I plan on visiting Monterosso in the Cinque Terre next week.

Will I be able to find and book hotels once I get there or should I reserve in advance?

Also, I inquired at a few hotels and they are quoting me between 130 - 150 Euros...is this the average price?

Can anyone recommend a place to stay, preferably near the beach.

Thanks everybody!!

Yes, prices are about that, and for the most part the rooms are pretty small. Riomgaggiore is a little cheaper. And from my limited experience, it is very crowded and reservations are a necessity. If you are visiting next week, you might have trouble finding a room now.

We stayed at the hotel villa steno which was a short walk to the beach (everything in the town is a short walk to the beach). We paid $110 (euro) for a double, but we made our reservations back in March. Hotel was great, beautiful balcony and matteo and carla (owners) very helpful. I agree with previous posting that it may be too late for a hotel. While there, our hotel received two cancellations and I asked Matteo if he was worried, he said no way that the rooms would be taken within 30 minutes. According to some travelers from Australia, who had just come into the city, your best bet is to go the train station and try to get a private room in a house. Very pretty area, we enjoyed our stay a lot, we ate at the Belvedre restaurant right on the water and it was fabulous and not too expensive for what you got., hope this helps, itsv

Realistically, I wouldn't wait for 25 people to respond the same way as above...if you haven't started contacting hotels directly or searched on a booking service I would do so immediately, otherwise I suspect you'll end up having to look for a room in a private home. Hope it works out for you.

Thanks everyone for responding. I have been contacting numerous hotels in Monterosso. The 3 stars are quoting me about 110-140 Euros a night while the 2 stars are quoting me 80 Euros a night.

I'm interested in the Hotel Souvenir. Has anyone stayed there? Also, is it a better bet/deal to go to the train station and find a room for rent? When I was in the Greek Islands last year (Mykonos) we never booked in advance but instead found rooms to rent at the port.

Thanks again!