6 Best Hotels in The Italian Riviera, Italy

This simple and utterly charming inn is a stone's throw away from the main train station (Piazza Principe), and is handily located near most sights. Rooms are large, beds are comfortable and many look out onto a very quiet courtyard, and there's an ample buffet breakfast. There's no on-site parking, but guests receive a discount at a local garage.

This lovely little guesthouse on the seafront promenade of Noli is stylishly done with wood floors, uncluttered white walls with splashes of bright colors, and modern decor. A bountiful breakfast is served in a cheerful dining and sitting room, and a nice beach club owned by the same family is just across the road. There's a two- or three-night minimum stay outside the winter months, and children are not accommodated.

With wood-beam ceilings and stone walls, the stylishly restored and updated rooms in this 16th-century house in the historic center of Monterosso ooze comfort and old-world charm. Owners Fausto and Mariapia go out of their way to make you feel at home, and staff can whip up a fantastic breakfast, served in the lovely private garden under the lemon trees (or in your room in bad weather). Do not miss Fausto's limoncello, made from lemons in their garden: you'll find it in the minibar in your room.

In a typical Ligurian terratetto on the old port, this charming locanda, or inn, is reminiscent of old-world voyages but with the amenities to make it a comfortable and relaxing stop for today's traveler. Rooms are decorated in warm tones and outfitted with modern bathrooms, and all offer views on to the harbor or the sea. Breakfast is taken in your room or in the quayside bar.

A cut above other lodging options in the Cinque Terre, these small, white-walled guest rooms are equipped with flat-screen TVs, air-conditioning, marble showers, and comfortable bedding and have views of the sea or the port, which can also be enjoyed at their most bewitching from a shared terrace literally suspended over the Mediterranean. Call ahead to be met on arrival in the village for help with finding the place and carrying luggage—and make sure to reserve far ahead, as the four rooms book up quickly. There's a two-night minimum stay. 

A beautiful Ligurian villa in the Camogli hills offers chic, contemporary, and comfortable accommodations along with well-manicured gardens and outdoor sitting areas, arbors, and a welcoming pool. This tranquil retreat is a 15-minute walk up shady staircases from the seaside village, and light lunches are available for those who don't feel like venturing out. Minimum stay is two nights.