This was a last minute booking for a 5 day holiday, when the world gets too busy here and you need a break! Travelling with my husband and son (turned 3 last month), we flew Manchester -
Verona and transfer to Limone was under 2 hours which was just about long enough for a small child. The hotel cannot be reached by the coach so we opted to walk, needing to stretch the legs after a long journey. There are however electric buggy cars for those not wanting to walk. The hotel is perfectly located, right on the lakeside and certainly seemed a great location compared to the other hotels we dropped off at. The room was adequate for 3 beds and I would agree with previous reviews that it is a shame there are no tea/coffee facilities. Tv with Sky news helps you not to lose contact with the outside world altogether! Breakfast was certainly ample with plenty of choice and as much as you wanted, sitting lakeside with ducks was highly relaxing. Evening meal was fine, there were several choices and usually one that interested you. I must admit, difficult for choosing a child meal from the selection but fish was the daily option for him and it worked. The buffet and desserts were nice, variety from evening to evening but as a lover of Tiramasu which was there daily, no complaints from me!! The waitresses and staff were all very friendly and made a fuss of my son which helped. The other guests were all British and there was a real friendly atmosphere from all, everyone happy to smile and chat. We visited the outdoor pool twice, this was up a steep hill but only 3 or 4 minutes from le Palme. The view from the swimming pool was stunning and there were enough beds for up to 20 people or so there. The pool was plenty big enough for cooling off but not big enough for lengths if that is what you want. The hotel is right next to the ferry port and it cost us about 15 euros for the 3 of us to take a ride to another port (especially if you use the discount vouchers in your welcome pack from the hotel). We visited Malcesine and Riva, preferred Malcesine as this had more atmosphere and lots of boutiques and shops as you climbed the hill to the castle. The weather is pretty changeable, the first 3 days were warm although cloud would come over and move off quickly, t-shirts and shorts weather. The last 2 days were unbelievably hot and the sun relentless - lovely! There is a definite feeling of being safe in the resort, plenty of shops to wander in and although a bit pricey, you can find bargains and some local crafts. I lost my purse one day and returned to the supermarket on the following day, desperately trying to re-trace my steps and the cashier handed it to me, left on the till and handed in. Now, that doesn't happen in many places. Overall, after reading previous reviews, I was a bit nervous about taking a small child to the resort but this was not the case. It was a fantastic break and a wonderfully relaxing time. There were quite a few other families in the resort but it is certainly not overcrowded with children. Plenty of icecream shops and toyshops kept us busy and I would return in a second. I would also recommend the hotel, don't go expecting the Ritz but what you do get is very clean and spacious and untimately, a fantastic fantastic location lakeside. I would certainly return.