We have stayed in Rick's hotel recommendations in Barcelona and Lisbon and were very happy with the accommodations . I have been reading about his hotel recommendations in Italy in his books and grateful that there is mention of air conditioning and elevators. However there is no mention of ensuite bathrooms. Do I assume that means they all have? or no don't assume anything in these areas. Any hotel recommendations in these cities.?
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
6270 posts
Very few hotel rooms do not have bathrooms
You can assume if not mentioned that they will have private bathroom en suite
You can look up the hotels on internet or booking.com and see the bathrooms
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
5779 posts
We stay in moderate/more modest, typically smaller and local/family owned properties. Some have been RS recommendations and some I've found elsewhere. We've been happy with the selections we've made always keeping in mind when you pay for a Ramada it is unlikely you will end up with the Ritz. If you use the RS guides, it will specify if there is AC or if baths are shared.
A clean room and bathroom, with a good bed and helpful, friendly and kind host is everything to us. My always hungry, annoyingly fit husband loves a nice, included breakfast so that is always a plus.
In Florence we stayed at RS recommendation, Hotel IL Bargellino. Our room was large and had a private bath, AC, refrigerator and coffee maker. It was close to the main market and Santa Maria Novella Train station. The host was originally from Boston so spoke English, was kind and helpful and booked the Uffizi and the Accademia for us as well as provided a wealth of info that was helpful for touring Florence.
In Cinque Terre we stayed at RS recommendation, Aria di Mare in Manarola. Large room with private bath, AC, coffee maker, breakfast "snacks", private patio and exceptional view of the coast and Manarola. It was close to the amazing (and RS recommended) Trattoria dal Billy
We are visiting Venice this fall. We are staying at RS recommended (and many on the forum) Corte Campana B & B. AC and private bath. I already give this place positive reviews because they have been exceptionally helpful to me for trip planning.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15298 posts
I think the only way you can find a hotel with shared bathrooms in Florence is if you stay in one star hotels, and there aren’t many left of those in Florence. Even two star hotels have almost disappeared in the City of Florence.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32228 posts
Which of the five towns in the Cinque Terre are you planning to stay in? It would help to have that information before offering suggestions.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
Hi Again. We are open to staying at any of the towns in the Cinque Terre. No preference unless someone can offer a reason why we should stay in one over the others. Thanks.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32228 posts
Many people have a favourite town of the five, 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, and also the best beaches. I've stayed in several of the hotels there and my favourite is Hotel Villa Steno, which is in the "old town" area. You could also look at Hotel Pasquale, also in the old town. There are many hotels in the "new town" area also.
Posted by
83 posts
was pleased with hotel Santa marina in venice - good location, good breakfast. slightly less pleased with Albergo florence - GREAT central location, breakfast not so good in comparison. room was also weirdly lit dark but staff was very helpful. location made up for it
both had private baths. stayed in March/April 2024. neither were RS recs
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
5779 posts
In terms of the CT towns, they are pretty close together but here are my random thoughts/observations:
Monterosso al Mare and Riomaggiore are on the ends. Monterosso does have a nice beach, but we weren't interested in the beach. Riomaggiore was the most interesting to walk around in, fun to see locals getting out of school/work and carrying on with life, but there were fewer restaurants. We thought Manarola was stunning and enjoyed staying "at the top" with fabulous views. It seemed to have just one decent restaurant, Trattoria Billy's, (make reservation) and it was excellent. Vernazza was picturesque but very touristy/crowded, lines for the train. Corniglia is adorable, but there are a lot of steps to get up to the city.
The RS guide also has a nice description of the towns as well as recommended accommodations and restaurants.
Posted by
11280 posts
We stayed in Monterosso al Mare at the top of a bluff overlooking the sea, Hotel Porto Roca. It had been recommended to us by several friends and we were very pleased with it. Wonderful dining there too.