Palazzo Cicala

I left after just five minutes in the room. I was there for two nights in August 2025 with my wife and 7-year-old daughter, and we felt really uncomfortable, almost scared. The neighborhood seemed dodgy, and the hotel looked nearly abandoned, with no staff at all. There was very little decoration and everything looked old. The building's facade was the only good point. A place to run from.

The staff were super friendly and knew good local spots for typical Italian and Genovese food, which you shouldn't miss. The rooms were amazing, everything was very clean, and I had a great time. The location is excellent, right across from one of the city's main sights, which gives the place extra historical flair. If you're going to Genova, this is the place to stay.

The whole stay was a disaster. I arrived late and hadn't been told there was no 24-hour reception. Their contact system wasn't working, and after I finally reached someone by phone, I was told the instructions were at reception behind two coded doors. I had to carry my bags upstairs because the lift key was also at the upstairs reception. The room was large, the only positive. The bed was awful, the sheets were very poor quality, and the blanket had stains that might have been chocolate or blood. The bathroom was tiny, with a shower barely bigger than the overhead head. You could fall out trying to bend, and there was nowhere for soap or shampoo except the shower floor. A small rug slid on the varnished wooden floor when I stepped on it, sending me skidding into the bed. Don't be fooled by the breakfast listing: it was a coffee maker in the room and packaged snacks in the minibar. The Wi-Fi didn't work, the plain wooden chairs were very uncomfortable, and the mirror was inside the door of an old, creaky, flimsy wardrobe. It was supposed to be a 4-star hotel, what a joke. If you're thinking of staying here, sleeping under a bridge would be better.

I stayed at Locanda di Palazzo Cicala last September, and my own experience was good, despite some of the online reviews making me nervous. My room was inside the actual building at Piazza San Lorenzo 16, beside the historic Cathedral of San Lorenzo. I didn't have to move between properties. It was lovely, very large, quiet, and looked out toward San Lorenzo, with high 17th-century ceilings, antiques, and some partial frescoes still there. I liked spending a few days in such a historic space. Some parts felt historic and others ultra-modern. Service was OK, and I had no problems. The hotel was handy for restaurants, places to visit, and the historic center. I'd stay again. A warning, though: I consider Genova, particularly its historic center, dangerous. Some parts seem worse than the worst neighborhoods of NYC. I've never liked Genova much, but my family lives there, so I go, and I love the authentic focaccia. Locanda di Palazzo Cicala is a 17th-century place close to the historic center.