We have been going to the Splendid every year since 1992. It is without doubt the best hotel in this delightful little town, and its situation is absolutely ideal for families with small children. This is because Laigueglia is the only town in the area where there is no road between the hotels and the beach, and after dinner for example, you can just let your children roam freely whilst you have a drink on the hotel terrace. Children can easily go back and forth unaccompanied between the hotel and the beach, a distance of no more than 50 metres.

The hotel has been converted from a former circa C17 convent, although not much of it is evident in the bedrooms, with the exception of room 8. It is run by the Marchiano family who are friendly and helpful. Mrs Marchiano runs the front desk helped by her daughter, and Mr M. runs the restaurant together with his son: all very cosy. The rooms are fairly basic but adequate: after all, you won't be doing much else than sleeping in them. Each room has a TV, a fridge and air conditioning. The bathrooms have recently had a much-needed partial renovation, but remain basically, well, basic.

If you're feeling mischievous you might say that the restaurant is the Italian equivalent of Fawlty Towers, but we find it perfectly adequate. Mr Marchiano comes round at breakfast each day and takes the order for dinner, for which there is a choice of starter, two or three primi piatti (first courses), and three main courses (we are always tickled to see Mr Marchiano wear his white waiter's suit for breakfast, and change into his black one for dinner: all the appropriate outfits are hanging up in the lobby). The only thing we really don't like is the one evening of the week designated as 'Ligurian', where the waiters wear berets with a red pom-pom, and there is excruciating music from a man on a synthesizer, culminating in a jaw-droppingly, embarrassingly awful dance in which everyone joins in. We invariably choose to dine out on those days! The cooking is 'casalinga' (home or family cuisine), and usually perfectly palatable without any surprises, either nice or nasty. Breakfast is limited to the usual Italian plaster-like bread with trays of ham and cheese and cereals on the buffet, but you can order eggs as well (no extra charge). The bar is small and dark, but you should be having your drinks on the agreeable terrace in front of the hotel (which is well-equipped with chairs and swing hammocks), and watching the small Laigueglia world go by.

The little private beach is the main feature of the hotel, and very pleasant it is too, without being luxurious. Run with an iron fist by Claudio the beach boy and his mother, the chaises-longue and parasols are precisely aligned and the sand carefully raked every morning. Life doesn't get much better with a bottle of cold Prosecco under your umbrella watching the bathers and the shipping. The sand is lovely for the children, and suited to wonderful and complex constructions and tunnelling. The sea is clean and agreeable.

Occasionally over the years we have become bored of the same establishment, or miffed at some minor misdemeanour of the staff, and gone looking for something similar in the surrounding area, but we have never found any place so convivial and convenient for a family holiday. Our children at 15 and 17 are well past the age of sandcastles, but every year we ask them if they want to go back to Laigueglia, and they still say yes please.

Found the hotel on the Michellin site and then looked on their own website. Laigueglia is the most beautiful small town 2 kilometres from Alassio, very few English people.

The hotel itself is run by a lovely family who could not have done more to make us welcome. We had asked for a balcony with sea view but unfortunately you had to stand on the balcony to see over the top of the wall! Never mind in an old building you have to take what there is and the owners were more than happy to move us to a room without a great view (but not bad) beautiful old furniture and plenty of space. Meals were a joy with plenty of local food - breakfast a little monotonous but from our Italian experience exactly what you would expect.

The walk to our beach (included in the price) was about 100 steps, the beach itself was kept spotless, the sea very safe and lovely sandy sand - not a stone in sight. The hotel is right in the centre of Laigueglia, wonderful for promenading at night. Highly recommended but not if you are looking for other Brits!