Awards Candidates 2019

13/06/2026: Update: the manager pulled me aside for a chat. It was strange but at least showed he very much cared. I’ve updated my rating as such, but maintain that you are paying essentially double what you might elsewhere, for the view. If you’re happy to do that, you’ll be happy here. Beyond the genuinely stunning views, this place is really nothing special. The rooms are very basic, but they’re charging a premium price for what’s outside the window. The maid and cleaning service is great (but be warned laundry is very expensive though that’s not uncommon). It’s all just adequate. Not really any particularly special amenities. Not carefully designed (at least compared to many other hotels I’ve stayed at in the country). Very spotty WiFi which I thought was just the area but the public WiFi worked better in Monterosso. The parking was a nightmare and they do not provide useful instructions for finding it. If this was a $300-$400 a night hotel, it would be perfect; but it’s a $700-$800 a night hotel and is thus in my opinion, overpriced. If you plan on exploring the area, you can get the same views for free (or even for dinner) and skip the hefty price tag. Regarding staying in Portovenere. It’s beautiful, obviously. Stunning. As are the other 5 cities and at least 2 have a bit more going on and a lot more convenience. Portovenere is near impossible to get to after 9pm (for the price, it would be ideal if the hotel would offer some sort of shuttle service even for an extra cost). It’s clearly a perfect city for weekenders looking to escape most of the tourism (though a surprising amount still exists here). But maybe not for first-timers to the area looking to explore. Overall, fine hotel, but it just isn’t bringing the value it requests.

07/06/2026: We spent two days in Portovenere and on Sunday we needed luggage storage: the only service in town wasn't available. We asked the Grand Hotel for a favor—aware that it doesn't officially offer storage—simply because, with two backpacks, we wouldn't be able to enjoy the day at the beach. After several initial refusals, we managed to convince the staff that they would hold our bags for a few hours. At that point, however, the response was: "Okay, we'll do it for you, but only if you leave us 50 euros." This request, we consider excessive for a temporary and unscheduled favor, was striking. Besides the disproportionate price, we were struck by the total lack of courtesy: we would have expected at least a helpful and understanding attitude toward two tourists who simply wanted a morning on the beach.

09/06/2026: Great service, the fish platter was delicious: tuna and swordfish with prawns on salad, and the limoncello spritz was very tasty. I highly recommend this restaurant 🫶 Plus, it was open at 4:30 pm! Fantastic! S&S Colombia & Switzerland 🤩

09/06/2026: Some food was not cooked enough, some had 0 taste and some was extremelt dry.