Stayed in family room for 1 night. Modern and comfortable. Good breakfast. Friendly staff. town centre so traffic noise . Close to beachfront. limited parking in side street.

We chose the hotel for it's proximity to Cinque Terre and Portofino. The free parking and breakfast were great. In the 3 days we were there we didn't use our car at all. Instead we took the train and the station was a short walk from the hotel. Our room was quite large with a balcony over the busy, noisy street. We had to close the balcony doors for sleeping. The bathroom was beautiful, but the shower was really tiny. We walked all over the town and loved it there. Stumbled on a wonderful restaurant, Albergo Miramar, our first night. Ended up back there again for our last night. Pasta dishes 5-7 euros and a kind of salad bar called "self service" for 3.50 euros. Also went to Claudios pizzaria, close to the hotel one night when we got back late. A wonderful experience overall, although the Cinque Terre was a disappointment. Too crowded to really enjoy it.

This just renovated (2006) small hotel is located 400 meters from the railway station. There is no elevator but all rooms are located in the 2nd floor. Most of the rooms have balconies but no view. Renovations did not include balconies so those are not as pretty as the rooms.

Bathroom was in excellent shape with good shower (see photo). Floors are quite cold if you keep A/C on. Staff controls A/C’s temperature so if you need any modifications you need to contact reception. A/C was also little bit noisy so we turned it off for the good night sleep. But since hotel is located in one of the main streets the noise of the traffic can be heard in the room and it could be problem for those who are not able to sleep if it is noisy.

Room had basic 14" CRT TV and channels included CNN and MTV in English. No fridge, no safe. Our queen size bed was actually a twin with a huge gap in the middle.

Breakfast was included to the price (weekend rate, high season 120 euros). It was average not delicious. Coffee and juices are available from automatic dispensers. Few fresh croissants, yoghurt and variable things in tiny plastic wraps which able those to "be fresh" until next Christmas.

The beaches are 250 meters away. You have to cross Main Street and the railway to reach the Lidos and Bagnis. Daily rate for entrance of two adults, sun beds and "ombrella" was 24 euros. If you entered the area after 13:30 rate went down to 17 euros. The hotel does not offer beach towels.

Chiavari has even a Chinese restaurant so if you are tired of eating pasta and spaghetti day after day you have an alternative option. The town has 25 000 citizens and tiny pedestrian area. There are few shops and cafeterias where you can spend few hours before the dinner. Not a place for nightlife seekers.

You can take a local train to northwest and reach towns of Rapallo on Santa Margharita Ligure. As well local connections to the southeast will take you to Sestri Levante, Cavi and Lavagna where you will find bagni and beach after another. Regional train tickets are pretty cheap. Other option is to take a boat ride. The views are much better but the prices are also higher. While a train ride is between 1,50-2,50 euros the boat trips are starting from 10 euros one-way.

Sestri Levante has the best sandy beaches of the area. If you want to snorkel you should head towards Portofino and it's nearby areas like Fruttuoso and Paraggi. One-way train ticket to Sestri Levante is only 1,40 euros and there is really a difference with Chiavari beaches.

Hotel Ferrari was not our number one pick but since we booked it only a week before there wasn't so many options were to choose from. Compared to all more than 100 hotels we have stayed it falls to lowest third when counting quality and comfort vs. price.

I expected a low budget, low frill hotel and as I expected to spend my time exploring the area and not in the hotel, I was fine with that. The Ferrari was a delightful surprise in that what it lacks in amenities, it makes up for by its attentive staff. We arrived late and the desk clerk opened the dining area so that we could have a cold beer and celebrate our first evening in Italy. The entire hotel was spotless, the staff helpful, the breakfast room filled with morning sunshine.

Our room was larger than many I've had in Europe, and we also had a terrace with not much of a view but it was nice to be able to sit outside and have a drink at times.

This is a perfect location for exploring the Cinque Terra and it is walking distance to many restaurants, and the beach and marina.

The only negative for me was that the Ferrari is on a busy street and we did hear some morning commute traffic. It did not spoil our experience, and in the end, became part of its funky charm.

I loved the location and the market across the street was handy and also very helpful. I would not hesitate to book this hotel in the future.