This has to have been the biggest nightmare of a stay ever!
Our two promised front lake view rooms were not! One room was a side lake view and it was only possible to view the lake from second room from the far side of the balcony and leaning out!
Furnishings were tired and there was mould in one of the bathrooms. We have photos of all and will post when time allows. Towels were hard and threadbare in places!
The only redeeming feature was the food that was good. I found the hotel very noisy - from furniture being moved in the restaurant above. Location is a significant distance from Riva, up a steep hill and approx 3 miles from the town centre. The unheated pool is mainly unused by guests due to this and the fact that it is accessed via a set of precarious steps without any handrails. Benacus shows a jaccuzi on their website but this is a child's pool!
Marco the manager is rather like Basil Fawlty. Fine when you are praising him but offensive and rude when you are critical.
Please do not judge Italian hospitality by this hotel. We have stayed in Italy regularly over the last few years and have experienced impeccable courtesy, attentiveness and politeness throughout, and have made may return visits. Not to Benacus though - We would never stay there again! Interestingly enough I have noted our travel company Citalia removed Benacus from their brochure..................

We stayed 10 days at Hotel Benacus in late August 2006, driving there in a hire car from Verona airport.

I completely endorse the highly positive comments of your previous contributors about the hotel.

We had a wonderful time. The hotel is situated in a spectacular location on the side of Monte Brione overlooking the attractive small town of Riva del Garda. The rooms were clean and bright. Ours had a balcony overlooking the town, from which we could see the boats on Lake Garda and the mountains surrounding it. The restaurant (excellent evening meals, comprehensive breakfasts, with fantastic views of the town, lake and mountains) and bar was top rate, and the hotel had a lovely patio area overhung by festoons of grapes.

There is a very nice clean swimming pool lying in the hotel's lush, verdant garden accessed by a steep flight of stone steps, which we and our daughter had much fun swimming in, while at other times we lay on the sun loungers around the pool soaking in the sun.

The manager Marco is a great guy and all the staff without exception were extremely pleasant and helpful.

The hotel attracts a mainly German-speaking clientele (as does the Riva area - it was after all not long ago a German-speaking part of the Austro-Hungarian empire). Virtually all the staff however are trilingual, speaking Italian, German and English.

The hotel is very peaceful. This is in contrast to Riva itself which was a revelation. I hadn't realised before I arrived that Riva and neighbouring Torbole were renowned activity sports centres, noted for windsurfing, mountain biking and so on. We walked along the lake-front at Riva and Torbole and have never seen so many (mainly young) people engaged in jogging, cycling and other sporting activities. As sporting types ourselves this was a pleasant, invigorating surprise.

But less sporty types are also catered for in Riva. The old town, towered over by a mountain, has many attractive buildings, with good restaurants and designer shops. It's very lively day and night.

Riva also provides a good base to go and explore the wonderful surroundings: the lake itself, the mountains (the pre-Alps) and villages. There's lots to do, though I think a car is essential to get around and see the sights (There is a small car park beside the hotel where we parked our car).

We would very willingly go back to Hotel Benacus.

The hotel was nice, with helpful staff and a good breakfast spread. The views of Riva and the surrounding countryside were stunning. However, there were a few problems...

As mentioned in previous reviews, the walls between rooms did seem to be a little thin.

The 1.5km walk, the last part up a steep incline, to and from the town center was not ideal. Although you can walk along the waterfront for the majority of the distance, the steepness of the road up to the hotel from the waterfront is quite punishing in the heat of the day with heavy bags. An evening stroll is very pleasant though.

I paid extra for a room with a view of the lake, with a balcony - this was disappointing as the view from the public verranda was far better. Our 'balcony' was a meter-square outdoor area set into the roof so that I (being quite small) had to stand on a chair to get a good view of the lake.

Overall, this is a nice hotel with great views - but it is worth getting a taxi if you arrive with bags in the center of Riva, and it is probably not worth paying the extra for a room with a balcony.

My wife and I have been coming to Benacus for the last 7-8 years and have always had a wonderful time. Marco, the manager is an outstanding host, and his staff are excellent too, friendly and efficient. We are always made to feel 100% at home and we truly enjoy every minute we spend at this hotel.

The hotel is situated on the hillside to the east of the town centre, far enough away from the evening hustle and bustle to provide quiet evenings watching out over the lake, but not so far that you are isolated from the town. It is about a 20minute walk to the town centre, but if its just the beach you are after then you will make it in a pleasant 10minute stroll. Marco does provide a free taxi service if you require it, we enjoy the exercise which helps work off the food.

The rooms are of a good size, but be sure to ask for one with a lake view and balcony for those evenings watching the sun set over the town.

Food is excellent, every night there is a choice of three courses, and a salad bar, breakfast is incredible, lovely fresh croissants or bread, cheese, ham, fruit, cereal and lashings of coffee.

I would recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a taste of the fine life on a reasonable budget. This is a superb hotel, clean, friendly and professionally run and one we will continue to revisit for many years to come.