Hotel Caesius Therme Reviews

We spent 7 nights at Bardolino on Lake Garda during September 2006. Here follows a rather lengthy account of our trip - hope it is useful!

The Journey

We flew from Birmingham to Verona with Thomson-fly, which took less than 2 hrs each way. There were minimal delays in both directions and the in-flight service was adequate (meals were included but there was no entertainment). We had only a short wait at Verona airport before boarding our transfer coach for the 45 minute drive to Bardolino.

The Weather

Unfortunately we had a week of unsettled weather, including a couple of cold and rainy days. This restricted the excursions we could do but did allow us to make full use of the indoor pool and spa at our hotel.

The Hotel - Hotel Caesius Therme, Bardolino, Lake Garda (www hotelcaesiusterme com/)

We stayed at the Caesius for 7 nights, having chosen it because it was the closest and cheapest 4* hotel to Verona in the Thomson Lakes and Mountains brochure. We were unsure of what to expect as there were few photos in the brochure and many of the facilities were not due to open until 2006. The rep told us that the hotel had only started out as the 2 small buildings and pool in the grounds of the main hotel and that the main complex was indeed brand new for 2006. The official rating is 4 1/2 stars now and it would not surprise me if the Thomson ratings and prices increase in 2007 as the Caesius is a very nice hotel.

The reception is light and airy with lots of comfortable chairs and some interesting water sculptures. The reception desk is open 24hrs and you can book excursions and hire bikes and keyboards for the internet from there. The main bar and restaurant are on the floor below. Dinner is 4 courses by waiter service and you are allocated the same table for the duration of your stay (more on the food later!). You can also eat in the Augustus a la carte restaurant for no extra cost if you book in advance. Breakfast is served in the main restaurant from 7-10 and in the Augustus from 8-11 - there is slightly more choice in the main restaurant but we preferred the Augustus as the terrace overlooks the lake. The bar is open for most of the day and serves ice creams and cakes as well as drinks. Evenings there were fairly low key with entertainment in the form of small groups of musicians on some nights. The drinks normally came with some sort of snack such as crisps or peanuts, plus there was a free buffet of cakes and fruit every afternoon. There is also an 'Enoteca' - a wine tasting bar where you could buy wine or attend wine tasting evenings and some nights they served free aperitifs before dinner. Lunch could be bought from the pool bar, terrace bar or it was only a 5 minute walk to the cafes of Cisano.

The other hotel facilities were equally as impressive. The gardens are lovely and fit in well with the pool areas. There are 3 main outdoor pools - one which has various Jacuzzi functions and a small children's pool. There were always plenty of sun beds and parasols available. The outdoors pools looked lovely but it wasn't really warm enough for us to want to use them. We didn't have the best of weather while we were there, so the indoor pool and spa were a godsend. The pool itself is not very big but has an added bonus of a separate Jacuzzi pool with 5 different types of Jacuzzi - we loved this. The spa area was open in the afternoons and had three different saunas of varying temperatures and humidity and a number of 'emotional showers' - if you've not come across these before then I won't spoil the surprise. We spent a lovely couple of afternoons making full use of this, only slightly marred by the presence of other guests in the nude (I know there's nothing wrong with naturism but it doesn't mean I want to experience it at close quarters!). There was also a free gym and a treatment spa which had thermal pools and Ayurveda treatments at varying costs - but we didn't make use of this. The hotel also lay on activities such as aqua aerobics, walking and boat trips - details of these can be found in the weekly newsletter that you can get from reception.

The hotel is located just outside Cisano on the lake road to Bardolino on the land side but only a 1 minute walk from the lake shore. The promenade walk to Bardolino is flat and takes less than 30 mins. Buses run past the hotel in both directions - the nearest stops are in the centre of Cisano or Bardolino. We didn't hire a car, but if we had done then the hotel has a large free underground car park.

When we booked, there hadn't been any 'standard' rooms left so we had to pay a bit extra for a room with balcony/terrace. We were actually given a room in one of the garden buildings with a terrace, which I wasn't too happy with as it was only separated by a low bush from the room next door and we therefore had little privacy. The room itself was very nice with a large wardrobe and lots of storage space, although we could have done with more hanging space in the bathroom. The hotel provides you with pool towels, robes, slippers and a bag for use while you are there - a nice touch. The TV had BBC World and you could also use it to surf the internet by hiring a keyboard from reception. Despite a notice saying that non-hotel items would be removed from the minibar, we managed to use it to store our water all week (you can get very cheap mineral water from the Aldi just down the road - turn right out of the hotel). The hotel website claims that the rooms are soundproofed but this definitely isn't true, though it wasn't excessively noisy. You are given key cards on arrival - keep these with you at all times as the lift and the majority of external and internal doors can only be opened this way.

Overall, we really liked this hotel and were glad that we had chosen it. We would recommend it to anyone, but there were very few families with children there so it is more suited to couples.

The Food

We stayed at the Caesius on a half board basis. Breakfast is served buffet style with a huge range of hot and cold foods including sausages, bacon, eggs, cereals, cold cheeses and meats, bread, yoghurts and pastries. We never came away hungry! In the evening, we did have the choice of booking a table at the a la carte restaurant, but the food in the main restaurant was so good that we never felt the need to go elsewhere. Every night we had a 4 course waiter service meal, with a set starter, a choice of first and second courses and salad and desert buffets. The menus were different every night including dishes such as wild boar pasta, beef carpaccio with pear sauce and French onion soup. The service was sometimes a little slow but we would go and get salad or bread while we were waiting.

