Grand Hotel Portovenere

Our family recently booked two rooms and had an exemplary stay! The staff provided the finest and most genuine kind service we have ever experienced at a hotel. Every individual we interacted with was so incredibly friendly, positive, and welcoming. Additionally, all our needs were so attentively responded to (from extra blankets, to non-fragranced cleaning products, to tea kettles, and to outing assistance). We started our mornings with the delicious breakfast buffet and after our daily adventures it was a treat to return to the Grand Hotel Poteverne and thoroughly relax in the beautiful setting with the exceptional staff! We look forward to returning and are recommending to all our friends and family that they come to Porto Venere and stay at this lovely hotel!

This is an exceptionally good hotel. We stayed for a week, in a delightful junior suite overlooking Portovenere's bustling, beautiful harbour. During our week we walked around the neighbouring island of Palmaria, and between the Cinque Terre villages, taking advantage of the ferries and the trains. As such, Portovenere proved to be the perfect base for exploration.||As for the hotel - from the very start we were greeted by smiling, friendly, helpful staff in all areas of the hotel. This continued throughout the week - everyone seemed determined to ensure that we had the best possible stay. We arrived on the day of "Madonna Bianca", and enjoyed watching the celebrations from the restaurant terrace, where we ate an excellent meal.||The room was first-class: pristine and well-maintained, also quiet and peaceful when we needed to rest. The breakfast options were extensive, including a buffet area with a fine selection of the best Liguria has to offer. Service, again, was friendly and flawless.||It's no exaggeration to say that this is one of the very best hotels in which we have ever stayed. We were sad to leave. Congratulations to all involved in making our stay memorable and hugely enjoyable.!

The hotel is beautifully situated at the port and over looks the harbour. Our room had a large balcony with comfortable seating for us to lounge. The rooms were clean and well appointed. The staff was extremely helpful with all details. We chose this hotel so we could ride the ferry up the coast and visit all the Cinque Terra.

My girlfriend and I had an amazing stay!|Starting from the room with a beautiful view on the port and refined furniture. The hotel delighted us with a fantastic surprise: local products and a welcome letter directly from the manager.|The staff was wonderful: the guys working at the garage were so helpful with our car and the reception was ready for our arrival. They also complimented us on our anniversary!|Restaurant was terrific, food and service have been a real 5 stars experience.|Don't miss the mussels, typical food from the region.|On the last day we took a boat tour around Cinque Terre and it was so great. The reception handled it with touch and we didn't have to think to a single thing.|This is why you must choose Grand Hotel Portovenere if you're looking forward to visit Portovenere and Cinque Terre.|Can't wait to be back with the rest of my family!

The hotel is a a the most beautiful spot. The views are one of a kind. 5 stars is a bit overrated for our liking. 4 or 4,5 would be more appropriate. It lacks a few things for a 5 star experience. The overall treatment could use a bit of improvement on that matter. The rooms are spacious and nicely decorated but not of the level you might expect in this price range. The stairways look a bit old f.e. Breakfast was great, certainly when you can enjoy it on the terrace outside when looking at the town and harbor. Overall is Portovenere a lovely place to stay and this the hotel to be.

I had a fantastic stay at this hotel. The staff were friendly and attentive, and the services were top-notch. The restaurant was excellent, and the bar had a beautiful view. Clean and charming. Highly recommended! Sarah

We stayed for 2 weeks at this wonderful hotel. The staff were exceptional and so welcoming. The restaurant was top class! We would highly recommend the hotel to visitors. Porto Venere is a hidden gem on the Riviera with easy access to the Cinque Terre, Palmaria Island, Lerichi, Lucca and beyond. We plan to return again. Thank you for being such a wonderful place.

