Hotel Savoy Palace

Stand outside the Hotel Savoy Palace and you’ll see that it really lives up to its name. This early 20^th Century Belle Époque mansion sits pretty on the western shores of Lake Garda and really does look palatial. The property has been carefully renovated over the years to maintain its Art Nouveau heritage, which has attracted many high-profile guests over the years, including the likes of Winston Churchill, Gabriele D’Annunzio and Umberto of Savoy.

You’ll find this hotel on the lakefront on the Gardone Riviera – a string of villages on the west of the lake, famous for botanical gardens and leafy parks. There’s a pretty lakefront promenade, and the whole area enjoys a sort of sub-tropical microclimate, thanks to the shelter of the mountains surrounding the lake. During your stay, wander up to Il Vittoriale degli italiani – a huge, village-like complex of gardens, outdoor theatres and waterways, perched up in the hillside above Gardone.