Luna di Marzo

Right in the heart of 5 terre, with a simple bus ride to Manarola, and the trail passing by. There’s a small grocery shop in the village and a nice church. The staff are extremely friendly. Don't book here if you have mobility issues.

The setting is beautiful, as you’d expect in this scenic part of Cinque Terre, but our experience with the owner and staff was very bad, and we felt the value for money was poor. We messaged about four hours before arrival to say we’d be late. We’d planned to arrive around 6 p.m., but circumstances beyond our control delayed us on the drive from Florence. We told them we expected to arrive at 9, and got a rude reply saying they wouldn’t check us in after 8:30. The drive on mountain roads and tight hairpin bends was already stressful, and we pushed ourselves to meet their deadline. We arrived at 8:34, nearly in the dark. Google Maps doesn’t accurately show the property’s location: it’s not on the main road, but down steep footpaths on the mountain. We couldn’t park safely on the road, and started calling and texting for help finding the place. Nobody answered. We have the timed messages as proof. Locals eventually helped us find it, by which point we were desperate and worried we’d be left without anywhere to sleep, too late to find another place. At reception, a staff member mumbled that her phone “was not working.” Only then did we suddenly receive a message with directions to the parking area. Later that night, the owner denied the evidence that they’d intended to leave us in the dark, after taking what we thought was an excessive rate for the conditions. He kept saying we should be grateful he hadn’t charged another €30 for a late check-in. The room and bed linens were dirty enough to trigger my husband’s allergies. The bed was uncomfortable, and the bathroom was dirty, small, and unpleasant, with no towel hooks and cheap facilities. The cleanliness and comfort didn’t justify the price. The difference was stark compared with other places we stayed before and after at Albergo di Marzo, in Venezia, Florence, and Sardinia. I’m glad others have had a good experience with the place and host, but tourists who’ve trusted the business with their money and time shouldn’t be treated this way, whatever the subjective reason.

We loved sitting on the front deck and taking in its stunning view. The owners were extremely hospitable and helpful with all our questions, and the hotel’s bus from Manarola was consistent and reliable. It’s a shuttle van, about a ten-minute ride up, and walking there really isn’t a good idea. The hotel provides the schedule. You can pay €2.50 in cash or use the Cinque Terre card, which is handy for trains to the five towns. Our room was clean but very basic, with no extras like a kettle, tissues, or notepad. You can ask for a water-facing room when booking directly with the hotel. We stayed two nights and wished we’d stayed here throughout our time in Cinque Terre instead of changing hotels partway through.

We used this as our base for two nights in C5. The location is breathtaking, and the shuttle, which runs every half hour in summer and less often at night, gives you easy access to two exceptional hikes. The tradeoff is depending on its schedule. It was usually on time, but it failed to show up twice. For the price, the hotel has very simple amenities, though it covers the essentials with good AC and a clean bathroom. You can get a discount on passes, so don’t buy one in advance at the train station. Pay for your first shuttle ride up, then use the hotel’s special discount QR code on a pass for unlimited rides during the days you’ve purchased. There’s also a special QR code that lets you enter via dellAmore from Manarola, which isn’t possible for other day tourists. Unfortunately, none of this was explained beforehand, and that would have been useful. The value for money felt way off, but the view and the time saved by waking up partway along a hike make it worthwhile. Breakfast with that view is a memory in itself, and that’s why I’d still give it four stars.