Hotel Le Grazie

The room was badly dated, and the problems added up: the shower leaked, the air conditioner was loud and barely cooled, and the TV seemed to have lost its color years ago. Noise was the worst part. Shouting and laughter carried on into the early hours, and there was no soundproofing, so I could hear complete conversations from next door. It felt like a party hostel and an unofficial nightlife spot, with lots of drunk guests and a sketchy atmosphere. I barely slept. Reception staff were friendly, but spoke very little English. When I complained, I got blank looks or polite shrugs. This was the worst hotel stay I've ever had, frustrating and sleepless, and not worth the price or headache. Only stay here if you're ready to travel back to 1973 and don't mind chaos and nostalgia.

One star is too much. The whole hotel smelled terrible, the walls were cracked and peeling, the furniture was old and broken, and breakfast included leftover vegetables. I paid €500 for four nights, but it felt worth €100 at most. After those four nights, we decided to rent an apartment for €500 instead. It's a complete lack of respect for customers. Disgusting, and shame on you. The room was a disaster too. Of six outlets, only two worked, and the one beside the bed had no cover, so in the dark you could put your finger into it while trying to turn on the light. I charged my phone overnight in the bathroom. The phone didn't work and was left in a drawer, and there was no WiFi signal in the room. The toilet seat looked worse than a free highway toilet. The bathroom door wouldn't close, and showering was disgusting: the holder was broken, so I had to set it down or hold it, and water leaked through the wall into the bedroom. There was no hot water on the third floor. I changed rooms because the first had no hot water, and when I saw other rooms open during cleaning, they looked dangerous and disastrous too. It seems only two or three rooms have been renovated. If this is your last and only option, sleep on the beach.

Welcome to real, fantastic Italy, not the Instagram version. This place was clean and nice, the hosts were so kind, and at this price in Portovenere it's practically impossible to find somewhere comparable. People who gave it one star should spend their holidays in Rotterdam, where they'll surely find accommodation to suit them.

We were surprised by how much we liked the hotel. The room was charming and clean, and the staff were really sweet and responsive. The photos here don't show the renovations that have been done. We had room 305 on the third floor, with a wonderfully colorful view. Breakfast was fine, with a choice of things, even if there wasn't a lot. We enjoyed it so much that we added another night, and we'd love to return.