Albergo Delle Spezie

Stay away. The owner made this the worst experience I've had. We called Albergo delle Spezie to explain that our train had problems and we'd be arriving late. He was unfriendly on the phone and showed no understanding. We agreed we could check in as long as we arrived before 10 pm. We made it in time, but during check-in he lost his temper, yelled at us, and kicked us out. He warned us that everything would be booked that night and we'd have nowhere to stay, which made us even more anxious. At one point, he said in a derogatory way that he wouldn't host Mexicans, so we felt he might be discriminating against us because of our nationality. That treatment was unacceptable. He's rude and can't control himself, and I wouldn't want anyone else's trip ruined this way.

The hosts were extremely nice, and the location is great, right in the city among lots of bars and restaurants. We stayed a week, and the room wasn't comfortable for that long: it was dark and hot, with just one window facing an inner courtyard, so we got little light or fresh air. The shower was poorly designed and flooded the whole bathroom. Breakfast wasn't enjoyable either. There was no buffet, and we got the same toast, cornetto, yoghurt, fruit, and crispbread every morning. It was okay for a few days, but not the best choice for a full week.

The hostel is well located and the rooms are clean, which is why I'm giving it one star. The rest was a complete disaster, especially our experience with the owner during our August 2021 stay. The day before we arrived, they told us the air conditioner wasn't working and said we could book somewhere else. We understood and didn't complain. But when our flight was delayed, we missed the train to La Spezia and got there at 10 pm. We messaged as soon as we could, and at first they told us to find another place. In August, at 7 pm, finding somewhere else for that same night was impossible. The owner then agreed to wait until 10:30 pm for an extra 20 euros, and we accepted. We arrived running and stressed, only to be told to relax and that we had bad vibes. We were worried about being left out on the street. Breakfast came without plates, so we had to put the food on napkins. It was served until 10 am, but on our last day we arrived ten minutes before closing and the owner rudely said we could only have coffee, even though nothing in the breakfast required cooking. The day before, a couple arrived at 10 and ate normally. I don't know if we were treated differently because we were young women. After we checked out, the owner messaged that he'd charge five extra euros for breakfast water, a cost he hadn't mentioned when we ordered. He eventually took off the 20 euro late check-in charge, but only after asking us to show gratitude. So rude. I'd never been treated like that before. Completely disgusting.

The staff were kind and spent lots of time helping us figure out what to see in La Spezia. I really felt they cared about making our trip the best it could be. Our room was neat and clean, especially the bathroom, and breakfast was excellent too. The location is hard to beat, just a ten-minute walk from the station, with trains to all the Cinque Terre attractions. Thank you so much. Grazie! Molto bene! / Mathias, Sweden