As the great, Michelin-star Chef Marco Pierre White once said, perfection is many little things done well. Benaco Bee Free Hotel may not be the best Hotel in Peschiera del Garda, but then it is very easy to make one BIG mistake and relegate this diamond-in-the-rough to cheap, also-ran status. Its aspirations are FAR more modest; and when looked at for what it is, it actually makes both financial and practical sense. Lots of it actually, thank you. Let’s start from its location. If you expect a swimming pool or diving into Lake Garda from your balcony or window, you’ll be terribly wrong. But what you can actually do is walk dead straight for just fifty or so metres and end up on the Mincio, the main river fed from Lake Garda, with the actual Lake visible less than half a kilometre to your right. A few hundred metres to your left you’ll find Peschiera train station, which is your gateway to a myriad of Italy’s Hall of Fame destinations, including the (free) shuttle bus to Gardaland and Verona Porta Nuova Train station – itself another gateway to iconic cities such as Venice. There’s also the beautiful, history-rich Porta Verona gateway at less than half a kilometre, beyond which is an infinite choice of cafes, restaurants, gelaterie both on and off the lake shore as well as in the gorgeous, clean, narrow streets, and a local fun-train. Want groceries, hair-dressers, bakeries and other amenities? All are available within a 30-minute walk, including Lidl and Conad outlets. The hotel itself is small – the reception is no more than 3 metres wide – which (in Winter at least) makes it very cozy. But it also means that if you travel as, say, a group of six with luggage and all, at least half of you will have to wait outside during your check-in as there is no lobby – not very pleasant during the hot (and very cold) months. Rooms are very clean and include modern, wall-mounted A/C’s, a 40-inch TV, a small wardrobe and a small fridge, big enough for two 2-litre water bottles which the reception gladly sells you for a very modest charge of €1.50 each – ice-cold. A bargain compared to what restaurants and cafes charge you in the same area. The room itself is not enormous (25 square meters according to ***********), but it did comprise a large double-bed, a single, and a portable bed. The bathroom was also small but in truth it lacked absolutely nothing. This shows that space was very cleverly used. The decor is very modern and fresh, with white-washed walls including beautiful highlights in shades of blue, mildly reminiscent of Santorini. The breakfast area was under refurbishment while I visited, so breakfast was being served at the very close cafeteria (practically round the corner) under the same management, known as Peccati di Gola (affectionately referring to the capital sin of gluttony). There one can have heavenly Italian croissants in a million flavours – including my personal favourite – pistachio cream. These are freshly baked every morning and are
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