Hotel Suisse Bellevue

The view is incredible, and breakfast is included. Apart from that, the hotel was just okay, so I wouldn't stay here again if I return to Cinque Terre. The room was very large, but everything else was ordinary, and the only bathroom soap provided was basic soap. I'm surprised the place has three stars. You can't walk into town from the hotel, so you're completely dependent on the shuttle, which only comes once an hour and holds eight people. They had to make two or three trips to fit everyone. If you have a train to catch, you could miss it. We visited in June, not even peak season, and I can't imagine how many trips the shuttle needs to make in July or August. There were about three bus drivers. Two were delightful, but the bald driver was awful. We were at the meeting spot 45 minutes early and asked if he'd take us up so we wouldn't have to wait another 45 minutes. He said he didn't have time, but would do it for 10 euros. We declined, and he sat in his car for 45 minutes until the scheduled hotel shuttle time. We were the only people on it. Monterosso is the biggest of the five Cinque Terre towns, with the biggest beach, but it's also by far the most touristy. If I did the trip again, I'd stay in Levanto.

We spent three nights here while visiting Cinque Terre. The rooms were spacious, the hotel was beautiful and clean, and the view from the top was amazing. Breakfast had loads of options and everything was very good. The staff were consistently kind and helpful. The location isn't especially convenient, but the shuttle worked well, so we never had to walk up or down.

The breakfast was good every morning, and the women at the front desk helped whenever we needed them. The hotel runs a shuttle to town each hour, which is handy, though it can be crowded. Since it's high up on a mountain, every room has a great view, but that's what you're paying for. Our room was quite small and didn't look like any of the pictures online. The bed wasn't comfortable, the shower was frustratingly tiny, and we even had ants.

The room had recently been redecorated and was clean. We didn't book an ocean view room, but luckily got one with a porch, which was lovely for sitting in the chairs and hanging our bathing suits to dry. There aren't many porch rooms, so it's worth asking. The hotel grew on us, and I'm glad we got to see this idyllic fishing village. It's rather isolated, high up on a mountain in Monteresso, but the views over the coast and the mountains across from it are stunning. The staff work hard at everything, from breakfast and reception to bringing towels to the rooms. A free shuttle goes up and down the steep, winding road about every 30 minutes. Take it, because the four-minute taxi ride costs €15. Breakfast is included, though it isn't a buffet, which felt a little awkward. It starts at 8 am, sometimes too late for our day trips. The staff did let us order food ahead so we could leave quickly, and we really appreciated that. At checkout, paying the room tax in cash was required, which was strange and annoying since credit cards are accepted almost everywhere.