We stayed at the hotel last week||We paid full on 5 star prices||The hotel is a scam, it says it is 5 star|| BUT|• example:. Our room didn’t even have a wardrobe - just hangers on a rail…||• there were 3 of us staying and we paid the price at 5 star rates for 3 people. But the third person had to sleep on a sofa (not a sofa bed an actual sofa). The bed linen was terrible. ||• You can’t enjoy the sea view at breakfast because the tables with the view are not set because of “ aggressive seagulls“…..lazy - how come other hotels solve this issue?||• the hotel has no pool and no gym and no spa - how can it be 5 star?||• they told me when I booked I could get a free upgrade if available. There was availability (I checked on booking.com and the hotels website!) but they came up with some ‘BS’ excuse why the couldn’t do it||I was prepared to pay a lot for a 5 star hotel - but to be clear this IS NOT A 5 STAR HOTEL!!!|| I travel globally extensively and this is probably the worst value for money I have experienced in 30 years.||AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!!!

Very nice hotel...the location is perfect! The breakfast in the on site restaurant is great...endless choices and great cappuccinos. The suite was beautiful...shower was amazing You want for nothing and you can just sit on your porch and take it all in. Soany great place to eat...highly recommend Torre out near the castle on the end of the point. The ferry is like 100 feet away and you can ride it all day for a flat fee. Saw all 5 villages and had a blast. My only negative was that the bed is super firm...you might like that but I do not. There is a wonderful spa that is tied to the hotel...highly recommend to relax and set the tone for your stay. Portovenere is quiet at night and full of life during the day. They even have a private beach across the street! This is a.magival place...it is full of history and adventure.

The Grand Hotel Portovenere is a most beautiful hotel in a prime location. My stay here was the highlight of my trip! The area is incredibily beautiful: at the entrance of the Gulf of Poets: the deep blue Mediterranean sea becons with islands Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto in view along with dramatic San Pietro. The hotel is elegant and retains its history in its respectful and beautiful architecture. In the midst of such beauty, the staff and management make everything truly magic! From the warmest of welcomes to taking care of every detail with genuine kindness and consideration, the experience is heartfelt and magic!!! Great compliments to the chefs for the preparation of meals with delicate flavors highlighting the high quality ingredients. The team even made a dish that I had spoken to them about... a true surprise and absolute delight!! I recommend enjoying the experiences that can be arranged by the gracious staff. I had wonderful experiences in the cooking class with a truly talented chef who was informative, made delicious dishes and was fun! In addition, the sunset cruise experience was truly breathtaking! The boat was beautiful with a great Skipper, who showed me the natural beauty of the Portovenere area that can only be appreciated from the aspect of the sea: the black and gold marble caves, the beautiful islands and the views from the sea towards the Carrara mountains. The lovely aperitivo prepared by the hotel team made it perfect! The beautiful property, prime location and wonderful experiences make this a wonderful and grand place but what truly makes this a special Grand Hotel is the amazing staff led by their General Manager, Mr.. Polesel. They are gracious, warm and phenomenal at what they do!!! I am grateful to have been able to spend time here and will return soon!!!.

I was surprised and amazed with beauty of the location of this beautiful cozy hotel. But, some of the staff and room was not as excepted. They have best doorman, valet, bell services, and restaurant services (one of the best restaurant in town) which they are kind and helpful. But front desk and bar service personnel were rude and not helpful at all. Let's talk about how good the location of the hotel. It is in one word gorgeous. You just steps outside of the hotel lobby and you are in heart of beautiful Porto Venere town with amazing view of harbor and Church of Saint Peter. Check out those photos on my Instagram page minoolifediary and fenulphotography. I cannot find better place to walk and enjoy the weather than this beautiful town of Porto Venere out of all Cinque Terre area. When we drive with car over there, there is no place to stop at front of hotel lobby. However, the bell and valet services was so friendly and useful that they unload the luggage and park the car somewhere in small tiny garage. So without valet parking, I have no idea how you want to deal with the parking in this city. They have also one of the best restaurant in town called Palmiria. The food was expensive but worth the view and quality of service they have provided. I have deduct one star because I could not sleep well in our room. They have disabled the air-conditioner at the time we have visited them and the room became hot. When we also open the window to get fresh air, their personnel working all night outside in the back yard that our window facing and makes tones of noises. Tolerate the noise or tolerate the heat. In both scenarios I had really bad sleep. The front desk at night shift was so rude and he did not care. The morning one, also just simply apologized, and give us parking for free (nice gesture but I expect much more than that, and apology did not seem to be sincere!!!). I have also deduct another star from them because the bar service personnel was so rude. We sat there in the hotel lobby on second floor and asking for hot tea. He instead of welcoming us, noticing us to do not make the furniture dirty with our shoes!!!! While I was just stretching my leg to have relax afternoon, and none of my shoes touching anything which by the way was clean like crystal because they were new. We also asked for the check from same person takes half an hour and finally we went to bar to sign the check!!! Overall, nice and prime location. Cozy and clean hotel. Make sure you get the room with ocean view or street view rather than back yard and do not order drink from bar in lobby. I wish you have five star experience over there because it is possible with few adjustment.

