Hotel & Suites · Desenzano del Garda
Where the lake becomes home
A 1908 villa on the Desenzano lakefront. Four rooms, a lemon garden, and time that slows down.
Welcome
Lake Garda, at a gentle pace
The Romans called it Benacus. We look out over it every morning from the same terrace the Ferrandi family did more than a century ago. Villa Benaco is a house of just four rooms: few enough for us to know every guest, and cared for enough to make you feel truly expected.
Desenzano's old town is an eight-minute stroll away, the jetty thirty paces from the gate. The rest is entirely up to you.
About us
A house with a story
Our story
Lemons, olive oil and a villa on the lake
In 1908 Giovanni Ferrandi, a citrus and olive oil merchant from Gargnano, built the villa on the lakefront, beside the warehouses where the boats laden with lemons came in.
After the war the family moved to Brescia and the house stood empty for almost fifty years. In 2019 we found it with its shutters barred and the lemon house overgrown with ivy.
Four years of careful restoration followed: the Venetian terrazzo floors, the painted ceilings, the wrought-iron railings. In 2023 we opened the doors once more.
Our philosophy
Hospitality, unhurried
We believe that true luxury, today, is time. That is why breakfast keeps no strict hours and there is no programme to fill.
We work with people who produce close to home — the cheesemaker in the Valtenesi, the olive mill in Puegnago, the Lugana wineries — and choose renewable energy, natural cleaning products and no single-use plastic.
Our values
Warm welcome
By your second day we'll greet you by name — and remember how you take your coffee.
Authenticity
Original materials, family recipes and the same tips we'd give our friends.
Attention to detail
Sun-dried linen, flowers from the garden, a handwritten note each evening.
Respect for the land
Renewable energy, suppliers within thirty kilometres, no single-use plastic.
- 4
- rooms, no two alike
- 30 m
- from the water's edge
- 1908
- the year it was built
- 1,200
- m² of garden and lemon house
“We restored this house hoping to give it back its voice. Our task each day is simply to let it speak — and to make you a good cup of coffee.”
Our rooms
Four rooms, four characters
Services
Small luxuries, never rushed
Spa and wellness area
A Finnish sauna, Turkish bath and a relaxation room looking out onto the olive trees. By reservation, just for you.
Heated lake-view pool
Warm water from April to October, teak loungers and Lake Garda on the horizon.
E-bikes and itineraries
Electric bikes and hand-picked routes along the Garda cycle path, from Sirmione to Peschiera.
A breakfast of local produce
Home-baked pastries, Valtenesi cheeses, honey, olive oil and citrus fruit from the garden.
24-hour reception and concierge
At any hour, whether for a dinner reservation or a boat at sunset.
Excursions and tastings
Lugana wineries, olive mills of the upper lake and boat trips with local skippers.
The area
Desenzano and beyond
The gateway to Lake Garda: a lively old town, a castle rising above the rooftops and the mosaics of the Roman villa. A few minutes away lie Sirmione, the villages of the Valtenesi and the Lugana hills, home to one of Italy's most elegant white wines.
Sirmione
The Scaliger Castle and the Grottoes of Catullus, ten minutes away by ferry.
The old harbour
Desenzano Castle, the Roman villa and the lakefront at sunset, all within walking distance.
The Lugana vineyards
Mineral whites, family-run wineries and stone villages just inland.
Guest voices
In the words of our guests
Sample reviews: placeholders to be replaced with genuine, verifiable guest reviews.
“We came for two nights and stayed for three more. Breakfast on the terrace with that view is worth the journey alone.”
“More a home than a hotel. They arranged a tasting for us at a small Lugana winery — unforgettable.”
“The Limonaia Room was perfect with two children. Space, quiet, and a garden to play in while we read.”
Request availability
We look forward to welcoming you
Tell us your dates and we'll reply personally within 24 hours, with the room best suited to you and a few ideas for your stay.
Would you rather talk? +39 030 684 0636