After reading the reviews for this place I was expecting it to be the best place I stayed in on my lastest trip to Italy - it wasn't, I was disappointed.

We checked in a the hotel owned by the same people and were greeted by a pleasant and helpful receptionist. We then walked over to the Castello (which was a considerable walk when carrying heavy cases!). First impression a property next door was under going full renovation - it would have been polite to have informed us of this - not too worry I thought, we cannot see it and I will not let this interfere with our trip. It did only on 2 morning awake us with slight building noise, but this didn't bother me too much.

What I was most looking forward to regarding this property were the gardens which looked fantastic on the web pages. My heart sunk when 10 metres after the building renovation works we walked into our gardens- the grass was a weed patch and they were unkempt and needed attention - something which would not have been an expensive thing to do and it was labour and maintainance work that was required with possibly a few pots of the irressistably Italian geraniums. It shattered any illusions I'd had of romantic evening with a bottle of wine over looking the ocean!!!

We then went to the room which was incredibly small, and again did not live up to the pictures viewed on the web-site. Rather than get down about this -yes we were disappointed- we decided to unpack very quickly to get us out of the place and go and explore the Cinque Terre which is about 1/2 hour on the train, determined to remain positive.

Upon arrival by the 'helpful receptionist' we had been given a photocopied piece of paper detailing the local train times (which was incredibly helpful) however we managed to loose this piece of paper and whilst in the reception the next day I asked a different receptionist if it was possible to have another copy of the train times as we had unfortunately lost ours. She reluctantly agreed but not without reprimanding me as you would a child for loosing the 'piece of paper' and told me that if I lost them again I would not receive another. I found her incredibly rude and condescending, but smiled sweetly and exclaimed how sorry I was and' I'm sure they are incredibly expensive to produce!' We thus proceed out for the day and felt yes we could have complained about various things but hey we're on holiday lets not let petty experiences taint our first few days of a well earned break. I could mention more what I would call not 'customer friendly' experiences but cannot be bothered.The only thing i would say you may find it a lot more convenient to stay in the Cinque Terre (we would have-Vernazza or Monterosso would have been my choices) or if particulary flush Portofino is very pleasant. Moneglia is a town with nothing going on and not particulary attractive in comparison to CT or Portofino. It was also a hassle getting the train back, the hassle and location may have not seemed quite as apparant if Castello Monleone had live up to it's pictures and previous reviews and ALL staff were customer friendly.

Perhaps I shouldn't be letting others onto this marvellous secret - I spent three nights here in August by myself before joining some friends in Tuscany and it was absolutely marvellous. A fantastic setting in this magical castle overlooking Moneglia, able to use the facilities of Villa Edera - swimming pool, bar and restaurant. Monleone is situated two minutes from the local station and only five minutes down hill from the hotel. Breakfast was divine - a huge spread, for lunch I meandered down to the town for lunch in the local enoteca (highly recommendable too!) and munched a gelate on the way back and for dinner I ate at the hotel, a la carte was so cheap - 25 euros for Linguine al Pesto followed by a monster plateful of Langoustine, Chili & lemon and a salad.....complete bliss.....and I was the only English voice by the pool. Moneglia is a typical Italian working/holiday village with food shops and life and soooo untouristy. In short, perfect.....will definitely come back again.

What a fantastic find! The Castello di Monleone is a beautifully restored castle which sits on a hill overlooking the sleepy little hamlet of Moneglia on the Italian Riviera. The rooms are decroated with beautiful Italian antiques, while the bathrooms have up-to-date facilities and HOT water. From the moment you arrive, you are treated as both a welcomed guest and a friend. Tanya, your hostess, is delightful ... and take her recommendations to heart! Breakfast is plentiful (especially for Italy) with yogurt, cereals, fresh fruit, salami, cheeses, rolls, bread, pastries, juice, coffee, tea -- and if that's not enough, they'll cook you eggs to order. When the weather is nice, breakfast is served on the terrace with a breathtaking view of Moneglia and the beach. Guests of the Castello are welcome to use the facilities at the Hotel Edera (owners of the Castello) a 100 meters away, which include the bar, restaurant (wonderful fixed priced dinners!), pool, internet access, etc. The train station is just a quick 3 min walk (downhill, 5 min back uphill) away; trains to the Cinque Terre leave at least once per hour (sometimes more); the hotel staff provide you with detailed train schedules. Moneglia's location and the train station make it very easy to explore any town along the Riviera from Genoa to La Spezia. And don't miss walking through Moneglia! We loved this little town because it was just the right size, offering a variety of shops, restaurants, and food vendors (focaccia, pastries, bread, cheese, etc). There is also a small market in Moneglia on Sunday mornings along the main street which borders the beach road. Although the price is a little higher than the average Italian hotel, the Castello di Monleone B&B provides an elegant and romantic experience that is definitely worth the slightly extra cost.