Quiet Places to Stay in Cinque Terre

I stayed in this hotel for 2 nights with a Rick Steves Tour. It is well located in Monterosso, but just far enough back off of the main streets for quiet. It also has a lovely terrace garden on the hill behind it (you reach it through the roof) that is an oasis of calm with a great view. It has an elevator, a nice breakfast, and I heard absolutely no nighttime noise.

https://www.hotelamici.it/en/default.asp

We stayed in a lovely Airbnb but it was close to the Monterosso train station. Nice garden and walkable to everywhere. No partiers or traffic but we could hear the trains.

The best and quietest hotel I can think of in the Cinque Terre is Hotel Villa Steno in Monterosso. It's part way up the hill from the main part of the "old town", and even during busy times it's a tranquil place to stay.

If you have a "generous budget" you could also look at Hotel Porta Roca. It's well off the beaten path and away from the crowds.

Thanks Ken, both look great! The former is sold out for our dates, the later is more € than we wish to spend. You seem to be in the know. Any other suggestions?
Btw.. we are booked at Rick’s recommended La Mala in Vernazza, but I’m concerned with possible late night train noise. So looking for alternatives

The train station sits quite aways back in the town. We were there recently and even though it’s obvious when a train goes through when you’re in that part of Vernazza, I don’t remember being aware of them when by the water having dinner so I wouldn’t think that La Mala would be a problem due to where it sits in relationship.

I've always stayed in Levanto, which is one town north of Monterosso. It's a lovely town though not of the same "town in the side of the hill" postcard quality the Cinque Terre villages have. It does tend to be quieter than the five villages I'd say. The train pass for the CInque Terre includes Levanto, and you can even hike from there (I did) back to Monterosso. The boats that take passengers around the Cinque Terre service Levanto as well (not as often).

I do not have a specific property to recommend but Corniglia is way above the train station and known for being a bit sleepy. You can take a shuttle us between the town and the station for your daily activities or hike from Corniglia.

Another hotel you could try is Villa Adriana, which is at the far end of the "new town". It's located on one of the roads leading to town but it's an easy and mostly level walk to just about anywhere in Monterosso. The room was clean and comfortable and as I recall they served a nice breakfast (but that may have changed after the pandemic?).

We stayed at Manuel's Guesthouse in Monterosso. It's up high and away from the hubbub. Just be aware of the stairs required to get up there.

We at first were disappointed to miss out on the terrace rooms, but soon found the sea view quite sufficient. The heat would have been unbearable on a terrace. I found the window in the sea view room large enough to sit at and enjoy the view, while staying sheltered from the sun. And the AC was super strong (I'm sure it is throughout the other rooms, but I was struck by it because we suffered through hot sticky nights everywhere else on that trip, but not at Manuel's).

We just returned from our 5 day stay in Vernazza. We rented an Airbnb on the harbor (balcony was just above all the umbrellas), and while it was busy in the evening, it quieted down by 11pm and we slept very soundly. We never heard the train. We walked to Corniglia, and our host took us on a private boat ride along the coast to see all the towns. We were so pleased that we stayed in Vernazza and not the other towns, but it really depends on personal choice.

Thank you, that is very helpful and reassuring. May I ask what is the name of the apartment you stayed at, and the link to it if you have it?
Thanks!

Hotel Porto Roca is on a bluff on the side of Monterosso and trains are in a tunnel there so there’s no train noise at all.

Drglenn,
https://abnb.me/fdJkxLxj1tb
I’m not sure if the link will work. We found it on Airbnb. “Apartment Sea View in Vernazza” hosted by Andrea. He was a great host. The apartment is not fancy, does not have air conditioning and has steep steps. But we loved it. Regardless of where you stay in CT, make sure to visit La Pirata at the top of the town for breakfast. We ate there every morning!
Also, don’t forget to validate your train tickets between towns. While one time there was nobody checking tickets, another time a conductor stopped everyone getting off at Vernazza and checked tickets. There’s also an ATM and a laundry mat near La Pirata. Check out Cheo Winery as well. Do order the anchovies, and try the lemon basil gelato in Corniglia. (Added: I don’t want to mislead you - Vernazza is a very busy town during the day and there are crowds everywhere. We really enjoyed watching from the balcony and didn’t mind the dinner guests outside in the evening. But it isn’t quiet by any means until late evening).

Consider Affittacamere PZ in Vernazza. It's high in the hills, so very quiet indeed. We stayed there with friends in 2018 and just loved it. The downside is you will need to take the shuttle up, it's about a 15 min ride on the windy small road, and the shuttle stopped running around 8 pm, so you cannot have a leisurely 7 pm dinner in town. The upside is you can arrange dinner from the owner, who is an excellent chef. They also do breakfasts. You can walk down to the town, and it's a beautiful walk past the local church. I'll check the website and edit this if Covid has changed everything.

Yes for Hotel Villa Adriana. Quiet. In Oct 2022 the breakfast was a great European breakfast. Dinners were available.

Also a swimming pool and a chapel-the hotel was built on a Catholic property.
When you reserve a room here or anywhere, make what you need known.
If you need anything or find something unacceptable, let the staff know.

Don't even think about it. Stay here! We consider it our home away from home. 3 stays and each one has been quiet, comfortable and, well, fabulous! And...the view!!!
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12103563?adults=1&children=0&infants=0&pets=0&check_in=2023-04-01&check_out=2023-04-08&source_impression_id=p3_1673843788_uYACl5GkDt3pdgqQ

I stayed in Corniglia, most peaceful of the 5 towns it was nice to come back from hectic crowds for midday break.

We were there in June and had a lovely time staying in Levanto. My wife and I loved it very much. We stayed at Hotel Carla, which I also recommend, and it was only 5-10 minute walk to the train station. Once on the train we were in Monterosso in just a few moments. We stayed in Levanto for a week and were able to enjoy each of the five towns. One day we took the train into Monterosso and hiked to Vernazza and Corniglia before hopping the train back to Levanto. That same evening we took the train back to Vernazza where we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Belforte (you can book online, be sure and ask for a spot to the terrace). The next day we took the early train to Riomaggiore so we could like Trail 531 back to Manarola. This was one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done but it was quite a bit more difficult than the previous day's hike. The next day we took a day trip to Pisa. We spent the last few days relaxing on the beach in Levanto and taking short train trips into each of the 5 towns. The next time I plan a Cinque Terre trip, I will be booking my stay in Levanto.

Jack, I've stayed in Levanto a few times and really like it too. It's a nice town. Last time, I hiked from Levanto back to Monterosso. It's not an amazing hike quite like the other trails, but it's still a nice hike, and the trail is much less crowded than some of the others. The payoff comes near the end of the hike just before you hike down to Monterosso, when you get a breathtaking view of all five villages.