Wow - we had quite a bit of trouble with our room! Room 533 has a lovely patio area, but what you need to know is that it directly overlooks the outside area of the restaurant which hosts many late night events -- you are REALLY close, probably a mere 15-20 feet from the festivities. The day we arrived, we saw them setting up for what looked like a wedding on the patio. We immediately went to the front desk to inquire about it, and possibly moving rooms. They told us the hotel was fully booked and we could not be moved, and that the event was a wedding reception, but assured us that the noise level would be low reception would be low, and it would be over by 12 midnight at the absolute latest. Imagine our surprise that it was a VERY loud live band playing disco tunes with guests whooping and dancing til 1:30 AM!!! We were traveling with 2 very young (and very jetlagged) children (ages 1 and 4) so this was really hard on us to say the least. We were deeply unhappy about it, but glad that the 1 night of disturbance we had to endure was now over.

The next evening we returned back to the hotel to find that yet ANOTHER wedding reception was taking place at the hotel. And yet another loud band playing music til 1 AM. Incredulously enough, the next night it happened again -- 3 NIGHTS IN A ROW!!!

WE WERE FURIOUS! We felt angry that we were lied to and we demanded to speak to the General Manager. The General Manager was very apologetic and after we insisted on being compensated for our troubles and hardship, he agreed to take off one night's charge off our bill (330 Euro). We felt this was pretty fair and went a long way towards making us feel better about what he had to endure. The rest of our stay was without incident.

Apart from staying clear of room 533, here are some other things you should know. First of all, we had booked a suite, so we expected a bedroom and a separate living area. What we got know instead was a bedroom and then kind of a narrow hallway. Apparently that qualifies as a suite here. Secondly, the hotel is an old castle, but only some of its rooms are in that old castle building. Our room was clearly in a new building that was recently built. So that was kind of disappointing. And finally, don't be fooled by the pics on their website (the amazing looking bathrooms must belong to just one or two rooms there). Our bathroom was perfectly fine, but just your normal run of the mill bathroom. We saw none of what is depicted on their website.

Despite all these things, we did ultimately enjoy our stay there. The location of the hotel is excellent and they have this very cool elevator that takes you all the way down the cliff and into the heart of town. The grounds are beautiful and finely manicured. The restaurant where we had breakfast every morning (it's included in the cost of the room) has a stunning sea view. They have a very cool pool and beach area where the water from the pool flows in from the sea. It is great for kids and there were many kids there during our stay. I would describe the hotel staff as hit and miss -- some very nice, some have attitude -- but they are knowledgeable and get things done. Sestri Levante is a great town to stay in -- lovely sandy beaches that are great for kids and we did not really run into any other Americans during our stay there. You really feel like you are away from your everyday life.

From the time we booked this property, the customer service was outstanding! When we arrived in Italy, we emailed them to ask the best way to get to the hotel from the train station. They notified us that they would send a car. When we arrived, a car awaited us.
The hotel is unique in that every room is different. This is a castle that had been converted to hotel. We were in the main castle.
Make a point of visiting the property. It is stunning. The view from different points of the hotel either look down onto the town of Sestri Levante or the ocean. It is very picturesque. The "picina", which at first thought was the pool is a stunning private lagoon that leads into the ocean.
The rooms are nice, clean and very well serviced.
Everything is walking distance to the town. We truly enjoyed our stay there.

We had an very nice stay here, the room was air conditioned and it had a very big bathroom. The suite was very old style but it had flaire. The breakfast had a very big selection. There was a minibar, more a fridge in our room and a very modern Tv. The beds were comfterable. The restaurant of the hotel was also very good. The hotel has a private beach with connection to the ocean. Very nice stay.

I arrived here after 5 days in Florence and the peacefulness, beauty and elegance of the hotel were just what we were looking for. The rooms, while spacious suffer from old grandeur. our lovely terrace with a view of the formal gardens and the ocean could have easily held a party of 30guests.
the restaurant was excellent and it was very easy to take the elevator to the city just a few blocks away.
if you come, you will return!