If Slow Luxury Had an Address, It Would Be Cape of Senses—Inside One of Lake Garda's Most Beautiful Hotels

Travelling to Lake Garda has long been on my bucket list. Dreamy scenes of sun-dappled lemon groves, Aperitivo by the shore front, and cooling dips as boats glide across the water in the distance have filled my daydreams with scary regularity in recent years.

Still, I’d never found the chance to explore Italy as much as I’d have liked. That was until my husband and I were invited to stay at Cape of Senses, a fairly new but by no means to be slept on five-star hotel nestled in the hills of Northern Italy overlooking Lake Garda.

Needless to say, I didn’t take much convincing, and we were boarding our flight to Italy a few months later, swimwear packed, ready for our lakeside adventure. If Garda has been a must-try travel destination for you for as long as you can remember, too, I can’t think of a more relaxing, luxurious destination to consider than Cape of Senses.

For my full review, keep scrolling.

Inside One of Lake Garda's Most Beautiful Hotels, Cape of Senses

The vibes

Tucked away in the hills a short drive from Garda and the surrounding Italian lakeside towns, Cape of Senses offers total tranquillity in an indisputably breathtaking location. Just a short 45-minute drive from Verona airport, you’re at the hotel before you know it, met by two decorative Vespas in the driveway, immediately welcoming front-of-house staff and a much-needed welcome Spritz overlooking the lake.

Olive trees sway in the breeze, the smell of grass fills the air, and the soft hum of conversation reverberates from the pools below. The resort, which is adult-only, feels instantly relaxing; there’s a laid-back, sophisticated feel to the place which instantly signals to your brain to switch off.

Interior touches are stylish, but subtle; floor-to-ceiling glass windows sit next to an interior palette of soft neutral tones, wood, and stone. All 55 of the suites have panoramic lake views, plus access to the 2,000m² wellness spa and two fine-dining restaurants.

Everything centres around the backdrop of the cerulean blue lakes below and the mountains above, the unmistakable stars of the show.

The rooms

Spacious, inviting, and comfortable, the rooms are decorated with warming olive tones, natural wooden furniture and grey marble countertops. Architects Hugo and Alessia Demetz pair grasses in tall vases with plush, tonal sofas, and wicker mesh lamps with local stone features to make the space feel like a continuation of the nature outside. Our room backs onto the leafy pool area, which makes this all the more apparent, the room echoing the olive, ivy and sand colours of nature.

Our room has instant access to both pools and a great route through the gardens to the state-of-the-art gym, too. Even visiting in winter promises to be a delight, as the hotel offers a hybrid indoor-outdoor pool which you can swim between, regulating the temperatures to make it pleasant for all months of the year.

Art is minimal, but the vast windows perfectly frame the greenery, pool, and mountains beyond; one could argue, art at its finest.

The food

Two top-floor restaurants with panoramic views of the lake below you mean you're spoilt for choice. Restaurant Al Tramonto is our dinner go-to, offering elevated, gourmet tasting menus and seasonal à la carte dishes. The menu reads: “Be immersed in a world of flavourful, aromatic compositions to awaken your senses,” followed by the Italian “Dolce far niente,” which translates to “the sweetness of doing nothing” - and that, we do.

Dishes centre around fresh-as-anything tomatoes, decadent, deep bowls of olive oil, and local produce; we enjoy zucchini fritti, homemade pasta, and fresh seafood every day, and nothing disappoints. Local Lugana wine is crisp and mineral-rich; the staff attentive and welcoming; and the food, top-notch.

Attention to detail is second to none, from the wine pairings to the crockery on the table (the hand-blown glasses are so beautiful, I joke at least once that I want to take them home with me).

Their other restaurant offering, Osteria La Pergola, is more relaxed and a great lunch option. Enjoy fresh daily selections straight from local markets and the hotel’s own herb garden.

One of the standout highlights of our trip was the evening sunsets; breathtaking kaleidoscopes of yellow, amber, coral and lilac filling the entire skyline as we enjoyed our main courses. Staff had mentioned that the sunsets from their particular location were some of the best they’d ever seen - I was initially doubtful, but can confirm they are monumental.

The facilities

As a Health Editor who tests spa destinations for a living, I’m rarely blown away, but Cape of Senses’ extensive wellness programme was seriously noteworthy, helping explain how this 2023 newcomer has rapidly earned recognition including a MICHELIN Key and membership of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

As well as an airy, spacious and well-equipped gym, each week, you can choose from a wide variety of activities, from your more standard Pilates, yoga, or meditation to the more unique Qi Gong, “Deep Sound Rest,” or “Morning Serenity” sessions in the gym.

Over in their spa area, they have three spacious saunas - an 80- to 90-degree space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake, a gentler bio sauna and a steam bath.- and a steam room, too. If you’re looking to book a session, you can enjoy scrubs, sauna sound baths, and smoke rituals, all designed to leave you feeling revitalised, relaxed, and recharged and included in the price of your stay. It’s worth mentioning their verging-on-spiritual Aufguss sessions, too, all led by their Aufgussmeister. A sauna ritual where a trained sauna expert utilises ice and essential oils to heighten the experience, our Aufguss was without a doubt one of the standouts of our trip; ever British, we’d never tried one before, and came out feeling like floaty clouds.

There’s also soothing live music several nights of the week at the lobby bar, or an e-bike wine tour, if cardio is more your thing. If you choose to hike the lakeside trail, as we did, do take advantage of their in-house driver, who is on hand for local journeys. We’d recommend arranging pick-up for the last leg of the walk from Garda - it’s around 7km uphill on a main road, so being picked up is a total treat after a long day of walking.

Need to knows

Stay at Cape of Senses hotel from €470 per night for a Junior Suite. 37010 Torri del Benaco, Lake Garda, Italy, capeofsenses.com.