In 1875 the Austrian Louis Wimmer retired to Gardone to cure himself and he fell in love with the beauty of its surroundings and its mild climate.
He decided to stay in Gardone and to offer also to the others the opportunity to appreciate that beauty, building a small hotel by the lake. Thanks to him the small paesant town started to change into one of the most famous winter resort of the central Europe.
The Hotel Gardone welcomed its first guests in 1884. In 1897 important works of expansion and renovation were carried out and the historic Solitro wrote "without exaggeration, you can call the Grand a country", with 300 rooms, all open at noon, dining rooms, conversation, reading and music rooms, big windows, bathrooms, gardens with tropical vegetation. It was illuminated by electric lights and heated by radiators, new luxurious comforts of the time.
The Grand became soon destination for nobles and intellectuals from all over Europe. In 1902 the German writer Paul Heyse, Nobel Prize, stayed at the Grand and he set there some tales.
During winter, from September to May, here meet principles, nobles and royalty, like King George of Saxony. In the ballrooms of the Grand is on stage the belle epoque, take place memorable parties and fantastic dances.
In 1921 stayed also Gabriele d'Annunzio, while he waits his new residence ,Villa Cargnacco, becomes ready. Together with him stay many of his guests: writers, artists, musicians, noblewomen.
During the Second World War the hotel was transformed into a hospital. Then it was restored and, in 1949, stayed here Winston Churchill, who signed the recovery of tourism after years of conflict.
To the Grand come the most exclusive personalities.
In its living rooms, among others, stay the writers Somerset Maugham and Vladimir Nabokov, the Russian astronaut Valentina Tereskova, the first woman in space, the researcher Albert Sabin, who discover the polio vaccine.

Today the Grand Hotel Gardone, after recent renovations, is still one of the most elegant and prestigious destinations of the Riviera, with modern comforts and services for the hospitality.