Grand Hotel Fasano, Lake Garda

After having walked miles touring Verona, I could not wait to head to Lake Garda for a bit of me time.

I checked into the Grand Hotel Fasano.

Built as a hunting lodge for the Austrian imperial family in 1888, the hotel combines historic architecture with luxury and comfort located in Gardone Riviera, right on the shore of Lake Garda.

My suite felt like a home the moment I walked in.

Spacious, elegant with the most magnificent views of the lake you could ever dream of.

I felt the quality of the furnishings were slightly outdated, but the private balcony and view of the lake certainly made up for it. Nothing like waking up early to watch the sun rise over the lake!

'Sun is shining, the weather is sweet'.... so the plan was to do as little as humanly possible.

Dolce Far Niente - 'sweet doing nothing'

The pool area was peaceful, perfect to lay back and read a book surrounded by lush greenery and these little quackers wandering around.

Hilarious to watch them arguing and chasing each other around the gardens.

The rising heat forced me to take regular dips in the lake to cool off. Living in London, I am certainly not used to temperatures above 20 degrees.

There was a wonderful spot under the tree for a spot of lunch but when you are as relaxed as I was, you do not move. So my grilled veggie plate was served on my sun lounger.

In mid-afternoon, just when I started  to feel little peckish, to my delight waiter came around offering free lollies or fresh fruit. Yes please and thank you.

The grounds and gardens were immaculate.

Later in the evening, the resident pianist created the perfect ambience to enjoy my al fresco dinner while watching the boats go by and waiting for the sun to set.

I chose to dine at Il Fagiano which exceeded all my expectations.

Chef Matteo Felter, a native of Lake Garda, certainly adds his creativity and modern twist to the traditional dishes.

Black truffle with parmesan mousse to start with.

Since I don't eat fish, they were very accommodating to create a vegetarian main dish which I really appreciated.

And it was divine, washed down nicely by local sparkling vino.

Dessert was a chocolate/lemony creation with basil ice cream, wonderfully zingy and fresh.

And despite all the food I had, the chef demanded I have these after-dinner treats. Took them with me to my room to enjoy the next day as I was bursting out of my dress.

Excellent food and immaculate service. Pricey, yes, but really good qualify food.

Happy and relaxed I watched the sun fall behind the horizon turning the sky into an incredible watercolour painting.

Nothing but the sound of the lake lapping against the pebbled shore.

Breakfast was equally good and was joined by couple of two-legged friends.

For me, luxury is not about the marble bath-tub or exquisite spa, but about the location, ambience and service. Feeling looked after and stress free. Included. Experiencing something unique and new.

So for that, I would like to thank all staff for a wonderful stay and their outstanding service.

If you are thinking about your next luxury getaway, Grand Hotel Fasano has it all - a beautiful retreat and the ultimate escape to simply relax and take in the incredible scenery.

PS: Despite the most relaxing two days in the longest time, I managed to squeeze in something ultimately thrilling. More on that next.

Thanks to Grand Hotel Fasano for supporting me on my visit to Lake Garda. As always, all photos and opinions are my own. To experience it for yourself, visit their website here.