La Vista di Marina by The First

We booked the "Luxury Honeymoon Suite - Jacuzzi Bathtub" after checking the location on google maps and the website photos. Looking back, we should have read the reviews first. I wouldn’t call it a scam, but it did feel misleading. We wanted a "proper" hotel, and this wasn’t one. The room is on the top floor of an apartment building above the main part of Riomaggiore’s main street. The narrow staircase is very steep, with about 40 steps. The location was fine, and we could see a little of the harbor and sea, though the view wasn’t like the photos. The room was comfortable and spacious, the bed was comfortable, and housekeeping came daily. The host communicated and sent the details ahead of time, so we weren’t scrambling. We arrived early and were allowed to leave our bags in the room before it had been cleaned. The Jacuzzi tub was huge, but it didn’t "jacuzzi," which was disappointing. I probably wouldn’t choose to stay here again. It felt a bit misleading and wasn’t quite what we wanted, though it was fine.

We stayed in the honeymoon suite, which had a king bed, a pullout double, and a large bathroom with a jacauzzi. The room was nicely renovated and furnished, the bed was comfortable, and the air conditioning was strong. The website photos matched what we got. It was up five flights of stairs, but after hiking what was probably 100-200 flights a day, another five didn’t seem like much. The location is excellent, just metres from the tunnel exit. If you aren’t fit, have lots of heavy luggage, or don’t want to climb stairs, this might not suit you, and Cinque Terre may be tough in general. Otherwise, it’s as good as you’ll find in the area. I’d been worried by the negative reviews, so felt I had to share our experience. The arrival instructions were perfect, replies to messages were very prompt, housekeeping followed our daily schedule, and they accommodated a late checkout. Service was very friendly. The complaints about management didn’t match our experience at all. We’d definitely stay again.

I’m amazed Booking.com lets this place remain on its platform. I asked the owners politely to confirm whether their flat was accessible because I was traveling with my in-laws. I also explained that I knew it was a historic building and, as an Italian, understood accessibility isn’t always great in these buildings. The owner replied by telling me to contact Booking.com to find another place because I had “already caused too many problems.” La Vista di Marina offered no alternative accommodation and then refused to refund the reservation price under Booking.com’s terms and conditions. Avoid at all costs.

Scam!! We booked the honeymoon suite with a "private spa tub," but there was no tub at all. The hotel hasn’t replied, and I’m still waiting for a response so we can get a refund. The stairwell is also a death trap, super steep and with no lighting indoors, so it’s pitch black.