Cinque Terre/Manarola Lodging

We have not stayed in either one but we did stay Manarola ( at La Torretta) and loved both the hotel and the village. Good choice.

One must always be cautious of "glowing reviews" on Tripadvisor but the reviews of Aria di Mare appear genuine--- most are from long-time and experienced Tripadvisor members, not one-offs obviously requested by the property. So I believe them. They appear to focus on the views and the terraces, so it depends how important those amenities are to you. (They are to us and we booked our room at La Torretta accordingly).

I could not find reviews of the Silvia I apartment to compare. if the layout of the apartment suits your family better but it lacks views or a terrace, you will have to decide which is more important to you.

In our case, we were traveling with two daughters, age 18 and 22. Elsewhere in Italy , we booked 2-Bdr. apartments for convenience and saving €€€. But for Cinque Terre, I figured we are only going there once, and we wanted the whole experience, with views of the sea. Plus I love sitting on a terrace or balcony for breakfast and in the evening. So we booked two rooms at this hotel rather than a cheaper apartment. My husband called it "the best hotel in the world."

In what way is the Aria di Mare property less suited to your family? Would It be one large room instead of an apartment? How old are your children? What would you be giving up by staying there instead of the Silvia I apartment?

Lola, our families sound very similar. Our girls will be 19 and 21 when we are traveling. And like you, the view and terrace is very important to us for morning and evening. Silvia 1 is a 2/3 bedroom with a kitchen whereas Aria di Mare are rooms with mini fridge etc - we would have two rooms there. The kitchen is what is swaying me towards Silvia ( it does have an awesome looking terrace!) But the reviews are more plentiful, more recent and a little more positive for Aria di Mare. I could only find two reviews for Silvia - one on TA and one on Airbnb - other reviews were for other units - some in other villages even. The reviews were positive but why so few??

I looked at the hotel where you stayed - it looks wonderful but out of our price range. :-(

I am waiting now to hear back from Aria di Mare - several reviews mentioned an apartment - I'm inquiring about that now. Thanks!

amosk,
I haven't stayed in either one, I always stay in Vernazza. But, my 2cents---Aria di Mare would get my vote because it looks more like typical Cinque Terre. A Casa Cinque Terre has more of a modern look to it, which I can get at home. On vacation, I want more of a local feel. As far as a kitchen, do you really need to spend your time cooking? Wouldn't you rather go eat some Ligurian specialties? A mini fridge will be fine for some drinks, cheese, fruit, etc. to snack on.

I also like the Aria di Mare website, complete with directions in pictures!

It is hard to resist a place with the name "Song of the Sea."

But I would not be too concerned about the lack of reviews for Silvia 1. the apartment looks very nice and the management overall gets great reviews. I think that apartments like this tend to be booked by more independent people who are less inclined to write reviews. In an apartment, you do not feel as connected to the hosts and less motivated to express appreciation for a job well done. But that doesn't mean it wasn't an excellent place to stay. I note that they are almost fully booked through this summer.

For me it would come down to the importance of the kitchen. We did not miss having one at La Torretta* because they provided an excellent breakfast (served on our private terrace), and we wanted to try the local places for dinner anyway, rather than try to cook. (When we saw the grocery store in Manarola we were happy we made this choice.) And our girls appreciated the chance to have a separate room and privacy.

*Unfortunately La Torretta has increased their prices considerably since we were there in 2010. I am not sure we would stay there now. . . .