we have recently stayed at this hotel.it was very nice and very relaxing.there were a few complaints i found,there was no coffee/tea facilities in the room and a fridge would have been nice.i would advise that you take your own hairdryer as well as the one provided was poor.i did not use the lido much as it was 10 euro per person per day! if the hotel felt that they had to charge,why so much? I found the breakfasts okay,but one of the staff obviously does not like the british ,she was pleasant but tended to ignore us and favoured other nationalities.If you hire a car and are fortunate to get one of the few bays outside of the hotel...KEEP IT as parking is a nightmare once you vacate the bay.this is a very nice hotel but make sure you get a room with a sea view.the bar next door,the castillo was excellant.very reasonable for food and drinks and a great atmosphere.we also found an extremely reasonable chinese restaurant on the font.its the only one there so its easy to find..overall this is a nice hotel in a great location with alot of charm and character,and the resort is not as expensive as you think it might be for food and drink.there is also a market on a thursday on the front.i would go back but not for eight nights like we just have,it was a bit long at this resort ..

The best things about this hotel are the rooms and location. It is situated right on the seafront and close to the town centre for easy access to restaurants and shops, 5 mins walk to the railway station. The room we had was clean, very large and had a balcony overlooking the sea and harbour – excellent. Furnishings were ‘rustic’ in style but plentiful. The TV was only a small portable and no clock in the room. The private beach was good (€10 a day per person), reached through the Bar Castello next door which did excellent snacks and drinks. The main disadvantages to this hotel were the breakfast and its interior design. The breakfast was very poor, the juice was more like squash and the cold meats seemed very poor in taste and quality. The fruit was tinned and limited choice – it just smacked of how cheap can we make this… The hotel itself seems to be unsure of whether it wants to be quaint and old fashioned or modern in appearance as currently it is a bit of both. They do seem to doing some building work so time will tell….I would use this hotel again due to its great location and the room we had (room 210)..it does need to improve its breakfast though…

Just returned from 3 weeks in Italy and this hotel and Rapallo were both highlights of our trip. We stayed here 7 nights after a week in Tuscany and just loved it - perfect size town, not too large or small. Easy transportation by train and boats. Hotel just great (only thing missing is having a small refrigerator). Do get a seaview room - worth it. Big size with extra couch(ask for that), beautiful view from their breakfast room...extremely friendly and helpful staff, including the maids. Really want to return one day. Lots of very good restaurants and shops close by. Train station is only a couple short blocks away so could walk. While there we went back to Cinque Terre (had been 8 years ago) and glad we decided to stay in Rapallo. Cinque Terrre is too crowded now, but only an hour away from Rapallo by train. Also took the boat twice...once to Portofino - beautiful (a little expensive) but wonderful for a day, especially hiking to a view point. Especially also enjoyed Santa Margarita (15 min. boat ride).While there the Italian Bicycle race (20+ days) rode thru the town so got it see it - fun. The only drawback was their breakfast. I think their juice was "tang" and the milk (which we got sick from) was warm and powdered - not fresh, plus the waitress was rude and played rock music. We did mention it to the front desk staff. But in spite of that truly enjoyed our stay here and would recommend it and return one day hopefully (maybe by then they will have improved the breakfast situation.) It was very easy to find - had taken the train from Tuscany and then went on to Milan and Lake Como.
Weather was also perfect and enjoyed their "private beach" - no sand but a quiet place with lounges.

Had a great holiday in Rapallo. The hotel was being refurbished (the first floor was closed). Our room was not refurbished but had an outstanding view and was clean and well equipped. The hotel is in a good location at one end of the promenade, overlooking the castle. It is well worth booking a room with a sea view.
Breakfast was simple but adequate (would be nice to have real fruit juice rather than juice drink). There are plenty of places to eat out during the day and in the evening. We didn't use the hotel restaurant so cannot comment on that. Avoid the Moby Dick restaurant - dreadful service. The Elite (just opposite Hotel Europa) is good, and most of the others are a reasonable standard.
A knowledge of Italian would be useful for the holiday but the hotel staff speak English and are very helpful.
The area is outstanding. Take your walking boots - many beautiful marked footpaths to follow into the hills, especially in Portofino National Park. A trip to the Cinque Terra is a must. The public transport is good - train station and bus station just round the corner with good links to other villages.