Hotel Genziana

The staff at the hotel were incredibly kind and helpful, but I felt unsafe whenever I came or went and wanted to get away quickly. The surrounding streets were awful, with drug dealers, brothels, and sex workers. I don’t want to blame the hotel itself for that, but it made the stay very uncomfortable.

The interior seemed reasonably suited to the price, but I regretted choosing this hotel before I’d even gone inside. It’s conveniently near the city center and port, yet the area spoiled the stay. The narrow, dim streets had groups of people hanging around all day, more of them at night, including migrants. Outside felt unsettling, with shouting, fights, prostitution, and drug dealing out in the open. I felt genuinely scared during my stay. It didn’t feel safe to walk outside or even sleep inside, and I especially can’t recommend it for women. If you want to enjoy your trip, I’d spend a little more for somewhere safer and more comfortable.

We didn’t stay here at all. On our first day in Genova we called the hotel many times because we were afraid to reach it, but nobody answered. We booked somewhere else after the taxi driver told us, literally, “you are not safe, leave this area.” When we asked for a refund, the hotel said it wasn’t their problem and refused to refund any of the 3 days we’d booked. I found no warning about how awful the location was on booking.com or elsewhere. The hotel is in what I considered a VERY DANGEROUS area, with many thieves, drug dealers, and prostitutes. Very bad experience, DON'T COME TO THIS HOTEL FOR YOUR SAFETY!

The location is good, but dragging a roller bag from the nearest road over cobblestones could be a dealbreaker. The hotel also had no AC, despite being marketed as an AC’d hotel on the website. I can’t recommend booking it unless you’re a backpacker. If you’re a solo dude, you’d probably be fine, but if you want privacy, get a private room in a hostel. Don’t bring female family members here expecting them to feel comfortable on vacation. The block was, by contrast with the rest of the Genoa port metro, the sketchiest one I saw. From 7-8am until dark, 6-8 young men sold drugs right in front of the entrance, and the owner did nothing about it. They were louder than nearby construction or barking dogs. With the windows open for airflow, we got youths hollering to friends and drug partners very early, a rough way to start the day. They also stood across the alleys and made it uncomfortable to enter or leave. When we said excuse me, they took up even more room. Even stepping out for a cig felt unsafe. My wife didn’t feel comfortable walking there, and each time we left the building there were catcalls to ignore. They made us brush past them and said things like “don’t bump into me,” as if looking for a reason to attack. We changed our itinerary and left town early because of this group. Around the corner, away from the drug dealers, there were prostitutes and the customers visiting them late into the night. In a town known for being quiet and slow paced, the hotel offered no peace or quiet. I won’t say it ruined my time in Genoa, but people should know what they’re getting into. If you can afford to visit Genoa, you can afford a better hotel. Saving a few dollars a night wasn’t worth the hassle, including the safety concerns coming and going and the staff’s strange behavior. It felt like they might be in cahoots with the drug dealers and hookers outside, given how little they did to make guests more comfortable.