L'Albereta

A beautiful, quiet surprise folded seamlessly into the hills of Lomabardy. You won't just stumble onto this place, you have to know it's here and seek it out. But when you do, you'll be very happy you made the effort. It overlooks the somewhat distant Lake Iseo, which is just as splendid as any of the better-known lakes of the region but with far fewer tourists. You can sit on the terrace of the hotel's obviously named VistaLago bistro and gaze at its vastness out there on the horizon, pouring up toward the Alps. The hotel takes classic cues and puts them in a modern setting, with artwork scattered all over the grounds. I guess you gotta love art. The rooms are big and as far as I could tell each has a private balcony- my room did, anyway. The view from 302 was a nice sprawl of vineyards, wooded hills and the city a kilometer or two away. The rooms are quiet and the air conditioning was, too. There are tennis courts, a pool and a workout room, which I didn't use, as well as a fleet of properly tuned mountain bikes, which I did. It's rare to get a hotel bike that really works but this one did and quite nicely. Drivers around here seem to respect bicyclists, btw, and there are specific bike routes all over the region. If you like wine, which I don't, there is even more to experience. You will not be disappointed with your stay here.

We were travelling to Italy for a two week trip, and scheduled to visit Milan. We decided to change our plans and spend two nights in Franciacorta/Erbusco instead. Best decision ever. The hotel is beautiful. The grounds are stunningly kept, the staff are incredibly helpful. The views are lovely and the food is wonderful. My parents had a beautiful room (a recently renovated, contemporary suite in a small outbuilding with huge bathroom) with a private garden area. I was kindly upgraded to a beautiful room in a tower which had two balconies. We were very impressed with the decor and attention to design detail. The evening views of Lake Iseo were a highlight. The atmosphere in the bistro was so much fun. We arrived on the same day as a special fish dinner with wine pairings, which was a highlight of our trip. We've stayed at several Relais and Chateaux throughout Italy, and loved them all. This ranks near the very top. Side trip recommendations: Day trip to Bergamo and a boat tour from Iseo to Isola Monte.

Our group of 25 stayed here for 3 nights. While there were the inevitable minor issues, my experience as the tour leader was overwhelmingly positive and supported by the comments of our group. The terrace with Lago Iseo in the distance is a spectacular, inviting setting from breakfast through to post dinner drinks. The gym and spa facilities were top notch (an outdoor pool would have added a nice touch). The staff that I encountered were gracious and friendly. My highest praise - and the reason I am writing this post - is to recognize the exceptional service of Events Manager Giovanna Nucci. She went above an beyond in my opinion in suggesting and organizing a private boat excursion for our group on Lake Iseo as well as lunch at a fantastic restaurant (Locanda del Lago) on Monte Isola, not to mention a phenomenal dinner in a private room in the hotel one evening. When we required a space for our group to gather on our final evening to share some extra bottles of wine from our travels together, Giovanna arranged a private terrace with all the glassware and an attendant on hand - at no extra charge. Being used to excessive and opportunistic room rental fees and surcharges from hotels seeking to extract every penny out of group visitors this was a welcome and appreciated gesture. I would return to this hotel for a private holiday with pleasure and highly recommend it.

This hotel is beautiful, the room the surroundings and the spa and terrace are all quite special. Sadly the service really lets down this hotel. We were upgraded to a lovely suite and had a bottle of Bellavista sparkling wine and fruit which I believe was a Mrandmrs Smith gift, so all was good. However as we celebrated a very special 25th Anniversary on the day not one member of staff acknowledged this, we had a great time in spite of this but I think it was very poor. With the exception of 2 members of staff, the greenleige lady and a lovely chambermaid. The service was inconsistant and they seemed to lack training, breakfast was very poor and they sometimes ran out if items, they seemed to lack management, so I would never recommend this hotel as I believe that whoever is behind this establishment does anoint care about it's customers - big mistake!

Incredible beauty. BUT my bags didn't make it and when I found someone with bags grr might be mine they YELLED at me "WHAT ROOM YOU IN!" (Twice). In the room, couldn't find ANY information about the hotel (like when breakfast is served), but lots of advertising about the spa etc. When I phoned the front desk (had to guess at the number (9) because there's no pamphlet about the hotel) about breakfast, he gave me the time for breakfast and then hung up without saying goodbye. WORK ON YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE!