CINQUE TERRE, ITALY
LA TORRETTA LODGE - MANOROLA…read more
UP FRONT: When you visit Cinque Terre in Italy, (literally "five lands"), you have five choices on where to stay out of the five fishing villages. If you're like most tourists, you're going to visit all of them, but one has to be your "home base". After visiting all of them, I think your best bet is either Manorola or Monterosso. The scenery in both places is astounding. Manorola is small and quiet and has some cliffs you can dive off at the bottom of the hill. Monterosso is a bit more sprawling and has a good stretch of beach.
We stayed in Manorola two nights. Got the tip about La Torretta on Trip Advisor.
This hotel is a dream. From start to finish, it felt too good to be true.
Check in was a breeze - it was only us in the lobby - and we sipped Prosecco on the patio while the front desk copied our passports and finished up the paper work.
Our room #7 was at the very top with the most breathtaking view (see photo). Bed was very comfortable, and the bathtub (we didn't use it) is literally the biggest I've ever seen - HUGE.
No problems with the room - temperature control was good, mini-bar was complimentary. Be aware there is no phone in the room, and if you need something, you need to go down the steps to the office or call down from the window as you see the hotel staff moving about the property. lol. I did that once, we needed towels for the room, but no phone, so I just called out to the maid while I was standing on the balcony. It worked.
The hotel sits on top of the hill. You walk down the hill to all the shops and restaurants. There's everything you need, ATM machine, train station, pharmacy, and more.
At the bottom of the hill is the ocean, no beach, but there are places where you can lay out and many people do. There's also swimming allowed and the water is so cold and refreshing. You can dive in from many areas, and climb to the cliffs where you will be afraid to jump, but do it, it's so much fun. It took me 15 minutes to get enough courage to get off the cliff, but with the encouragement of fellow cliff divers, I was able to do it. Kept going back up to the top to do it again.
There's breakfast in the mornings, all kinds of goodies - meats and cheeses, croissants, pastries and of course coffee.
The hotel staff work hard to make sure you have everything you need. But keep in mind, they are not at the front desk 24/7. They close at 9:30 PM and they weren't clear about that when we checked in - neither did they say there was no phone in room.
When we left, we were taking a train at the bottom of the hill, and they brought our luggage down with a golf cart.
All the good things that have been said in the reviews are true - nothing hyped up about this place. Worth every dollar we spent on the room.
Recommended restaurant around the corner: TRATTORIA DAL BILLY
