Parc Hotel Flora

The Parc Hotel Flora’s interiors are elegant and romantic, but largely old-fashioned. The lobby is a grand space, floored with what seems like a single sheet of dark marble, whitewashed walls, and silver mosaics of classical scenes on columns. Adjacent is the bar, a cozier space featuring wood floors topped by Persian rugs, bright-white Chesterfield sofas, and a lengthy crimson banquette topped with heart-shaped pillows. The breakfast room is more formal, with white tablecloths and gold detailing in the ceiling, chairs, and chandeliers. Outside, a freeform pool is set in a well-manicured garden shaded by mature palms and cypresses. The quiet atmosphere and sophisticated decor makes this hotel primarily popular with couples.

Only a three-minute walk from Pini Beach and the banks of the lake, the Parc Hotel Flora has a great location at the northern end of Lake Garda. It's also a 20-minute walk (five-minute drive) to the picturesque center of Riva del Garda, one of the larger and more bustling towns on the lakefront. There, travelers will find lots of restaurants, shops, and sights, plus ferries for crossing the lake -- however, boats to the southern shore are costly and take a while. It's between an hour and 85 minutes by car to Verona Villafranca Airport, while transfers to Milan Malpensa take two-and-a-half hours.

The hotel renovated all but nine of its 45 rooms between 2009 and 2012 with a fresh, modern styling. Those remaining are set to be renovated starting in 2019, but for now, they have more old-fashioned styling. All, however, are well-maintained and attractive, and come with furnished outdoor spaces -- some tiny and others offering gorgeous lake and mountain vistas. Comfort rooms are decorated either in shades of pink or blue, with murals of people exercising, sailing, and generally being active, alongside gray fabrics dotted with tiny flowers decorating the chairs, bed runners, and curtains. 

Bathrooms have attractive mosaic tiling, shower cubicles with rainfall showerheads, and bidets. Superior rooms and suites are all individually designed, with decor that ranges from exposed blonde wood and powder blue, to bold crimson and gold brocades, plus these add jetted tubs. Suites are larger, and the ones on the top floor have a mezzanine level, a hot tub in the bathroom, and a chromotherapy steam shower, as well as lake views. All rooms have a flat-screen TV (no English-language channels), minibar, safe, tea- and coffee-making facilities, bathrobe, and free Wi-Fi. 

There’s a good range of amenities at the Parc Hotel Flora, with a lovely spa that includes a hydrotherapy pool, plunge pools, hot tub, icy waterfall, and massage rooms. On the downside, there is no gym. Outside is a freeform pool with colorful tiles, set in a sunny terrace in a mature garden that is shaded by mature palms and wavy cypresses. Guests have good things to say about the free buffet breakfast, which consists of eggs, bacon, pastries, fruit, yogurt, cold meats and cheeses, and juice. There is no lunch or dinner service on-site. The hotel lends out bikes for free to guests who want to explore the area. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel.