I found this hotel on one of the major hotel booking website and given how inexpensive the room…read morewas, I had to book here and it looked like it was really close from the train station. Little did I know, the hotel is actually AT the train station, upstairs of the building to be exact. When we got there in the evening, we went down the hill and found a door with a buzzer for Casa Dane, but then they ask me to call on WhatsApp so they can guide us to the right place. We then walk back up the hill to the train station and found the true entrance. Once we got to the room, the place is actually quite comfortable and good amount of space for an European hotel. Our room was facing away from the train tracks but right in front of the taxi drop off, we were concern about the possible noise in the morning but the next day we barely hear the noise at all. The front desk worker is very nice and answers all kind of questions such as what's the best way to visit the Cinque Terre area and favorite restaurant in the town. Overall it was an interesting and pleasant stay here at Casa Dane. If you're still young and don't care about too much amenities of a hotel, Casa Dane could be a consideration if you're staying in La Spezia so you can visit the Cinque Terre the next day.

This has to be the strangest hotel I have ever experienced. I received an email asking that I…read morecontact the receptionist via chat 10-15 minutes before checking in so that she would be ready for us. To do that I had to incur a $10 cellular charge as no WiFi was available. We were told via chat that there were two large red vases at the door we were to enter at the train station. I was sent a picture of a door with white vases. We saw the door with the red vases and rang the bell. Someone asked my name over the intercom and said I was at the wrong door. I needed to go to the door with the white vases. So the doors look like they belong to anything other than a hotel. Once you get buzzed into the building you carry your suitcases up a few flights of stairs. The reception area reminded me of a college dormitory. There were bulletin boards with hand written notes on the walls and white furniture similar to what is sold at Home Depot and assemble yourself filled the reception area. The room was large and had a very sterile feel to it. Only the rooms were not sterile. I made the mistake of walking around the room barefoot and then stepped on the white bath mat and I could see my dirty footprints on the bath mat. Our room had a fairly large balcony that looked out onto the electrical grid for the train station. There were no chairs or benches to sit on the balcony. There was a clothesline that we did take advantage of. A continental breakfast was included with the room. We had to walk down the street to a restaurant to get the breakfast. The croissants and juice included were actually very good. The air conditioning did work well in the room and was controlled with a remote control. It was very hot in La Spezia when we were there so we really appreciated that. The neighborhood and people hanging around the train station after dark are very sketchy, so we tried to get back to our room either before dark or shortly after dark. Besides the air conditioning, the other good thing about this hotel is you just walk outside of the building and you are at the train station that takes you to Cinque Terre. We were quite surprised to find that even though the hotel is at a train station, we rarely heard any sounds that indicated we were at a train station. There is a parking garage nearby. We were fortunate to get one of the last parking spaces in the garage and our rental car barely fit into the narrow parking space. The passengers had to exit the car before it was parked.

Wasn't a Yelp listing for Racconti di Mare, so I created it after my stay (you're welcome!). Found…read moreit on Travelocity for a good price, I was looking for a place close to Cinque Terra, and the location, La Spezia, is it. Touristic with lots of shops and restaurants, it's 2 or so blocks from the train station, and a 12 minutes train ride to the first village in Cinque Terra. Davide, the greeting host, is great. Text msgs days beforehand ensuring the gf and I arrived safely. Parking is a bit of an issue, as the streets surrounding it are for residents only. He directed us to temporarily park close, he helped us carry in our luggages, and then drove with me to an area 3-4 blocks away that I could park at with metered parking (9 euros/day). Very nice guy! I didn't want a Hilton, and that I didn't get! ================================ It's 5 rooms with bathrooms, and a shared dining area. Very clean throughout. The room was nothing like I've ever seen, although, some pics posted on Travelocity gave me a hint of what to expect. Fairly large room, hand-painted artistic walls with water scenes and topless mermaids, heart sheets, funky lights, and a netting over the bed. The private bathroom, also larger than usual, continued the painted theme. Overall, comfortable and I liked. Jagoda, a young Polish gal, prepared a lovely continental breakfast, fresh OJ, warm croissants and assorted pastries, and of course, coffees. Conclusion: ========== The location is great for Cinque Terra travel proximity, and being close to the train makes it very convenient. It's a unique experience, that's for sure! Davide and Jogoda makes staying here very comfortable, and they speak enough English to take the guess work out of the equation.

