Resort Hotel Miramare & Spa

Our room and the beach were beyond what we expected, and both the spa and restaurant were excellent. The hotel is an absolute gem, with a great beachside position, its own exclusive beach, and excellent bar and restaurant service. Emilio deserves a special thank you for making our honeymoon so special. We kept coming back to the bar for late evening drinks because of his personality and attentiveness. The lifeguards were excellent with the beach towels and made us feel safe in the water. I'd highly recommend staying here and hope to return soon.

Service was great. The staff are really invested and treat both the hotel and its guests as if it's their own business. The spa is modest in size but has lots of different places to relax, hot, cold, wet, dry, and everything between. I'd recommend it for unwinding between time at the beach. The hotel is ideally placed on the beach in Sestri Levante, within walking distance of everything you'd want to see or visit. The bar and shared spaces are highlights, and the restaurant area is lovely, with beautiful views. Room and bathroom sizes vary a lot, from snug to more spacious, so ask when booking to know what you'll get. We had three different rooms for our family.

The water at the beach chairs we paid 60 euros a night for was GREEN. After all that wasted money, no thanks. We paid for the chairs even though they weren't available when we arrived at noon, and they stayed empty the whole time we were there. They charge 60 euros per person per day. Parking was another 29 euros a day. This visit was a total disappointment. We last stayed here over 25 years ago, when it was a true old charm hotel, and returned because I had fond memories of the place, the beach, and the town. We were celebrating a special anniversary, and when I told the receptionist we'd come back for it, they just said, 'oh that's nice' and carried on explaining that the beach chairs were all full. One night the music was so loud at midnight that I called the concierge several times. The person was rude and said it was summer and the music would stop when the bar shut down. Overall, this hotel is barely a 2 star now. Don't get fished in.

I ended up spending my 4 nights in a hotel where I didn't feel welcome because I booked a non-refundable stay through another site. They also charge guests in standard rooms 40 euros per person for their small private beach, while other room types get access free. I booked and prepaid a non-refundable stay through Booking.com, then asked whether they could extend the free garage parking offered with direct bookings to my reservation. Their rate was already steep. They refused, saying they pay commissions to Booking.com, as though that were my problem. Their suggested workaround was to book the same room on their website, have them cancel my Booking.com booking, then wait an unknown amount of time for a refund. They didn't even consider that I could be charged twice on my monthly card payment. Not exactly relaxing before a holiday. Their replies made it clear that flexibility, guest care, and goodwill aren't priorities. For their prices, I expected them to value guests more than a few euros in parking fees. Maybe when overtourism keeps rooms full, making people feel welcome becomes optional. I left the exchange irritated and disappointed, wondering if my money would be better spent somewhere that actually wanted me there. Fortunately, Sestri Levante and the Ligurian coast have plenty of hotels with the same comfort, better prices, and a genuine smile.