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Rapallo was probably one of our favorite cities that we visited on our first trip to Italy! We stayed at the Astoria Hotel Rapallo, a boutique four-star hotel, in this lovely coastal town in the Italian Riviera.
Rapallo was a great choice as our home base for exploring the Liguria region of Italy, including Cinque Terre. It was just a short train ride away to neighboring coastal cities, and we had some amazing meals at nearby restaurants. We could not have been more pleased!
In this post, you’ll find a review on our stay at the Astoria and whether or not we think you should stay here too.
Astoria Hotel Rapallo
Address: Via Antonio Gramsci, 4, 16035 Rapallo GE, Italy
Phone:+39 0185 273533
http://www.astoriarapallo.com/
Our Room at The Astoria
The Astoria is a boutique hotel, with only 22 guestrooms. I definitely love the feel of a boutique hotel versus a larger resort! It just feels more like home, and you get the personal attention you deserve.
Our travel agent was able to get us an upgraded room at the hotel, and we were given a room on the top floor! The room had a lot of space, and the bed was nice and big. It was extremely clean and modern, and we loved it.
The bathrooms were clean and upgraded, and you get both a toilet and a bidet, which seems to be common in all Italian hotels.
We were able to open the window so we could get some fresh air, and we also slept with the windows open each night as our room was quite warm (even though it was November). Downsides to having the window open – it is a little noisy from the street traffic below, and there were a ton of mosquitoes! The windows do not have screens, so be sure to bring some bug repellent and some ear plugs.
Astoria’s Delicious Breakfast
Wow. This is the best complimentary breakfast I think we’ve ever had! Italians know how to do breakfast buffets right.
My personal favorite items were the spinach and onion tarts and chocolate croissants. They also had a large selection of meats and cheeses, lemon cake, smoked salmon, cereals, juices, and they will make you a cappuccino or mimosa!
The Views!
Oh what a view! As soon as I looked out our window, I fell in love with the Italian Riviera. We visited in November and we got really lucky with the fall weather. It was so beautiful! The Astoria Rapallo is located just across the street from the water, so you get both harbor and hillside views.
Hotel Location
The Astoria’s location is wonderful! It’s right on the promenade, which means you are not only close to the water, but also within walking distance to shops and restaurants. It was also less than a 10-minute walk to the Rapallo train station. You won’t need a car when staying here.
Getting to the Hotel
There are a couple of good ways to get here from the Genova Airport:
Private Car
The concierge at the hotel will make arrangements for a private transfer in a Mercedes taxi if you want to guarantee a ride to the hotel. We paid about 90 euros (yikes!) but you don’t have to worry about trekking to the train station from the airport, or finding a taxi when you get there. The ride is less than a half hour at the speed Italians drive!
To book this service, contact the concierge by email and give them your flight details and provide them with a good 48 hours’ notice. You’ll pay the driver directly, so make sure you have cash in euros for that.
Take the Train
Taking the train it Italy is not quite as difficult as we thought, though if you have a lot of luggage, I probably would not recommend it. You’ll need to take a taxi to the nearest train station (I was told by a local Italian the Brignole Station is best). From there, you will purchase a ticket to Rapallo (be sure to validate before getting on the train!). Once in Rapallo, you can either walk to the hotel, or catch a taxi from the taxi stand located right outside the station (as seen below).
Taxi
There is a taxi station at the Genova airport. Be sure to inquire about the amount of the fare before you embark on your journey. We found taxis in this region to be quite expensive!
The Hotel Staff
The hotel staff here is amazing! They are so incredibly friendly, especially Alessandro (the owner). I think he is perhaps the happiest Italian (quite possibly the happiest person) I have ever met! They are so accommodating and helpful, and will give you great suggestions for things to do in the area, as well as restaurants to eat at.
We were always asked about how our day went when we returned to the hotel in the evening – a very nice personal touch to know they cared!
Parking
The hotel does have a very small area for parking, if you need it. I believe they do charge an nightly fee. As I stated above, however, Italy is quite easy to travel in via train so unless you’re doing a long road trip through the country, you likely won’t have to worry about this.
Other Hotel Perks
- Free WiFi
- 24-Hour Reception
- Pets welcome
Bottom Line
Our recommendation? Stay here! You will feel right at home (and will probably never want to leave).
Book this hotel via Hotels.com or Booking.com!
Dear Micah and Moani,
thank you so much for your wonderful review, we were really proud of reading such beautiful words about Hotel Astoria and Rapallo.
The whole staff dedicates day by day to improve the service to make the Guests feel at home..or even better! To come to know how much you appreciated your stay here is a great reward for us.
We will be waiting for you with great pleasure on a next occasion!
Alessandro&Sara