I am going crazy trying to book a hotel for 3 nights in July.Tried Hotel Metropole and its already booked as many others are also. Is Cenobio Dei Doge worth being out of Santa MArgharita LIgure? Also there a re rooms at Hotel Casmona which is more reasonable.Camogli seems cute but not much happening there. Can you get to SML easily if you want to go there at night to eat?

I would much prefer SML--have you tried Hotel Jolanda?

It is one train stop from Camogli to SML-about a 5-10 minute ride. You could easily go to dinner in SML. It is about a 5 minute walk into the harbor area of SML from the train station. We stayed at the Metropole last summer and went to dinner in Camogli one night, which was easy. Camogli was much quieter than SML. It is a beautiful town, but I think SML is better as a base, and has more resturants and shopping. The Metropole was very nice but there are many similar hotels in the same area. If you email the Metropole and ask for somewhere similar I bet they would help. We relied on the front desk personnel for resturant recommendations and they were extremely helpful.

I booked the Lido Palace with a little trepidation from reviews on trip advisor because the Jolanda was booked. Now I just received a message form Hotel Jolanda that they have availability. Is it better than Lido Palace?

I do not know the Lido, but the Jolanda is just a nice 3 star with very good food. But, it is about 2 blocks to the big park on the water.
The Hotel Laurin is a 4 star in a perfect location on the water.

Iwill try to see if Hotel Laurin is still available. How are the beaches in SML?Can you get chairs on the beach if you stay in a hotel with no pool. Most of the hotels don"t have pools and I would rather go to the beach anyway.

I didn't see a beach in SML. You can take a (very) short boat ride from SML to Portofino where they have a small beach.

I agree with Bob-the-Navigator that I prefer SML to Camogli. SML has a lot to offer a first-time visitor to this area. Camogli was nice, but it would bore me after one day. Might be a good location for someone looking for a more laid-back atmosphere.

You may want to contact the Hotel Continental in SML about availability. It is about a 5-6 minute walk up a hill, but if walking is a problem this may not be a good location. We stayed at this hotel a few years ago and had a lovely renovated room in the rear facing the water. The hotel staff, at that time, was outstanding.

The public beach in Santa Margherita is pretty small. I don't remember seeing chairs to rent. I think most people brought mats or towels and spread them out on the beach. We stayed at the Mirmare, which had its own beach, and dd provide chairs. But the beach itself was really tiny, and wall to wall people.