Stayed here two nights. We arrived by train so it was nice to have the hotel just a brief walk from the station. (Save your energy for the famous walking trails.) The town of Monterosso is not that big so don't be put off or think you're missing anything by staying in the "new part" of town. It's just a 10 minute beautiful scenic walk (either through a tunnel or up over a outlook path) to the "old part". The hotel isn't next to any restaurants so it was quiet at night. The breakfast was a nice variety, much more than I expected from reading the guidebooks. The nearby grocery had reasonable prices and a nice variety. Our full day started with taking the boat to Riomaggiore, walking the Love's Way Path (Via Dell'Amore) and then our group split. The more hearty souls chose the hiking paths, others just taking a boat from village to village. Either way it's quite memorable and worth the time.

We stayed in this hotel in September 2011 and had a great time. It is located just a couple blocks away from the beach. Not a fancy hotel/room, but it has everything you need and the room sizes are pretty good. Monterosso is beautiful and easily walkable at night. A lot of great restaurants and the beach is amazing!

Loved this place. It's in the new part of town. The old part is "party town" at night, with lots of young people. The new part is where the adults hang out (much quieter, pleasant). The hotel is not right on the beach, but close enough to walk back to the hotel to use the restroom if you're laying on the beach. Rooms are VERY clean, with COLD air conditioning, they are a good size, but the bathroom is small. If you are built like an NFL linebacker or a women's size 28+ you might not find the shower manageable and there is no tub. There is an area on the terrace (no view) to hang your laundry. Diego (who runs the place) is extremely organized and helpful. Pleasant breakfast room, cold, continental breakfast items. They also had beach towels. Internet was free, a little slow, but OK, I was still able to get work done. Small TV we didn't use. NON-HOTEL INFO: Best meal we had in Italy was a short ways down the street at Miky's - make a reservation! Lavarapido laundry service also nearby - we were disappointed in Lavarapido, they didn't sort the laundry by color, had we know this we would have paid extra for a separate load of lights, as it was, we ended up with whites that had a blue jean tinge to them the rest of the trip. So, sort them yourself beforehand! There is also a small grocery store very nearby that has sandwich makings, cold soft drinks, fruit, etc. Reasonable prices, be aware they close for siesta, so you won't be dropping by at 1pm to pick up something for lunch.

Cinque Terre has 5 villages. In my opinion Monterosso and Vernazza are the best in terms of number of restaurants and shops.
Monterosso has an "old town" to the east and a "new town" to the west all within 10 minutes walking distance.
Tourists are not allowed to drive to the "old town"
Main beach is in the "new town"
Hotel is in the "new town" on a back street less than 100 metres from the sea.
Free car parking in a secure carpark.
Michelin restaurant "Micki" is just around the corner.
The hotel has no seaview. In fact it has no view. So you get a good price for a brilliant location.
The rooms are a bit on the small size, so it is OK for one or two days, but probably too small for a longer stay.