Very nice hotel...the location is perfect! The breakfast in the on site restaurant is…read moregreat...endless choices and great cappuccinos. The suite was beautiful...shower was amazing You want for nothing and you can just sit on your porch and take it all in. Soany great place to eat...highly recommend Torre out near the castle on the end of the point. The ferry is like 100 feet away and you can ride it all day for a flat fee. Saw all 5 villages and had a blast. My only negative was that the bed is super firm...you might like that but I do not. There is a wonderful spa that is tied to the hotel...highly recommend to relax and set the tone for your stay. Portovenere is quiet at night and full of life during the day. They even have a private beach across the street! This is a.magival place...it is full of history and adventure.

The Grand Hotel Portovenere is a most beautiful hotel in a prime location. My stay here was the…read morehighlight of my trip! The area is incredibily beautiful: at the entrance of the Gulf of Poets: the deep blue Mediterranean sea becons with islands Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto in view along with dramatic San Pietro. The hotel is elegant and retains its history in its respectful and beautiful architecture. In the midst of such beauty, the staff and management make everything truly magic! From the warmest of welcomes to taking care of every detail with genuine kindness and consideration, the experience is heartfelt and magic!!! Great compliments to the chefs for the preparation of meals with delicate flavors highlighting the high quality ingredients. The team even made a dish that I had spoken to them about... a true surprise and absolute delight!! I recommend enjoying the experiences that can be arranged by the gracious staff. I had wonderful experiences in the cooking class with a truly talented chef who was informative, made delicious dishes and was fun! In addition, the sunset cruise experience was truly breathtaking! The boat was beautiful with a great Skipper, who showed me the natural beauty of the Portovenere area that can only be appreciated from the aspect of the sea: the black and gold marble caves, the beautiful islands and the views from the sea towards the Carrara mountains. The lovely aperitivo prepared by the hotel team made it perfect! The beautiful property, prime location and wonderful experiences make this a wonderful and grand place but what truly makes this a special Grand Hotel is the amazing staff led by their General Manager, Mr.. Polesel. They are gracious, warm and phenomenal at what they do!!! I am grateful to have been able to spend time here and will return soon!!!.

Nice hotel with spacious, comfortable and clean accommodations. Delicious breakfast, very nice and…read morehelpful staff, plus a good location, central and overlooking the port.

This is the worst hotel I've ever stayed in. We had to switch rooms once because the sheets were…read morenot changed in the bed and there was hair all over the bed. The shower was full of hair. We switched rooms and the room was still dirty but we needed to sleep. Woke up at 230am with mosquito bites all over my body. Turned on the lights and saw at least 5 mosquitos on the ceiling. If I ever travel in this area again I'll sleep on the street before I come here!

Customer service is not helpful. Our room is sooo hot and they said we could switch rooms yesterday…read moreand today they say there is nothing available. I also asked for more pillows and they looked at me like I'm crazy. They never accommodated that request. It's a beautiful hotel, but nothing else matters when your room is blazing hot. Taking care of your customers should be a priority. Very disappointing.

This hotel is very clean and modern. The location is close to central street with all the stores…read moreand restaurants. It's an 8 min walk from the central train station. The staff is excellent always ready to assist. The breakfast was very good, fresh cheeses, salmon, fruits, etc. Had an awesome experience here, would def highly recommend.

Emiliano is an excellent proprietor! He is a young, friendly, italian man who is eager to help…read more I advice to ask for the Marco Polo room. It is on the top floor, not to far from the ocean, yet overlooking the entire town. It has a private, semi-wrap balcony, large enough for a table and some chairs. I can't speak for the other rooms, but the Marco Polo room comes with a kitchenette and lots of windows. The only downsides were the noisy mornings due to construction (which I imagine won't always be going on) and we couldn't turn on the heater for more than a couple hours at night. The owner said it was due to regulations, but it was too inconsistent. I think the owner was personally restricting our use of the heater. All things considered, I would definitely stay here again. Nothing beats the view.

We stayed at the Abel Tasman for our honeymoon. The room has a great view of the main street, the…read moretown, the boats in the docking area, and the ocean. We had some lounge chairs: 2 recliners if you can borrow one from the hallway, or 1 normal chair and a lounge chair. The Wi-Fi is strong, but slows down in the evening. They had a new air conditioner and it was needed. It kept the room cool when in August the outside is hot. Getting there requires walking up a hill, but what place does not in Cinque Terre? The inn keeper and the cleaning lady are very nice. They helped when I got sick to find a doctor in town. I would stay here again.