Grand Hotel Terme

Not every worthwhile hotel has to lead the charge of some stylistic revolution; more often, you come to a place like Lake Garda for the physical comforts, the splendor of the setting, and the reassuring grandeur of an old-world luxury hotel. Grand Hotel Terme occupies a spectacular plot in Sirmione, the narrow peninsula that extends from the lake’s south shore; this means views of the water from all of its understatedly elegant rooms and suites, as well as the restaurant and its expansive terrace.

Blessed with such a location, it’s already got a head start. The rooms and suites are decorated in a contemporary-vintage style, with plentiful, if subtle, modern comforts — less subtle in the case of the Fitness suites, with their in-room Technogym machines and glass-walled infrared saunas. And the word “terme” isn’t there just for show — natural hot spring waters fuel the hotel’s spa, whose services include the usual health and beauty treatments alongside the healing baths.

L’Orangerie, the restaurant, serves upscale Italian fare with dramatic water views, and the Bar Centimiglia is the kind of classically elegant cocktail bar for which Europe’s five-star hotels are well known.