Garda Palace 4

The apartment needed a bit of maintenance, though everything did work. Its location is very handy if you're on foot or using public transport: the bus stop is two minutes away, Penny Supermarket is a three-minute walk, and the train station is five minutes away. There are plenty of good restaurants nearby. Buses can fill up, so I'd walk to the station instead. Apartments for one or two sleepers use a sofa bed in the kitchen-living area. It wasn't comfortable, though the kids liked it. For two couples, I'd ask for a two-bedroom unit rather than one advertised for four, since privacy would be lacking. For six nights, each person got just one large towel and one small one, and there was only one toilet roll for five people. We had to buy coffee, sugar, dish soap, a sponge, and a tea towel ourselves. Even so, I'd recommend the place for its location, spacious balcony, lovely pool, and quiet surroundings.

We were four adults and one child, and found the place worked well for a family. The interiors were much more spacious than we expected from the somewhat dated building and uninviting exterior. There’s a lovely terrace, a big pool, a small garden, and a large underground garage with plenty of parking. The staff were attentive and very friendly, and contactless check-in was convenient. The kitchen has the basics. Pool rules didn't seem to be enforced, though, as we didn't see staff around.

There were plenty of places to eat nearby, and it took about 12 minutes to walk to the walled city of Peschiera and the ferry. The train station, where we arrived, was seven minutes away. Our ground-floor apartment had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two air conditioners, and a banana lounge and table out front. I had booked it for five people, but there were only two of us. It was clean and neat, with a pool. Check-in was meant to be at 3 pm, but the apartment wasn't ready until 3:15. That was fine because staff let us leave our bags at reception earlier and go exploring. They were extremely helpful and apologetic, so I couldn't really fault the place.

The reception guy with the funky moustache was super helpful, and the hotel was clean, safe, and secure. The pool was well maintained with enough sunbeds, and they put up a bouncy castle when we asked. It's a short walk to the center and lake, where you'll find the restaurants, and around seven minutes on foot to the train station. From there, a free shuttle goes to Garda Land theme park and the Legoland water park on the same site, as well as Movieland. The daily 164 bus to Verona leaves outside the station. Buy a ticket at a newsagent or station machine before boarding, since it's more expensive on the bus. Venice is about an hour and a half by direct train. The hotel has the basic amenities needed for a short stay.