Il Mansio Vegan Hotel and Restaurant

Il Mansio is at Via Castello 8, in the old centre of Rivoltella del Garda, the hamlet of Desenzano del Garda that faces the Brescia shore of the lake. The house stands literally at the foot of the Tower of the Lombard king Desiderius, the fortified bell tower that commands the old village, and from the terrace you see the roofs of the village and the water a little below. It is a small inn, six units in all, recently opened and avowedly vegan: the 100% plant-based philosophy concerns not only the kitchen but also the materials of the furnishings, the bathroom products, those of the spa and the cleaning.

The accommodation is two Exclusive Suites and four Luxury Rooms. The Oleandro and Cedro suites have a wide, bright sitting room separate from the double bedroom with its king size bed; the Cedro has a large terrace with a private whirlpool and an outdoor fireplace, designed to be used in winter too. The four Luxury Rooms, Salice, Canneto, Olivo and Limone, have a designer bathroom and a king size bed, and three of them a private terrace facing the lake or the inner park. The house puts rest at the centre of its own presentation, with king size mattresses of 200 by 210 centimetres and a handmade topper made in Italy.

The wellness area is a private spa, not a shared centre: it is booked and used behind closed doors, reserved for the couple, with no other guests inside. Daily use is included in the price of the stay. It includes a sauna, a steam bath, a whirlpool for two, a sensory shower with a circuit of lights, colours and aromas, and a herbal tea station with teas and plant infusions. The wifi covers the whole house except the spa, and it is a declared choice, to keep the silence. Treatments are booked in advance and must be cancelled within 24 hours, otherwise they are charged. The picture is completed by a gym with Nohrd equipment and a personal trainer on request. No pool appears on the website: the only water in the house is that of the spa's whirlpool and of the terrace of the Cedro suite.

On access the property is explicit. In its useful information you read that, to guarantee the relaxation and quiet that characterise the stay, the inn is reserved for adults aged 16 and over: the same threshold therefore applies to the spa. Access to the rooms is allowed to guests only, with no outside visitors, and there is no smoking either in the rooms or in the common areas. Dogs are allowed in certain dedicated rooms, only small ones up to 10 kilos and with a surcharge of 20 euros a day; they may not enter the spa or the gym. The room and the spa services are available from 15.00 and must be left by 11.00, and the tourist tax is 1 euro per person per night.

The restaurant offers lake cooking in a plant-based key and is open to those not staying as well; the buffet breakfast is included in the rate. There are four private garages and two free parking spaces on site, with charging points for electric cars, a meeting room, a transfer service, and a few steps away a fitted beach where guests find a lounger and a parasol. The house also presents itself as a bike hotel.

It suits anyone looking for a small, silent house inside a village, with a spa all to themselves and an entirely plant-based kitchen, a step from the lake and far from the large hotels. It suits less anyone who wants a wide spa with a pool and resort-style shared spaces: here wellness is by definition for two.