Ostello Corniglia

The air conditioning wasn’t on during a heat wave, at the hottest time of year, and it was hotter inside than outside both day and night. I spent the whole night lying in a puddle of my own sweat. Staff were impossible to reach until mid afternoon, and the lockers they said we could use for our things until they arrived weren’t available. I’ve stayed in a lot of hostels, and this was by far my worst experience.

This is the worst hostel I’ve stayed in, and I’ve only ever used hostels while travelling. There are only fans and barely any ventilation, no aircon, and the rooms get hotter inside than outside, especially at night. They also have bed bugs. The bathrooms are small and infested with bugs, and nothing locks, not the rooms or the bathroom. All of this made Cinque Terre less enjoyable.

After reading some recent reviews, I was a little concerned, but I stayed two nights at Ostello Corniglia in August and can definitely recommend it. Alessandro was kind and helpful. He answered all my emails quickly before I arrived, explained everything, suggested good hiking trails and local sights, and even put up with my Duolingo Italian. It’s not a fancy hostel with a stylish lounge, but it’s very well located and was the best price in the whole Cinque Terre. I also got a discount for no air-conditioning. You can get a discounted Cinque Terre card there, with a big discount for hiking, and Alessandro can arrange it in advance if you email him. A towel is included. There were 8 beds in our room and two big fans. In August, it was okay at night, even better than another place I stayed. The sheets were clean, there were no bed bugs, and the showers and WC were clean and all fixed. There’s no breakfast, but someone at the supermarket two steps away will make a big homemade sandwich to your choice for 3 euro. Check-in is 3-8pm, so bear that in mind. Be nice at first and everything will be good. Thanks, Alessandro. I had a great time in Cinque Terre, also thanks to your friendly attitude. Take care!

I’ve stayed in plenty of hostels, and this was easily the worst. There was apparently a bed bug infestation in the room next to ours. No aircon, supposedly because it’s broken in every room, and just two fans for eight people. The rooms were hotter than outside in both day and night, with oppressive heat and stifling humidity that made sleep basically impossible. The showers were the worst I’ve experienced in a hostel. You can’t get changed in the shower, so almost anyone can walk in while you’re changing. Nothing locks, which made the keys pointless. We never needed to use ours during the whole stay. Reception keeps such random hours that it’s a guessing game whether anyone will be there. Please do yourself a favour and splurge on somewhere else if you can. Corniglia is beautiful, but this hostel will ruin your Cinque Terre experience.