Hotel Del Sole

Hotel Del Sole gives you a straightforward base in Riomaggiore rather than a resort-style stay. You are in one of the Cinque Terre villages, with a room that keeps the useful things close at hand: air conditioning, a fridge, WiFi and a private bathroom. No need to decode a long list of facilities. This is a small hotel for travellers who want the village outside the door and a practical place to sleep afterwards.

The tone is simple and unfussy. You can return to your room, cool down, put a drink in the fridge and make use of the patio or balcony. A furnished terrace with a sea view adds a pleasant place for breakfast in summer, when you would rather look out towards the coast than stare at four walls.

Couples will find the setting particularly easy to use, while the Triple Room gives friends or a small family more room to organise the night. Children of any age are welcome, although cots and extra beds are not available.

The address is on the main street of Riomaggiore, in Italy, with the village doing most of the work around you. Riomaggiore Beach is about 0.25 miles away, close enough for a look at the water without turning the walk into an expedition. The Cinque Terre National Park is roughly 0.1 miles from the hotel, putting one of the area’s defining landscapes almost on your doorstep.

Riomaggiore railway station is about 0.4 miles away on foot. That matters here: trains take you to Vernazza and Monterosso in around 5 to 15 minutes, so you can explore another village without moving your base or wrestling with coastal roads. Manarola station is about 1 mile away on foot.

For a longer outing, La Spezia is around a 20-minute drive away. Pisa International Airport is about 55 miles away by road. The local coastline is close, but this is a village-and-railway location rather than a hotel built directly on a broad beach.

The rooms are simply furnished, which is probably the right level of ceremony when your day has involved salt water, walking and a certain amount of kit-related faffing. Air conditioning helps you cool down after a warm day, while heating and a fan cover cooler nights. Soundproofing and soundproof rooms are part of the setup, useful when you want the evening to stop at the bedroom door.

For two people, the Double Room keeps things uncomplicated, with a large bed and private bathroom. The Triple Room is the sensible pick when a third person is sharing, with a single bed alongside the large bed. Both room descriptions include a fridge and patio, and balconies are available as well. Outdoor furniture gives you somewhere to sit rather than using the bed as a luggage bench.

You also have a desk, wardrobe or closet, flat-screen TV with satellite channels, a socket near the bed and a private entrance. Bathrooms include a shower, bidet, towels, hairdryer and complimentary toiletries. Upper floors are reached by stairs only, so the location works best if you are comfortable carrying your bags up rather than expecting a lift to do the hard work.

Breakfast is a simple Italian-style continental buffet served every day. During summer, you can take it on the furnished sea-view terrace, which gives the first meal of the day a useful upgrade without turning it into a production. After an early start, coffee, something to eat and a view are often quite enough.

A bar and a minibar are available, so you can keep a drink close by when you return to the room. The hotel does not build its stay around a full restaurant programme; instead, Riomaggiore supplies the evening options. Pizzeria da Mam’Angela is about 250 feet away, while Il Giardino da Nico and Old School Riomaggiore-Cocktails & Food are both around 450 feet away.

That makes dinner an easy village decision rather than another transfer to organise. You can eat nearby, have a drink, and walk back without asking your legs for a second shift. The terrace breakfast is the distinctive hotel detail; the rest of the table is sensibly left to Riomaggiore.

Here, your day starts as soon as you step outside: Cinque Terre National Park is around 150 metres away, while Riomaggiore beach is roughly 400 metres away. You can spend half a day on the trails, head down to the water or simply wander through the village’s narrow streets, without having to plan a logistical operation.

For a change of scenery, the railway station is about 500 metres away. Trains give you easy access to Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso, with journeys of five to fifteen minutes to the latter two, depending on your destination. That comes in handy when your legs have done enough for the day and you would rather watch the landscape go by than tackle every bend yourself.

The rooms’ terrace, patio or balcony gives you somewhere to sit with a drink, while the television, Wi-Fi and air conditioning take over when the day’s best activity is simply staying put.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 19:00, and you need to tell the hotel your expected arrival time in advance. Check-out is from 08:00 to 10:30, so early departures are workable if you plan the morning properly rather than discovering the timetable while still half asleep.

Private parking is available on site, with valet parking, but you must reserve it. That is worth arranging before arrival, particularly in a village where streets and spaces are not designed around the modern habit of arriving with too much luggage. Luggage storage is also available, useful if your train connection and room access do not line up neatly.

WiFi is free throughout the hotel. Cash is accepted for payment. Pets are not allowed, and the property has no age requirement for check-in. Upper floors are accessible by stairs only, so ask yourself one practical question before booking: can you manage your bags on the staircase after travelling? If yes, the rest of the setup is refreshingly clear.