order things and dirty windows. The elevator is small, so we had to carry our suitcases upstairs twice. The reception is across the road. We also wrote to Booking.com about the situation and got no response.

We stopped at the bar for coffee and asked for toast, but they said we could only have plain pizza because the food was for hotel guests. The terrace was empty, which made that explanation seem odd.

We're still here with our baby after booking four nights, and we're eager to leave. The view is good, but we found several advertised facilities unusable, including the parking, pool, and air conditioning. I wouldn't recommend the hotel even for a single night. We couldn't park at the booked address because those spaces were reserved for hotel guests. The owner said Hotel Nike had its own parking, but its six spaces barely cover about 36 rooms. I ended up leaving the car by the road, where vehicles often pass at 70 km/h or more and overtake. It felt unsafe to take a baby out there. The owner offered free cancellation, which seemed ironic in August at Lake Garda. We were also surprised at check-in to learn our accommodation was across the street from the address we had booked, right by a road where drivers often overtake. Our room was reached by a path full of cobwebs. It was hot and smelled musty; there was dirt and ants behind the door, yellow stains on the sheets, and a cramped shower in a tiny bathroom. The small CRT television, about 40 cm across and mounted around two metres up, wasn't much use. When the air conditioning wouldn't work, the owner said it had to be set to at least 22°C and that 24°C was required by the Italian government because of the Ukraine conflict. I checked with other hotels in the region, and they all denied that. We booked breakfast for one day. We were hurried along, though eventually a table was set for us. The buffet selection was limited but seemed okay, except the quality was poor and the bread was moldy. The pool pump wasn't running, and the damp, musty smell was almost indescribable. All the windows were shut in August, so we didn't go in. The room wouldn't cool down at night, so we tried sleeping with the window open. After fast overtaking cars went by and cigarette smoke from the neighbors came into the room, we shut it.

The rooms are spotlessly clean, and the staff are so friendly. Their style reminds me of Italy in the 1950s or 60s, which I like. Breakfast was delicious, with a lovely view over Lake Garda.