Berkshire

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT? WHERE?</h2>



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Idyllically perched in the hills above the elegant town of Gargnano, on the west shore of Lake Garda,&nbsp;Lefay Resort &amp; Spa&nbsp;is arguably Italy’s top wellness hotel with an international reputation for its sustainable principles and holistic, east-meets-west approach to health, weight loss, longevity and rejuvenation. Purpose built in 2008 to allow every one of the bedrooms and dining areas to look out onto stunning vistas, the hotel sits in 27 acres and has just opened again after a foxy refurb, including the addition of three incredible roof-top Sky Suites – more penthouse flats than hotel rooms – plus adults only spa areas, improved outdoor bar and sleeker lounging areas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">VIBE</h2>



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Laidback, effortless luxe. The entrance to the hotel feels low-key but once you step through the door, everything is poised and en pointe with a calming neutral palette, wide walkways and soft cream carpets taking you from the bedroom to the dedicated spa floor. Relaxed and unpretentious, there’s much padding around in bathrobes and slippers from treatment rooms to the pool and even lunch.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE SPA</h2>



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The hotel merits a visit in its own right, but the spa is Lefay’s not so secret weapon. Italy’s first spa to gain an Ecocert Excellent rating for ‘Being Organic and Ecological Spa’ due to its combination of natural wellbeing and a strong eco commitment, the roll call of stunning facilities starts with a heated infinity pool with views out to sea as well as the mountains (beach towels and lounger service both at the ready, obvs).



Behind the swimming pool, still with those views to the front, is a new glassed fitness area brimful with Technogym equipment – studiously ignored by yours truly, but there were plenty of early treadmillers and personal training sessions on the go during my stay.



There are all kinds of rest areas, a second outdoor pool, plus a large indoor pool, and a seemingly endless roll call of saunas (be warned, you’re encouraged to go naked, though if you’re a bit ‘British’ like me head to the women-only Lady Sauna. I’m not kidding, it’s really called that).



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Lefay-Lake-Garda-Muddy-Stilettos-Lady-Sauna.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-59463" /><figcaption>The relaxation room in the Lady Sauna</figcaption></figure>



A smart new addition for 2022 is an elegant adult-only spa area with floor to ceiling windows out onto&nbsp;that&nbsp;view, including a huge whirlpool, relaxation area and possibly the most beautiful sauna I’ve ever seen. Judge for yourself below.



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But if you think the creation of an adult space is a result of children dive-bombing all over Lefay, relaxez-vous – the number of kids at the hotel is regulated, so you’re never going to walk from a massage into a mass toddler rampage. That said, children are welcome here and they do have a kids club, so don’t be put off if you want to bring the nippers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE LONGEVITY PROGRAMME</h2>



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Most spa hotels trade on relaxation and pampering – a massage here, facial there, guests lounging around and catching a sneaky nap in the afternoon before hammering the wine list at dinner. You can totally do that at Lefay too, but you might be missing a serious trick, as the resort goes&nbsp;way&nbsp;beyond this with a series of 5-night restorative programmes, the USP of which is to blend the best of traditional Chinese medicine with Western science.



There are individual programmes for detoxing, improved immunity, stress, weight loss and body toning, along with two new options for 2022 – Discovery, a three-night introduction to leFay and ideal for those on perhaps a tighter time scale or budget; and the Longevity Programme, which takes a holistic approach to anti-ageing and combines beauty, detox and rebalancing. For those of you, like me, tickling middle age, and inexplicably starting to pinch and droop simultaneously, Longevity has your name written all over it. &nbsp;



Basically the Longevity programme involves an initial meeting with one of the Lefay doctors. No weighing scales, bodily samples or medical reports here though. I filled out a form about how I was feeling physically and mentally. Then my doctor and I chatted almost as in a counselling session for 10 minutes before she took my pulses – Chinese medicine’s ‘MRI’ that reflects general health but also shows up any organs not working as they should.



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Lungs and liver were areas that she highlighted for my reflexologist to work on; lungs because it can be affected by grief and sadness (I had a significant bereavement last year) and the liver because it can hold negative emotions. I was told to drink a specific herbal tea which would also act help the organs and included roseroot, cinnamon, and Siberian ginseng. I was then promptly sent off for reflexology which I’d love to report on, but I fell asleep. Maybe that says it all.



