We stayed at La Spiaggia in Monterosso, wonderful hotel, wonderful hosts. Can't comment on "best" base, but Monterosso is relatively flat, has a beach, sits on the main train line and has abundant hotel and resto choices at all price points, so supremely "practical". Vernazza is more "atmospheric".
IMO Monterosso is the place to stay. It has a good variety of restaurants, cafes. beaches. It gets crowded during the day with daytrippers. But once they leave, it's a lovely small town. We were there for a few nights and quickly felt like locals. We loved Hotel Pasquale. It is a small hotel near the water with great personal service, good breakfast, easy access to the town and ferry.
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Yes, we stayed there and really liked the hotel and location.Originally Posted by kja
I was very glad to have stayed in Manarola. It's been years, but I thought La Torretta wonderful, and it still gets very favorable reviews.
We stayed in the top floor apartment at Casa Capellini in Manarola. It's a hike uphill from the train and a narrow stairway inside up to the apartment but you are up and away from the madness below. Living area and kitchen, and the balcony included a clothesline to take advantage of the quick-drying breeze off of the sea. Owner was incredibly helpful well prior to our trip with hiking trail guidance and restaurant suggestions and reservations. Oh, and did I mention the to-die-for balcony view at sunset?
In 2017 we stayed in this AirBNB in Manarola, Serravallo vista mare apartment. Loved the very charming location. It's steps away from Trattoria Dal Billy. Only negative was the bathroom in the apartment was very small, especially the shower.
We recently stayed in Manarola (May 2025), and we loved it! Stayed at Hotel Marina Piccola, very conveniently located by the harbor. Our room had a harbor view. The owner is very nice and helpful. The included breakfast buffet is delicious, and Jessica offers to cook you eggs (any way you like them) or pancakes.
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https://www.lacolonninacinqueterre.it/sito/en/
100% agree.Originally Posted by lrice
Hotel La Colonnina in Monterosso is a favorite in our family!https://www.lacolonninacinqueterre.it/sito/en/
Absolutely loved it! Everything about it, including the welcome with fruit snack under the trees upon arrival. Breakfast was great. Loved our room with terrace.
But the absolute best part was how well they treated me when I had to cancel my first trip. I had to cancel the trip at the last minute and I knew their cancellation policy. I emailed to let them know what happened. All was well.
To my surprise, the night of my stay I received another email. They had a walk-in guest and since the room was not empty, they refunded my deposit. I was floored. They absolutely did not have to do that. I would have never known. When I finally took the trip a few years later, with a tweaked itinerary, my only non-negotiable was that I had to stay there. It's a lovely place but it's run by absolutely lovely people.
