We had read the reviews for this hotel and went with some trepidation. Our first siting of the hotel was a bit disappointing, but our room was spacious and clean and had such a beautiful view of the lake and down towards Limone that it made up for it. The hotel could do with a bit of refurbishment but we got a late deal bargain and got real value for money. All in all we had a thoroughly enjoyable holiday. Although the food is not of a high standard it really isn't that bad and we always had plenty of choices.
The walk into Limone is breathtaking and the village itself a gem.It's very easy to get about the lake on a boat and buses run regularly from the resort.
We found the staff really helpful and our room was cleaned daily with fresh towels (tea towels!) If you like fluffy towels take your own.
All in all a great value holiday in a truly magnificent part of Italy.

I was aware of the hillside location before booking this hotel. The views, especially the sunset and waxing full moon were delightful.
Check in was painless. Fortunately we were allocated a room close to the main hotel building, which houses the restaurant. (Walking to some of the other rooms would be a pain, especially after a few glasses of Prosecco).

As we had a hire car (by far the best way to get a transfer from Verona airport), the steep hill did not trouble us. Although we did choose to walk into town on a few occasions. The town is lovely by the way. Lots of little alleyways to explore, tiny harbours and even a beach.

Our room was more than adequate. Just my 16 year old son and me in a 2 bedroom apartment with separate lounge/diner and a balcony. The fridge was very welcome.

The food in the hotel was adequate. Breakfast got a little boring as there was little variety. The anti pasta served to your table at dinner was usually excellent. The dinner buffet was fine with a selection of salad & hot foods. For the type of hotel I thought the restaurant staff were very friendly: they cope very well getting a huge number of diners through.

The bar terrace is a lovely place to sit with a bottle of Prosecco after dinner.

We did not stay in the hotel during the day. We were there to explore
Lake Garda and the mountains to the north. We used the excellent ferry service to get around the lake. Malcesine is a must. Our hire car took us on some excellent trips to the Brenta Dolomites and Lake Iseo.

Overall, this hotel served us well. It made an excellent base for a touring holiday in the area, especially if you have a car. It was very cheap too: just £25 per person per night for half board.

'La Limonaia' is a rambling set of terraced apartments sprinkled across the mountainous area of what used to be an old Lemon grove. The setting is glorious; the apartments less so. However what the hotel lacks in sophistication and glamour it makes up for in it's stunning location and by being good value for money. Whether you like this hotel really depends upon whether you see your glass of chianti as half full, or half empty...

Initial impressions were not great. The road up to the hotel really is extremely steep and you have to be fit, and have a slight masochistic streak, to enjoy walking up it in 35c temperatures. The room we got (which I suspect wasn't one of the refurbished apartments) was entered via car park (full of German cars) and was very basic. It contained two twin beds (not very romantic) that were old and not particularly comfortable. The rest of the furniture included a writing desk (?!) and a small wardrobe and looked drab and depressing. It reminded me more of what you'd find in a Blackpool guest-house than an Italian hotel. However, it was spottlesly clean and the maid came every day to make bed, change towels etc.

Luckily the bathroom was better - fully tiled with a decent power-shower and even a bidet! There was also a hairdryer in there and, bizarrely, a phone. Everything was very clean but the towels were like something out of a hospital and the toilet paper was cheap and nasty. There were no other facilities in the room apart from a portable TV and a (useful) safe. I'd advise bringing a travel kettle if you want a cup of tea! Air conditioning was available, but you had to pay €2 per night supplement and ask at reception to turn it on. Luckily the room was fairly cool, even in July, with the window open (though you needed to get used to a nearby noisy generator!).

The best part of the room was the balcony, whilst not very private, it did have a stunning view over the lake toward Malcesine. You probably wouldn't get a better view anywhere in the region.

As has been mentioned, the vast majority of guests (and half the staff) were German. It was rather amusing to note how well they lived up to the national stereotype (on the day we left we got up at 6am to catch the flight and already the German's were laying their towels down on the loungers by the pool!).

The pool itself was clean and well maintained, but was full of German kids who decided to recreate the blitz by 'dive bombing' the pool constantly. It seems many German parents have an interesting view toward parenting where you stick armbands on your toddler and throw it in!

The food wasn't as bad as some reviews have made out, but it was a mixed bag. Myself and my partner are both vegetarian and, for the most part, we coped OK. Usually dinner would consist of two types of pasta (normally one of these was vegetarian) and then a buffet-style area where you could help yourself to salad and cooked meats and a selection of deserts and fresh fruit. Some of the salad was very nice, some a bit ropey - there was a tendency to recycle yesterdays food into todays pasta salad. However, there was plenty to chose from and usually something for everyone. On the couple of occasions when there wasn't a vegetarian pasta we told the manager and he got the cook to whip us some pasta and tomato sauce, which was very nice. The deserts (tiramissu, chocolate mouse, panocotta) and fresh fruit (watermelon, fruit salad, apples) were usually very nice. Breakfast was also pretty good, with a wide selection of cooked and cold foods - again you could help yourself. Given we only paid £300 half board for a week you cannot complain.

There is also a pool bar area which doubles up as a pizzeria and serves some decent, freshly made pizzas at good price. You can grab a beer or a limonata whilst taking in the stunning views. There is also another bar, which is open to midnight ,which has tables on the terrace. You can enjoy a decent bottle of pinot grigio for €11 in the evening if you don't fancy the walk into town. Also there is a brand new 'well being' centre that, for only €6, you can use all today - though whether you want a sauna and Turkish bath in the Italian summer is debatable!

All in all the Limonaia is a fairly basic hotel that makes up for it by having great views and by being really good value for money. It's not for everybody, but I'd certainly wouldn't mind spending another week there for the price we paid. If you are fit and not too fussy you'll have a good time in a very beautiful part of the world.

Great views. Beware very steep walk up to the hotel - you have to be fit ! . Approx 15 to 20 minute walk down to town - longer to get back. Hotel provides a minibus service for 1 Euro each way per person.

Food terrible - poor choice and badly prepared.

Rooms quite spacious but most of the hotel feels tired with some drab old fashioned furniture. Some modernisation evident around the bar. What entertainment there was in the hotel was second rate.

Our room included a mobile phone, a medicine bottle and some cosmetic from the previous occupant. Shower head broken.

If reliant on tour operator coach to get you there, it's one of the last hotel drops around the lake so be ready for a number of drops and a lengthy time around.

Limone town very clean and quite pleasant .Mostly cafes around the promenade. Shops a good standard. Market expensive.