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For where to stay along Italy’s famous shoreline, look no further than our favourite Lake Garda hotels

There’s some stiff competition for the best part of Italy, but the northern lakes are certainly a strong contender – and if you’re visiting the region, you’ll need to know all about the best hotels in Lake Garda.

One of Italy's top holiday destinations, along with Venice, Florence and the Amalfi Coast, Lake Garda is the place to go if you're looking to soak up the natural beauty of the country, along with the glamour of its lakeside towns.

Spend your days cruising the water by boat, calling in at towns such as Salò on the west shore and Riva del Garda, with its backdrop of the Dolomites; or head down to Sirmione in the south to see its harbour-facing fortress. The northern Italian region is also close to bigger towns, including Verona, Venice and Milan. The lake’s clear waters are famous – but you’ll also be able to enjoy your hotel’s pool, many of which are perfectly positioned for prime views out across Garda’s shores. For the ultimate wellness resort, book in at Lefay Resort & Spa, where you’ll be able to enjoy state-of-the-art spa treatments and therapeutic programmes that will fix your problems, all with a view of Lake Garda through floor-to-ceiling windows. Classic hotels that are full of charm include Villa Arcadio, Villa Cordevigo and Grand Hotel Fasano; or for something with a more modern makeover, try Locanda del Benaco or Vivere Suites & Rooms. These are the very best Lake Garda hotels…

Villa Arcadio has everything you could hope for from an Italian hideaway, including a terrace with a view, a mountain-facing pool, vaulted interiors and simple but classic rooms with beamed ceilings and polished terracotta floors. The hillside setting has lake-edge olive groves and orchards.

The pool should see to all of your fitness needs, but there’s also a yoga studio, a Finnish sauna and a running trail wending through the woodland. Unsurprisingly for Italy, the restaurant is excellent and gourmand guests will also be able to head to local olive oil producers and wineries for tastings.

With a backdrop of cypress trees, a yellow sun lounger-lined pool and, of course, the lake itself, sunshine-coloured Villa Cordevigo has its very own Michelin-starred restaurant. At Oseleta, Italian food gets elevated – and the wine cellar has more than 600 labels to choose from. The Veneto villa complex has been owned by various counts over the centuries, with the current custodians transforming the noble residence into a hotel. A Renaissance chapel, Italianate garden and a vast vineyard all form the estate, and there’s also a spa offering treatments on a waterbed for even more relaxation than usual.

Lefay is one of the world’s leading wellness resorts and it’s one with a spectacular backdrop, thanks to its mountainside setting above Lake Garda. The scenery is tonic alone, but you’ll also be able to sign up for entire programmes that will deal with everything from sleep problems to bad posture. The acclaimed spa has floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the lake, six saunas, 21 treatment rooms and indoor and outdoor saltwater pools. With 27 acres of woodland and olive groves, strolls to the orange-tree-lined lakefront of the neighbouring town of Gargnano and, of course, that super spa, feeling good is guaranteed.

The mountain-backed Lido Palace is in an art nouveau building in the town of Riva del Garda. The Grand Tour-worthy getaway has been eased up to date with a glass atrium, abstract artworks, a neon-lit bar and colourful furnishings. As is the norm in most Lake Garda hotels, the famous water is on show through floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s perfectly placed for evening strolls into town – the grounds lead straight onto the lake-edge promenade – and these northern shores are also popular for sports such as sailing, kayaking and windsurfing.

This boutique hotel is in Salò, the biggest town on Garda’s west shore. Hotel Locanda del Benaco is an antidote to all of the grand old residences found among Lake Garda’s hotels – instead, the minimalist design has more of an industrial accent. The promenade perch means the town centre is easily reached – the duomo, museums and a beach are all within walking distance, and there are hiking paths for something a little more active – but you won’t have to go far for a heart Italian meal, since the hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant is excellent.

Going one step further than merely being lakeside, Locanda San Vigilio is on a small promontory extending right out onto the lake. The 16th-century building has a pool surrounded by greenery that includes olive groves, cypresses and oleanders. There’s plenty to see and do on these shores, but the locanda is also just a two-hour drive from Venice (and half an hour from Verona) – plus, it’s close to olive-oil producers and some of the region’s most celebrated wine producers. The hotel has its own harbour for private boats and the public ferry calls in nearby, too.

Hotel Bellariva is in the quieter town of Gardone Riviera, on the lake’s western shores and close to the buzzier town of Salò. There are 23 rooms and eight apartments for anyone hoping to stay for longer – and, with such a prime position on the lake, you’ll certainly want to. It’ll be even harder to leave if you’ve got into the habit of nightly aperitivo hour on the veranda overlooking Lake Garda. Gardone is the perfect choice to take in the region’s culture, too – the home of the poet Gabriele d’Annunzio is nearby and now a museum, with an open-air theatre during the summer months.

This charming rural residence has just eight suites, which means it’s perfect for exclusive-use group bookings. Prati Palai is part of a farm and the estate spans almost 45 acres of gardens, woodlands and olive groves, all overlooking the lake. Guests can wander in meadows, hike the trails through the woods and go in search of the perfect picnic spot. There’s no formal restaurant – the hotel is designed to feel more like a private country house – but staff will always ensure you’re well fed, with salads and sandwiches, all made with local produce.

A small-scale stay in the medieval castle town of Arco, just to the north of Lake Garda, Vivere has just six rooms, a few kilometres from the shoreline. The agriturismo has a veranda overlooking the pool and a living room with a fireplace for the cooler months, and each room has its own garden and private entrance. The family’s farm produces honey, extra-virgin olive oil and red wine, so you’ll be able to stockpile all the essentials before you check out – or put them to use in your suite’s kitchenette first.

Conveniently located for city dwellers in need of some rural relaxation, Grand Hotel Fasano is between Venice and Milan. The historic hotel has been welcoming guests since the 19th century, tempting tourists with its stellar service, palm-filled parkland and proximity to the Dolomites. The building was once a hunting lodge belonging to the Austrian royal family. For today’s guests, pastoral pleasures include paddle-boarding and canoeing on the lake, dinners on a terrace overlooking the water, treatments at the Aveda spa and bicycle rides along the shoreline.