If Audrey Hepburn were to visit Portovenere, I have no doubt that she would stay here. Jutting off the cliffs, looking over the whisper of the town that is this better-than-cinque-terre Ligurian hamlet, this place is all class. Yes you have to pay for parking (20€ a day) and the price for the rooms are a little excessive, it truly is the only grand hotel in the area. Our room was quite simple, but very comfortable, the best part about it was the gorgeous terrace overlooking the town. It was huge and perfect for early-evening drinks before dinner and our dog Ginger loved it too. The ferry to visit the nearby Cinque Terre is located right in front of the hotel (awesome!). The bathroom had a shower which was probably one of the best I've had in Italy (water pressure was on POINT), though I'll never understand why luxury hotels in Italy often forget conditioner! It should be scared, but note to you all who use it, bring your own. I highly recommend eating at their in-house restaurant, the service is almost too good and we really enjoyed our meal there, a smorgasbord of fish and local favorites, like fresh trofie pasta with pesto, served with a dry white local wine from Cinque Terre. Breakfast was also great, plenty of fresh fruit for those pretending to be on diet after gorging on a four-course meal with wine and grappa the night before. Other tips for those staying here, is to visit the 'Locanda Lorena' restaurant in nearby Palmaria island, the free shuttle leaves at the port directly in front of the hotel and it's a five minute ride. Great local fish and simple atmosphere.

Great location. Great view. But Overpriced! Again, I am reminded that 4 stars in Europe is not 4 stars in America. And 4 1/2 stars is definitely not. The Deluxe Room featured a small double bed, and no sitting area. The beach chair and umbrella (that were listed as included) and provided by the Royal Sporting Hotel was to our surprise an extra $40 euro per day, and the hotel owned car service to La Spezia station was 50 euro - compared to 35 for a private car company. (whatever happened to the free shuttle) Combine the nickel and dime amenities with the $400 a night room rate, makes me wonder if I had stayed at one of the many half-priced 3 star hotels available. Breakfast was great. And the staff service was excellent. Guarding your plate from seagul attack was a nice touch. But was it worth paying twice the competition's rates? I can't say, but somehow I doubt it!

Not a top 10 pick if your looking for amenities. Hot water was inconsistent the tv was installed to the right of the bed so you could not watch from the bed without getting a stiff neck, the shower in our room was smaller than on a cruise ship inside room. Staff tries. But just not trained well. The rooms have to have a room key in place to keep a/c or lights on. They have Boston ability to exchange dollars for euro. There is on bank on closed more than open Finally. Not the hotel. But the ferry to the cinque terra is a pushing and shoving nightmare. Not a vacation voyage. The most disorganized operation I have seen in 40 years of travel

Great location, service, staff , breakfast and room! Highly recommend this hotel . Dinner is very delicious and well prepared and 5 star service.

Great location. So close to the harbor to take the boats to Cinque Terre. Breakfast was wonderful with variety and international options. Great dinner view amazing view!