We ate lunch at the pool bar a couple of times and the sandwiches/burgers etc were good and not too expensive. We also ate in some of the cafes in Cisano which were fine. When we went to Verona, we found a lovely café by the Duomo (face the front entrance and it's on your right) and also one by the lakeside in Malcesine (face the ferry stop and then take the street to your right). Generally we spent no more than 15 euros per person on lunch.

Days Out

The day after we arrived, we went to the tourist office in Bardolino and picked up leaflets for local attractions and copies of the current bus and ferry timetables. You can buy bus tickets either before boarding, or on the bus for a small surcharge. I'm not sure if you can buy ferry tickets on the boats themselves or not as we only travelled on one once. The buses are much cheaper and quicker than the ferries.

Verona - We caught the bus from Cisano which took about 45 mins and cost about 8 euros for a single ticket. On arrival, we went straight to the Arena and bought Verona cards. These cost 8 euros for 1 day and give free entry to the majority of Verona's museums and churches and free use of local buses - very good value for money as we were able to see almost everything of interest in one day. Our best tip would be to visit the roman amphitheatre just north east of the Duomo as there is a lift that takes you up to a museum on the hill with fantastic view over the city. Also be warned that the Castelvecchio is not actually a castle but instead houses an art gallery so it is not worth going inside unless you like that sort of thing.

Malcesine - We were advised by our rep that it wasn't worth going up Monte Baldo on the cable car if weather conditions meant that you couldn't see the other side of the lake clearly from our hotel. We were hoping to go up on a dry, clear day, but events conspired against us and it was rather dull and wet on the day that we chose. We got the bus from Cisano which took about an hour and then walked a short way to the cable car station. It cost 16 euros each for a return ticket to the top, so we were gutted when we got to the top and it was 7 degrees and raining with little visibility. Amazingly, after a cake and coffee stop at the café, the mist lifted and we were able to have a bit of a walk around and take some photos. It was still very cold though - so either go on a warm day or take lots of warm layers. Afterwards we visited the castle, which has great views of the surrounding areas and it worth a visit. We thought that Malcesine had a lot of character and were glad we had visited it.

Movieland Studios Theme Park (www canevaworld it) - We went to catch the bus from Cisano, only for it to drive past our stop as it was full. The next one wasn't due for 45 mins and we had no idea if it would stop either, so we decided to go back to our hotel and ask reception to call us a taxi. Luckily we were actually able to flag one down a short while later. It wasn't cheap though, costing 16 euros for a 10 minute ride, but it did mean we got there just as the gates opened.

Entrance to the park wasn't too expensive (about 16 euros each) and in high season you can buy joint tickets that allow you to use the water park as well (this closes in mid Sept). As the name suggests, it is a theme park based around the film industry. During the whole day, 'film crews' patrol the main areas and try and get you involved in re-enactions of scenes from various movies (e.g. Scooby Doo, Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend). This was a bit daunting when we first got there but we did get used to it. As we were there out of the main season, the rides were not running for the whole day, so you had to consult the map and timetable that you were given to work out what to go on when. As it was quiet, we were able to go on everything at least once in the 6 hours we were there - particular highlights were the submarine simulator (you will get very, very wet), Magma (recreation of a disaster movie), the Horror House (a haunted house recreating scenes from well known horror movies with live actors) and the Terminator 2 experience. There were also live action shows on during the day - we particularly liked the Rambo and Stuntmen Academy ones. We had a really good day out but it would have been better if there had been a few more rides - if you want rollercoasters then I think that Gardaland would be better. We went to get the local bus back to our hotel but then a free 'Movieland' one turned up so we got that instead (I wouldn't rely on it though - take the number of a local taxi firm just in case).

We went at the end of May 2005. Travel arrangements and Crystal staff first class. Lovely hotel, suite well worth 4* rating. Food good, lovely pool area. some building work going on nearby but no problem at all. Hotel at Cisano and good 15-20 minute walk to Bardolino - but is quite flat - good for walking around and cycling. Enjoyed the holiday and would go back. Weather lovely, warm evenings even next to the lake. Use local buses and ferries, easy and run on time!

The walk to the town is all on the flat along the lake side and very pleasant. However my mum who is 70 found it a bit of a trek, but she isn't that fit. It is about one mile. The hotel bus needs to be booked in advance and you have to prearrange the time to be pick up which is not very convienent. And according to my mum it didn't drop you very close to town.

Also make sure you get this seasons Ferry timetable we didn't and nearly missed the last Ferry back to bordolino.

The Hotel itself is on the lake edge but is separated by a busy road. The rooms we had were great and the food was very good with excellent service.

The buildings work is nothing to worry about and didnt interfere. No noise.

Our first visit to Lake Garda. Very enjoyable though the weather in August is hot (in excess 31C every day) and humid. (Thunder on 3 evenings). The resort was much busier than we had imagined though as the pace of life is very relaxed this was not a problem and if anything added to the atmosphere in the evenings.

We cannot praise the staff at the hotel too greatly. They were very friendly and helpful particularly as my wife has special dietary needs. The food was of high quality and as previous reviewers have said you need the exercise of walking or cycling along the promenade to burn up the calories. The one reservation that we would have about the hotel is that when well occupied the pool is unable to really cope with the numbers. Try a dip in Lake Garda instead. Very pleasant, though take along some footwear to walk over the stoney/shingley lakeside edges.

We were offerred a free half day boat trip around the southern parts of Lake Garda which was very pleasant and the full day coach trip organised by Thomson allowed us to have a ";taste"; of the other resorts on the Lake some of which have more spectacular settings.

Local ice creams ";something to die for";.

All in all a very enjoyable holiday.