Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda

The gardens are lovely to walk through, the infinity pool has a magnificent view, and the food was very good. The setting is spectacular, though the robe-wearing guests make it clear this is a wellness retreat as you enter reception. We felt the spa introduction fell short. We were only told, “That elevator takes you to the spa,” with no real explanation of the facilities. For a resort that prides itself on being among the best, that was disappointing, and we ended up not using the spa. Someone should take time to show guests what they can enjoy there.

We almost cried when it was time to leave after four nights with my sister. The place exceeded what we expected by miles, and its website doesn’t show how spectacular the views are. The food was next level, they catered for every diet, and nothing seemed too much trouble. Everyone on staff was incredible. Even the room cleaners left me a bookmark after spotting my book upside down on the nightstand. The spa and treatments were out of this world. I honestly couldn’t find a single fault.

The view was stunning, but everything else left us disappointed and frustrated. We’d come to Lefay for our sixth anniversary, and the service was poor from the start: our room was more than 30 minutes late, then after a five-hour journey we were sent to a dining room to order $20 drinks without an apology or anything complimentary. The waiters also felt stiff and impersonal, almost rude. I was especially uncomfortable when a male employee walked straight into the women’s locker room while I was planning to change in private. He went in to show another woman how to use the lockers. I understand she needed help, but I expected men not to enter the ladies’ changing room. I was so worried someone might walk in on me undressed that I changed in a bathroom instead. The restaurant food was terrible, and the prices felt like highway robbery. Our room was hot, too. The cooling system uses water pipes above the roof and below the floor rather than traditional air conditioning, and it didn’t work effectively. We slept badly. The stay didn’t meet our expectations of a five-star experience, despite what the website suggests. We’d had a fantastic trip abroad until checking in here. I’ll be writing separately about the locker room incident. Customer service was awful.

The property hiking path was a fun surprise, with beautiful scenery along the way. I loved the pools, especially the indoor-outdoor one as a place to go on a rainy day. The views were stunning in every direction, and the hotel is genuinely one of the most beautiful I’ve stayed in. The food and drinks were delicious, and all the staff were incredibly kind and helpful.