Cinque Terre

The towns all have different characters: 4 of the 5 come down to the sea with Vernazza having the best harbor, in my opinion. It's the poster child for picturesque CT. Corniglia sits high on a cliff, and is worth a visit for the views, but is not accessible via the boat that acts as taxi. Monterosso Al Mare has a different look, feel and geography: more town, a beach, flatter for easier walking about. I stayed in Vernazza because it was more photogenic. I suppose it depends you personal preferences and ease of mobility.

jenny,

Everyone here has a favourite Cinque Terre town, and my preference is Monterosso. It's the largest of the five towns, and therefore has the greatest number of hotels, restaurants and other tourist amenities, as well as the best beaches. Check your local Library to see if you can find a copy of the RS Italy guidebook, as it has good information on accommodations in all of the towns.

Regarding "sleeping accommodations", one of my favourite hotels in Europe is located there so that's where I always stay. Some of the lodgings in the other towns are often just private rooms, and no breakfast is provided (a good breakfast is important to me).

Hi Jenny -
Robert and Ken have pretty much covered the bases; everyone seems to have their own favorites!
Monterosso was a good choice for us for all the reasons Ken listed, and we enjoyed our stay at La Spiaggia. It's family-run hotel that's nearly on the beach but has reasonable (for the CT) rates for that excellent location. It's also just a short walk from the train station, and close to any number of good restaurants; the excellent Cantina di Miky is practically right next door. It has an elevator - nice with luggage - and a simple but perfectly adequate breakfast is included in the tariff. Be sure to request a room with a sea view and balcony!

I'll mention that they only take cash (not unusual for small properties), and only answer their emails sporadically during the low season so if you contact them directly over the winter, you might not hear back for a few days. It's very popular so reservations sooner rather than later is advised.

http://www.laspiaggiahotel.com

You can also book anytime at all through booking.com:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/la-spiaggia.html

I also stayed in Vernazza, several times, at www.francamaria.com. Most of their rooms have very little steps and are close to the harbor. Many rooms in CT have many steps, upwards of 100, so keep that in mind, too.

I'd definitely recommend staying in Vernazza. It's the most idyllic of the towns, friendly and you can hike the rest of the towns in either direction. You'll find plenty of more than acceptable accommodations from which to choose. On our most recent trip, we stayed at Elisabetta Camere's private rooms. She has 3 located right on the cliff overlooking the pounding sea. If you like white noise at night, stay there with the windows open.

As everyone has said, each town is a little different, so you need to decide which might suit you best. If steps and going uphill are a consideration.... Monterosso is the 'flattest' town. It's also the largest, has a number of hotels and a long, easily accessible beach. I thought Manarola was the most romantic. I stayed in Vernazza and enjoyed it very much, not much to do at night except hang out around the square and watch the kids playing football. Choosing my accommodation took some time, as we had a few criteria - including the number of steps from the train station to the apartment! It was a small flat with very Catholic decor, quite spartan, and no wifi, so ....not for all tastes. Most accommodations seem to be rooms for rent (camera affite) but there are also apartments.

jenny,

A few other thoughts to offer regarding which town to stay in....

• Monterosso - it's the largest of the five, with both a "new town" and "old town" and has more hotels, B&B's, restaurants and other tourist amenities (including more of a "full service" rail station), as well as the best beaches.
• Vernazza - one of the most scenic with the small enclosed bay and fishing boats, but also one of the most popular for visitors (no doubt due to the recommendations of a certain travel writer). The size limitations due to the layout and characteristics of the town tend to result in VERY crowded and somewhat oppressive conditions at times, especially during the day time when large groups from the cruise ships arrive (I've experienced that first-hand). There are no conventional hotels, but rather a collection of small accommodations, which may not provide breakfast.
• Corniglia - not as popular with visitors as it's very small, located high on a bluff so not as easy to get to unless you're willing to climb a lot of stairs or pay a small charge for the shuttle each time you want to go to the station. This is a good location for visitors that want a quieter, more secluded experience.
• Manarola - has a nice atmosphere, with a main street heading up from the harbour and the station. Again, no conventional hotels but it does have some really good accommodations (including a Hostel) and a good selection of restaurants and small shops. I've never stayed there, but get the impression it's somewhat "less hectic" than Vernazza although I imagine it can also be overwhelmed by large tour groups during the day time.
• Riomaggiore - again no conventional hotels but just a selection of small private accommodations and breakfast often not provided. There's a small plaza at the station with some ATM's and from there a small tunnel which parallels the tracks leading to the main street of the town and the harbour. There's a good selection of restaurants and small shops on the main street.

If features like a good breakfast provided with the room, elevators in the hotels, Wi-Fi, laundry, ATM's or other amenities are important to you, Monterosso would probably be the best choice. That's not to say that the other towns won't have the same sort of amenites, but they may not be as easily available as in Monterosso.

I always stay at Hotel Villa Steno, which is one of my favourite hotels (if not THE favourite) in all of Europe!

Good luck with your decision.

I think Ken nailed it. We were staying in the old part of Monteresso and it was wonderful. Took the boat to visit the other towns, and Vernazza was overwhelmed with tour groups. It was awful. Monteresso allows you to absorb the "old" part, and participate in the beach and the tourists if you wish. We were there in mid June.