Hotel Villa Steno — Hotel in Monterosso al Mare

I just got back last week from a five night stay at hotel Villa Steno. Because of the many wonderful reviews I read I had booked the hotel back in late 2019. Then Covid hit and was not able to make the trip to the Cinque Terre until now. I have visited many countries and stayed at many hotels here in the US and mostly internationally. Some were high end hotels, while others not so much. I say this to preface my next comment.

I have never stayed in a hotel quite like Villa Steno. It very much exceeded my wildest expectations. The owners, Carla and Mateo have thought of every possible detail and convenience for their guests. The hotel is immaculately clean with warm colors throughout. It is also very quiet and guests were very respectful. The breakfast was delicious and plentiful. Aside from the above, the surroundings within the hotel were gorgeous. There were beautiful flowers throughout, lemon trees and other types of trees I could not identify, and even wine grape vines. One of the flowers I saw which I thought was so beautiful turned out to be an artichoke. I did not know that flowers grew on an artichoke. I grew up in NYC so gardening and agricultural things are not my forte.

Every place you looked there was a beautiful view. We had a small balcony and with a table and two chairs. But then we realized that we had a much larger area with three chairs. All with the gorgeous views you see on their website. The website photos and reviews led me to this hotel, but the place is much more beautiful once you arrive.

We took the cooking class and it was one of the highlights of our trip. We learned how to make pesto, pasta, and tiramisu. Mateo showed us how to cook the fish that was served afterwards with the dinner we prepared. Before we started we were served either wine or prosecco. There were two other ladies in the class. We got along so well that we continued long after our dinner to chat and enjoy each others company.

I have left the best for last. The warmth and attention from Carla, Mateo, their daughter Chiara, along with the rest of the staff, in particular Paola and Ruth was unmatchable from any other place we have stayed at. These are very special people, who work so hard to make you feel not just like guests, but as family and friends. We were very sad to leave the hotel and the wonderful people we met there. God willing, we will be back.

Obviously I highly recommend staying at this beautiful and peaceful oasis.

P.S. Monterosso turned out to be the best of the five towns to stay at. Very glad we chose this town. Less crowded, cleaner, less stairs and with a nice selection of...

We want to go back here and stay longer!!|Rick Steves mentioned this hotel and we thought we'd give it a try. THE BEST DECISION ON OUR ENTIRE TRIP!| Not only are the rooms comfortable, clean, and spacious, they overlook the town of Monterosso in Cinque Terre with views that are amazing! | We were greeted outside by Ines who mans the desk and knew exactly who we were. She settled us in our rooms and was there to answer all of it questions. | We met the owners, Matteo and Carla the next day, and what gracious hosts they were! Helping us out with maps and trains, hikes and tours. What happy, kind people!| Breakfast was wonderful, especially when you can sit out on the terrace. Every drink we ordered came with some snack, laundry was done in a few hours, and the entire staff was so friendly and welcoming. | Our room had an amazing terrace of it's own that we enjoyed immensely. And the rooftop panoramic terrace had tables, umbrellas, lights and a button to press to order drinks or snacks without maneuvering all those steps. | On one day, when the other 3 went to the Carrara Quarry tour.... Highly Rx..... (the Windy roads would have been to much for me) I decided to sit at the beach. When I returned, I asked for a drink(they have a small bar at the front desk) and they said to go up and relax, and they'll bring it. You'll see in the picture, that they not only brought a drink, but a board of sandwiches and treats. (At no charge). They knew I was alone for the afternoon.| There were over 100 steps to get back to our hotel several times each day after enjoying the lovely town. My husband is 80. He never once complained because the end point was so worth it! | Stay in Cinque terre at least 5 days. You need time to hike or train to the adjacent towns, explore and...

To say this place did anything short of FAR exceeding expectations would be an understatement. I would give it 6 stars if I could. Walking (moreso hiking) up to it if you don't get a taxi I didn't know what to expect but was immediately greeted by a super friendly front desk person who gave the full rundown of how the hotel operated. The stay was perfect, the room was just-right, price was fair and were this in the US the hotel itself would be better described as a mini-4 ⭐ hotel.

But what really made this experience perfect was the staff. At the complimentary breakfast which was the best hotel breakfast I have ever had; the staff was friendly, waited on you hand and foot with giant smiles on their faces. They simply could not wait to tend to your every need. The kind of service that makes you wonder, 'how do they have the energy to treat everyone this way?' Typically free hotel breakfasts are things you skip but this... Wow. Croissants, salami, cheese plates, fruits, eggs, omelettes, bacon, you name it and it's made to order. And if you say so in advance they will bring it to your room and set it up on your balcony for you.

Overall, it was so good that it made us want to stay another night. Unfortunately, they were sold out BUT in the spirit of insane customer service, they called around for us and found us a room at their sister property--managed by this manager's mother no-less. I didn't get his name but he deserves a raise. I have literally never been so impressed by a hotel employee. Honestly, between this and the next hotel I would come back to Monterosso alone. Thank you for such an amazing experience in your small town. It will be...