Vivere Suites and Rooms

Heritage vines, architectural prowess and rugged mountain views are the defining hallmarks of sleek Lake Garda bolthole Vivere Suites, located near Arco. A modern addition to the ancient landscapes, Vivere is a vision of glass and metal, yet its heart very much lies in Italian hospitality with roots that stretch into soulful agritourism. Owned by Edy and his wife Miki, winemakers, restauranteurs and hoteliers, they have forged a modern farm stay movement.

With just six suites, it is deliciously low-key, low-rise and perfectly secluded, Lake Garda being a cyclable five kilometres away, and clasped within the delineated vineyards, it’s easy to sink into the stylish surroundings of this design hotel classic.

Designed by Milan-based architects Genuizzi | Banal Architetti, the team understood the needs of the environment, bringing a clear spatial design and a strong lineal aesthetic to the abundant nature all around. Carved into the Trentino landscapes, the crisp structure is cuboid and sharp, yet its low-slung design means it seems entirely at home, helped by the use of local stone walling, muted au natural colours and elemental rusted steel panels.

Ample open-air spaces fused with large panels of glass and sliding doors mean inside and outside of the suites and communal lounge are nicely blurred in a play of light, subtlety and space, with an interior design remit décor deliberately spartan, allowing the drama of the mountain views to naturally radiate. The focal point has to be the blackened pool - mirroring the Arco mountains in shimmering refraction, it is quite the spot for morning coffee, echoing the simple ethos of sanctum Vivere – day-to-day pleasures crafted with passion and respect to the mountains, Lake Garda and rural traditions.

Within each of the six suites is an homage to simple clean lines and muted tones of navy, grey and timber. 

Floor-to-ceiling sliding windows open up to private gardens and just over the fence, the soaring mountains guard over you, the ideal place to sample some of Edy’s wine while you watch the play of light travel across the peaks.

Inside, minimalism is the order of the day with cuboid four-poster beds, walk-in showers, concrete floors and coffee machines. If you’re a sun worshipper opt for one of the South Suites which benefit from all-day sunshine while the Romantic Suite has direct access to the vineyard and the pool.  

Although the hotel doesn’t have a restaurant per se, you’re in Italy, so you will eat well. Breakfast is a  lovely spread of local hams and cheeses, homemade jams and fresh bread, honey and olive oil from Vivere, with eggs happy to whizzed up into a herby omelette. Like everything at Vivere, it’s chilled with a side serving of style.

For other meals you can cook in your suite or rustle up a snack, or even better order to the room from Edy’s family pizzeria, which is a short walk away. Wood fired pizzas, risottos and even steak can come to your door to be washed down with a smooth red wine from Edy’s vineyard. Or you may prefer to cycle to Lake Garda where there are enough fine dining restaurants to fill a gourmet guide.

Although not lakeside, Vivere is far removed from the buzz of Lake Garda but is also enticingly just a 20-minute cycle so you can dip in and out at leisure, before returning to your sanctum of style at Vivere.

The northern Lake Garda town of Arco is nearby for visits to its soaring hilltop castle with its 14^th century frescoes and in summer Riva de Garda offers pebbly beaches and waterside bars for aperitivo. From Riva de Garda you can pass the time on a boat trip, sailing the glinting water of Lago de Garda, perhaps stopping off for a stroll in southern Sirmione, a charm-laden town seemingly always overflowing with bougainvillea. 

“The smile of our baker, the mild climate and the view of the lake where the road starts to descend from Nago to Arco are the qualities that make us very happy and content.”

These are the words from owners Edy and Miki Longo, who together have created a favoured bolthole for those seeking a taste of the good life, with incredible style of course. Inspired by the Italian farm stay movement agriturismo, they wanted “to merge with the nature that surrounds – like a farmhouse, just abstract.” And in doing so, Edy and Miki Longo have transformed a tired old vineyard into a boutique modernist haven of design that is still at its heart, rural and rustic, but also architecturally cool.