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The next few days for me were a hazy mix of salt water pool floatation, facials in light treatment rooms overlooking gardens, moxibustion (a traditional Chinese medicine therapy which consists of burning dried mugwort on particular points on the body), Qi Gong, wellness walks, yoga in the garden and, of course, floating around the infinity pool wishing I could just book in for a month. I avoided the cryotherapy session where you’re plunged into sub zero temperatures to stimulate and heal the body as the doctor felt that the shock wouldn’t benefit my already shocked system. Not a fan of the cold, I gladly gave that one a hard pass, though others I talked to enjoyed it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">EAT! DRINK!</h2>



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Whether you’re planning to calorie count or want to enjoy the best of Italian food, you’ll be happy here. Visually the main Lemonia dining area is stunning, with a mix of pergolas and covered outdoor seating and, inside, a cleverly designed mix of zoned areas, which create intimacy with lightly bound curtains. Each menu contains a simplified, lighter menu involving three small courses – more filling than it sounds, with the mains particularly delicious. That said, I then spent the rest of the stay on the à la carte dark side, but I appreciated the choice – I’ve been to too many spas where my food has, annoyingly, been decided for me.



Breakfasts here are a mix of posh buffet and menu ordering – if you’re going à la carte portions are huge and prices are punchy so if you can bear to share I’d recommend it.



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And one night you must try Gramen, the fine dining restaurant that’s new to the hotel this year. The restaurant is set apart from the other dining areas and is really something special – those views again, yes, but also some gorgeous interior styling.



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Rather than fighting it out with the other Michelin restaurants in the area (there are 3 all within Gargnano at the foot of leFay), Gramen is vegetarian, eschewing dairy and using local produce and creating phenomenal Mediterranean dishes, all beautifully presented (see below).



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE BEDROOMS</h2>



Calming, neutral with luxurious with extravagant red-tinged Milan marble, automatic blinds (literally, I never got bored of playing with them) and fabulously private balconies in the Junior Suites with no sneaky viewing possible from your neighbours. My bedroom had a small, separate dressing room, and a gorgeous bathroom where you could sit in the bath and look through to the bedroom and the vista beyond.



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If you have money to burn, upgrade to a Sky Suite – bigger than not just my first flat but quite possibly the second and third, they’re both luxurious and homely, with separate sitting room, bedroom and the balcony below. That’ll do nicely.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">OUT AND ABOUT</h2>



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Truth be told, it’s hard to tear yourself away from Lefay as your body just sort of melts while you’re here, but a trip to Lake Garda is well worth the effort. There are plenty of free excursions offered by the hotel, including e-bike trails, Nordic walking in the nearest town of Gargnano and surrounds, visits to the lemon groves for which this area was once famous, before Sicily swooped in and stole the crown.



For a fee, you and up-to-seven pals can also hire the swish Lefay-owned motorboat and zip around the coast, taking in the elegant towns and villages from the water. It took us about half an hour to reach&nbsp;<a href="http://www.locanda-sanvigilio.it/en/restaurant/">Locanda San Viglio</a>&nbsp;by boat, an elegant 15th&nbsp;Century retreat whose restaurant is sought out by tourists due to its picture-perfect location on the lake.



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The outdoor seating on the approach to the restaurant was packed and bustling, but once inside it feels calm and still, and we whiled away a good few hours trying local delicacies and wines.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HOW MUCH?</h2>



A five-night Longevity Programme at&nbsp;Lefay&nbsp;Resort &amp; Spa Lago di Garda costs from €3,200 (£ 2763) per person, staying in a Prestige Junior Suite (double occupancy), including all meals and spa treatments in the programme. Put plainly, you’re paying around £450 a day all-inclusive once you’ve sorted the additional cost of flights to Verona and transfers (around 1hr 15 mins) – compared to the best UK spa breaks that’s an absolute steal.



THE MUDDY VERDICT



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Good for:&nbsp;If you’re looking to relax and reboot, you’re in the right place. Couples will feel suitably romantic staring out at those views, and it’s ideal as a laidback luxury girl’s spa break. You might get to do some rubber-necking too – Lefay’s team is too discreet to say anything, but this resort is clearly popular with Italian celebrities and those further afield – Alexa Chung has been a guest (sue me, I checked her IG feed). Those who like the idea of the authentic, balanced best-of-east-meets-west health philosophy here will fit right in.



Not for:&nbsp;You’re up in the hills so this isn’t the kind of resort where you’ll effortlessly step out into the town for a change of pace and vibe. The one-hour 15 mins transfer is an extra effort on landing you might not want to make. Though kids are made to feel most welcome and there’s a dedicated club for them, Lefay feels more of an adult jaunt to me.



<a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/wellbeing/spas/lefay-resort-spa-lake-garda-italy-review/Via%20Angelo%20Feltrinelli,%20136%20%2025084%20Gargnano%20BS%20%20Italy">leFay Resort &amp; Spa</a>;&nbsp;Via&nbsp;Angelo Feltrinelli, 136 25084 Gargnano BSItaly. Tel +39 0365 241800&nbsp;<a href="mailto:res.garda@lefayresorts.com">res.garda@lefayresorts.com</a>

Spa of the Month: Lefay Resort & Spa, Lake Garda

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