Staff extremely helpful and accommodating.

As a first time female solo traveller in my fifties , I found the hotel to be very vibrant and inter-generational. The pool was a big draw for me as it has spectacular views of lake Garda in the distance and surrounding alpine hilly grounds- the pool is also huge with plenty sun umbrellas for shade. I didn't make as much use of it as I could have as I spent the bulk of my day sightseeing. I also didn't spend enough time in the outside bar area in the evenings which offered lovely hilly tree lined views with the lake in the distance. There was live music in the evening, providing smooth jazz covers, reminiscent of Sinatra but there were also some Abba covers. I did use the spa facilities which were amazing and very reasonably priced. There were also golfing facilities, a gym and some nice outdoor squash and football courts. In hindsight it was a mismatch with the activities I was involved in, and I could have been happier and found it more cost effective to be at a hotel with less facilities. Having said that, as a solo female I felt very safe there. The staff were helpful and friendly and responsive to my needs when I had any queries . The hotel was very clean and the waiting staff were extremely helpful and welcoming. The hotel had a lovely vibe and all the staff spoke good English. The breakfasts were fantastic - lots of choice. The cold buffet meals in the evening were also great. I found the menu of cooked food to be hit and miss. I'm not a vegetarian but when I didn't fancy any meat, or fish on offer the vegetarian options were not very enjoyable - or interesting.. For example one evening I had fried egg with potatoes. The bar staff were fantastic. In particular, Pablo, a youing waiter had a good knowledge of the cocktails and made great recommendations! The shuttle busy was very reliable and timely from the hotel to the main town. The only complaint was that if you wanted to get home late it, the last pick up from town was 8.45pm. But a great service overall. My other disappointment was the view. Each room had a balcony which was nice.. Mine were just of really dense trees that felt quite a oppressive I would have liked a more expansive view, but I was advised by the rep when booking that a view wasn't guaranteed. I did get birdsong in the morning though. On the plus side, the vibe of the hotel is very laid back, and picturesque.

The staff are not friendly. You dont feel welcome, let alone loved. The food was so bad that we only ate at our half board restaurant on the first night and could not bring ourselves to return. The rooms are somewhat dated, we were able to move room to a slightly better offering, but did not feel 4 star.

Stayed at the Poiano Hotel Resort. The hotel description failed to mention that rooms aren't available till 3pm. So arriving at 11am we had a long wait, hotel reception staff not very forthcoming with information. I had to ask reception about using the safe in the room, only then she explained we had to ask for the safe barrel and key. Don't lose it though you'll be  charged €200. We asked why the air conditioning in the room wasn't working and were informed it is seasonal (we went mid/late May) so found the rooms a little stuffy at night. We had a junior suite as I went with my sisters. We had plenty of room and a lovely terrace with sun loungers over looking Lake Garda and the rolling hills... bellissimo!! Couldn't fault the cleanliness, rooms were spotlessly cleaned each day with clean towels. Breakfast had a reasonable choice, evening meals were edible can't say much more than that (and I'm not a fussy eater) You had to pre order what you wanted the night before and state what time you wished to eat using a booking screen in reception (very easy to use). There is a shuttle mini bus into town, can get busy though so you may have to wait and it does finish quite early. We walked into Garda town mostly, took about 30 mins and 45 mins coming back as its up hill. Its very doable though (my sisters and I are in our late 60's) didn't find it too steep, used Google maps to plot the walk into town staying away from the main road, quite pleasant actually. Garda town is beautiful, wonderful small narrow streets with plenty of shops and restaurants we loved it. The Lake front is beautiful and you can walk along the lake promenade for miles. Bardolino is worth visiting about 30 mins walk from Garda town. Although I think there is a regular ferry service. Prices for eating out in Garda Town are very much like prices at home. Would I return to Garda town...most definitely, but I wouldn't return to Poiano Resort Hotel, mainly because its too far out from the town.

Lovely hotel situated in its own vast grounds with a huge swimming pool