I had to cancel my reservation at the last minute (evening of stay) and was not sure if I would be refunded the cost. I was ASSURED by the hotel staff after some discussion that I would NOT be charged however 2 weeks later a charge appeared on my VISA for the hotel that I never stayed in.

I e-mailed the hotel and they simply stated that they did not believe the reason that I gave to cancel the room.

If I had to be told up front that I would have been charged it would have been ok but to LIE and charge me two weeks later is fraudulent.

E-mails are no longer returned so there appears to be nothing I can do while in Canada.

Remember, ALWAYS get a cancellation number that can be given to VISA incase this type of thing happens and also remember DO NOT TRUST the staff at Albergo del Sole.

I stayed here just one night, a stop-over on the way from Rome to France, with the purpose of seeing a little of the renowned Cinque Terre. (La Spezia being the southern gateway). IMO, there would be no other reason to lodge here. It's a basic pensione rather than an 'albergo'. The room was spartan but clean, the walls paper thin, so that I became an involuntary witness to the deep & meaningful conversations taking place in the room across the hallway!
However the owner/manager was very welcoming and did make a point of hushing noisy rooms before midnight.
The shared bathroom was clean and quite acceptable.
The location is quite good, being a 15 minute walk from the train station, and a couple of streets away from the picturesque (at night) harbour and lots of small restaurants.
Overall this is an ok place if you're just looking to rest a weary head after trekking the hills of the Cinque Terre.

My wife, teen-age daughter and I stayed at the Albergo del Sole for two nights in the latter part of June 2005. The temperature was in the 90's so we had to sleep with the window open - no air-conditioning and no fans. Consequently, the room was HOT and noisy due to traffic, nearby cafes & bars and the conversations of passers-by. Although the hotel claims to be only a 5-minute walk from the train station, it is closer to 10-15 minutes down the pedestrianized street that runs through the town center. The hotel sits off on a side street a couple of blocks before the far end of the pedestrianized street from the train station. Our room was ok, although the entrance way and hallways to the hotel were dingy. The room had a en-suite bathroom. The toilet worked with a noisy pump-device and continued to run long after it was flushed. All-in-all we were disappointed with the hotel and would not recommend staying there if other accommodations are available.

The Albergo La Sole in La Spezia was booked on the internet, as we wanted a base to explore the Cinque Terre area. The hotel is located on the first floor of a large old apartment block down an alley in the old town. There are a set of bell pushes for the building and you have to ring the bell marked La Sole to gain access. It is basically a giant apartment with rooms, with or without private facilities. Our room was large and airey with en suite facilities within the room. A strange pumping system had been installed to pump shower, toilet and other waste water away, making loud sucking noises. The bed was large and comfortable, the linen was changed every other day. The room looked out the back to a quadrangle supplying all the noises of Italian family living plus wonderful aerial lines of washing. Do not take the breakfast under any circumstances! The coffee & tea were undrinkable, the bread pale overmicrowaved straight from the freezer. The hotel's location for excursions, eating out etc was superb, being five minute from the waterfront ferries and 10 minutes from the station. Lots of reasonable restaurants close by. The family running the place tried very hard. It is important to remember that this is a one star Italian hotel, fine as a base to sleep. There is so much to see in the area, including a superb fruit, veg fish and meat market open 6 days a week as well as the glorious Ligurian coastline, accessible by bus, boat or train. We spent five nights there and the hotel, although a little strange was OK.