7 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.

Its location—set amid hills of olive trees yet steps from the village center—makes this hotel with bright rooms and contemporary furnishings one of the best places to stay in Lerici. Junior suites have large terraces and spa baths, but any sea-view room is a value. The welcoming, relaxing atmosphere is evident in a sitting area surrounded by a garden, an ideal place for enjoying a bountiful breakfast. The restaurant specializes in fresh seafood.

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 classic Genovese building tucked away on a side street, with the original staircase from the 1900s, is home to a welcoming inn on the border of the historic district and Via Garibaldi. Rooms include family-friendly spaces with a bunk bed, and the bathrooms are mostly bright and spacious. A reading room is an added amenity. The staff are more than happy to offer advice, especially on dining options. Breakfast is ample, and the price is reasonable or included in the room rate.

At this good-value chain offering in the heart of the city, an ordinary apartment-building exterior gives way to a polished lobby and modern rooms, some with spectacular views. The location is ideal—near Via Roma, the grand shopping street, and one block from Piazza de Ferrari, which divides new Genoa from old Genoa. A choice of pillows, coffee makers in all rooms, a gym, and a spa are added bonuses. Some rates include breakfast.

True to its name (which means "beautiful view"), the best rooms in this sunny Liberty-style building face the bay of Portovenere, with lovely vistas of Palmaria Island and the Gulf of Poets. Several indoor and outdoor dining and sitting areas also face the port. The simply furnished guest rooms are not luxurious, but they don't break the bank, either.

Relaxed and friendly, this hotel set in its own grounds just steps from the sea makes a great alternative to staying in Genoa, which is easily accessible by train in just 15 minutes from the station opposite. Guest rooms are on the old-fashioned side, but all have a small balcony with views of either the sea or the hotel garden (request the Comfort category for a little more space). The panoramic Anita Garibaldi seaside promenade is close by, and it's a short and pleasant stroll across a leafy park to reach Nervi's two main attractions, the Wolfsoniana collection and the modern art gallery. If you're not inspired by the hotel's handy but somewhat staid restaurant, there's a choice of trattorias in the town, while drivers will be relieved to avoid getting embroiled in Genoa's traffic.