Grand Hotel Portovenere

The property was in a good location and had very nice views. The free breakfast was pretty good and the room was comfortable (though nothing spectacular) We also met a fantastic employee who walked us to the local bus, assisted with our luggage and made sure we had everything figured out. That gentleman (the porter/bellhop) was spectacular. I regret not catching his name.

Unfortunately, it seems as though the property was not prepared for guests in the season we visited. “Beach access” was definitely not in their current offering and when we inquired about where to swim, we were simply told “walk to the left and there are some spots. The water will be very cold.” I understand that not everyone might swim in early fall, but we would have loved to at least sit and read by the ocean. The stone beach we could find was not very close, not indicated in any way, and there was not a soul there. In fact, all the entrances to the beach had been blocked off and it seemed like some type of maintenance was under way. If they do offer beach amenities (chairs, towels) in the summer, it would have been nice to know that the beach would be closed and these services would not be available to us upon our arrival. It was really disappointing for a coastal town, and one of the main reasons we originally chose to visit. Additionally, the ferry to the main tourist spots was not running when we arrived, and no alternate transportation was offered besides a “50 euro taxi which would arrive in an hour.” Their site had referenced a shuttle to take us, but I suspect this might have only been available under heavy demand. Again, never indicated to us when we booked, nor when we spoke at the front desk. So we struck out on both an afternoon at the beach and a night in the heart of cinque Terre. One final issue - the WiFi was actually stronger outside the hotel than in our room. None of our devices would hold a connection. Not the end of the world normally, but frustrating when you find out that the beach and the town won’t be in your plans. Overall, the property did not merit its price in terms of amenities nor luxury. Our trip to the Grand Hotel sounded a lot better on paper than it ended up being