Cinque Terra - Hotel Pasquale vs. Villa Steno
 

It's been about a year and a half since someone posted this question so I figured I would ask again and see if there is any new information.

Which do you prefer. We are going in April and we are already booked in Villa Steno but I think my husband may enjoy being closer to the ocean. But Villa Steno's rooms really look much nicer on the web.

Opinions please. Thanks!

I stayed at the Villa Steno last October. My room was very clean and functional but very spartan as well. Uncarpeted floor; can't remember if it was hardwood or linoleum, breakfast was pretty forgetable. Same family owns the Pasquale which is right on the water and upscale relative to the Villa Steno. The Villa Steno is a long walk up a very, very steep hill. I doubt I would stay there again but then I don't expect to go back to Monterrosso or the CT again either(please forgive me Rick Steves). The CT over rated and over run in my opinion. I much prefer Santa Margarhita Ligure, Portofino, Rapallo area which is just a little farther north. Santa M.L. is a great place to base yourself for the area. But that's just me and your mileage may vary.

Larry J

Thanks LarryJ. Funny, because everything else I read on this board suggests the opposite, that Villa Steno is much nicer than hotel Pasquale. Thanks for your information.

We were originally booked at Villa Steno for our trip last March. A month before departure, they emailed us that due to some construction at Villa Steno, they would need to move us to the Pasquale. It ended up being very nice - pretty view out our window directly over the harbour/beach area. Hotel itself was actually nicer than we expected and the staff were very nice. We never saw the Villa Steno, but I can imagine that the walk up to it is a little tough.

While I love nice hotels as much as the next guy, I think that the Cinque Terre is not a place to find one or stay in one. I would agree that if you're looking for some sort of "resort" or "upscale" atmosphere, stick with the major spots near, but not IN the Cinque Terre. This is an area that calls for a tiny little hotel, preferably in one of the smaller towns, or maybe a pensione in Vernazza. I just don't get the idea of staying in Monterossa at all. It's not really like the four other towns -- which are all more rustic. To me Monterossa is sort of a "poor man's" attempt at a resort.