Hotel Casmona

Stairs lead to the yellow 19th century villa with green shutters that houses the Hotel Casmona, a small property with a welcoming, Ligurian-home atmosphere throughout. The lobby, breakfast area, and bar share the same cozy space where blue walls stand out against light tile floors, and floor-to-ceiling windows offer excellent sea views. Adjacent is a small lounge with blue couches and a flat-screen TV. Two outdoor terraces have seating and breathtaking Paradise Gulf views, but there are no elevators and the hotel has lots of staircases throughout. Guests are typically couples, but families pass through the relaxed hotel as well.

Hotel Casmona is just outside of the center of the seaside village of Camogli. The hotel sits adjacent to the sea, just across the street from the beach, and there are several restaurants and shops in every direction. Walks to the center of town and its iconic port take about five minutes. Also around a five-minute walk away are the nautical history museum (Museo Marinaro), the train station, and the Castle of Dragonara, a Medieval structure on the sea. There are several popular destinations in the area -- such as Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo, and Punta Chiappa -- and all are about a 25-minute drive while the closest airport, Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport, is around 35-minutes away by car. Charming Portofino is also a 35-minute drive away, while the north end of the Cinque Terre will take about an hour to reach by road.

Though rooms have modern neutral color schemes and dark hardwood floors throughout, they don't rise above average when it comes to style. In fact, certain aspects look a bit cheap, from the beach photos adorning the white walls to dorm-like furniture in some rooms. Long windows add brightness and rooms are extremely spacious, plus many have excellent sea views. Flat-screen TVs sit on top of cabinets containing minibars and all rooms are air-conditioned; some even offer terraces with seating or lofted interior seating areas. Light blue or white tile lines the floors and walls of the old bathrooms, which have toiletries and hairdryers. Some have jetted tubs and heated towel racks, but others only have tile showers, some of which have cracked tiles and rust. We also spotted a good deal of dirty grout in some rooms.

Cocktails and beer are served at the bar in the lobby while coffee, meats, cheeses, bread, and cereal are provided at the hotel's breakfast, though it's not included in room rates. A printer as well as a computer are offered for guest use, and there is an outdoor kids playground with a colorful slide and mini log cabin. Pets are allowed by request and there is free Wi-Fi; however, guests complain the Internet connection is poor. Limited on-site parking spaces are available as well, but have a daily fee. Additionally, the front desk closes in the evening so guests arriving late are required to have special check-in arrangements.