Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
With its new renovated and modern style, the Poet hotel is designed to tell the stories of its guests. The hotel is cosy and it wants to be a collection of stories written by those, who want to live an experience and leave a trace. The hotel is centrally located: 5 minutes far from La Spezia train station, from where it is possible to reach the villages of Cinque Terre; 3 minutes from the bus stops where it is possible to catch buses to reach Portovenere and Lerici and 5 minutes walk from the main road: Via Del Prione. Walking down this road, it is possible to find many shops, the tourist office but also the main attractions of the city: Amedeo Lia Museum, Sigillo Museum, San Giorgio Castle and the Maritime museum. At the end of Via Del Prione, it is possible to find La Spezia seafront (where in summer, it is possible to take boats to reach the beautiful villages of Cinque Terre, Lerici and Portovenere) and Porto Mirabello, one of the main yatchs harbor in the Mediterranean. The reception is open 24 hours a day and the staff speaks Italian, English, French and Spanish. Check in is from 2.30 pm and check out is within 11.30 am. Late check out is upon availability with an extra charge. Wifi is free in all the rooms and common areas. Parking is available on request for a rate of € 20,00 per night. Our buffet breakfast is served at the Poet's Hub on the ground floor from 7.30 a.m to 10.30 a.m. After breakfast, the Poet’s Hub becomes an area, where it is possible to read, eat, connect or work. Its unique design and its particular style make this place perfect for meeting people, socializing and sharing travel experiences. Here, during the day, is possible to benefit from a kettle and teas available free of charge for all our guests. In the Poet’s Hub our guests can also enjoy a drink at our American bar opened from Tuesday to Sunday from 4 pm to 10 pm. Our hotel has also a meeting room, “The Poet Box”, located on the ground floor where it is possible to organise meetings or business events.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
City View
Languages Spoken
English, French, Spanish, Italian
LICENSE NUMBER
011015-ALB-0013, IT011015A1DZOIQ6DM
Location
Via Roma 139, 19122, La Spezia Italy
Name/address in local language
The Poet Hotel
347 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Nice hotel, rooms comfortable and clean. Breakfast was terrible, not even a continental breakfast and service wasn’t great, so if you are staying at the hotel plan to have eat out. Good location, 7 minute walk to La Spezia train station for the Terre Express to the Cinque Terre province.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from domenico balbiano, Direttore generale at The Poet Hotel
Responded 15 Aug 2020
Dear Leemaclean4 thank you for taking your precious time to express your feelings with reference to your recent stay. I’m really sorry that you found our breakfast terrible We love what we do and we spend a lot of time together to keep improving so that our valued guests have an awesome time staying at our property. We would like to thank you anyway for all your feedback and comments since position/location and housekeeping worth, They offer an even higher and more dedicated service. We do hope to welcome you again in a not-too-distant future. Best regards, Domenico Balbiano Hotel-Manager
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The hotel is very stylish and beautiful. It is also ideally located, as you can reach the train station or the shopping street within a few minutes. Due to the pandemic we had to book a time slot for breakfast. At the bar you are asked what you want (eggs, juices, coffee etc.) but the staff was so busy that we had to wait everyday between 20-40 minutes for our coffee. And please take the goldfish from its glass and give it a more beautiful life!!!
Read more
Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from domenico balbiano, Direttore generale at The Poet Hotel
Responded 24 Sept 2020
Dear Guest, we thank you for sharing your positive reviews regarding The Poet Hotel and we are delighted that you spent a lovely stay. I'm sorry for your wait at breakfast, but I'm improving the service by adding staff at least in the important hours. Yes, you're right, I put the red fish in my aquarium at home, maybe it lives better with other friends We hope we’ll have the pleasure of welcoming you sooner back again! With our warmest regards, Domenico Balbiano
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We wanted to stay in a modern hospital rather than staying in any of the 5 towns in Cinque Terre. Since we visited this area in November, most restaurants in the Cinque Terre area are closed. It almost felt like a ghost town. Therefore, if you want to have more restaurants to choose from for dinner, it is best to stay in La Spezia. The bus that goes to Portovenere is only a 5 min walk to the hotel. Portovenere was also quiet at this time of the year. Only a few establishments were open.
The Poet Hotel is a short walk from La Spezia train station. It is also close to the center of the town. We liked the hotel. Our room was spacious with a small ref and an electric keetle.
The breakfast was not as wide range as the one we experienced in our hotel in Parma. In this pandemic time, I prefer, a staff is the one serving our food rather than we get our food and hold on to the same utensils in getting the food from the buffet table.
Not all the staff at the reception was friendly which I noticed. Depending on who is on duty. The elevator is small so only 2 people can enter with luggages.
Overall, I liked this hotel and if we will visit Cinque Terre again in the summer, we would prefer to stay in this modern hotel.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2021
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed here two nights in February as we wanted to see Cinque Terra. Check in was quick and easy. Francesca was very nice, polite and helpful. She made some recommendations for us. We went to Portovenere and it was wonderful. We had difficulties getting to Cinque Terra due to a train strike but got to spend a couple hours in one of the towns. Hotel is in a good location, 10 minutes from train station and easy walking distance to restaurants and the port. The hotel was recently remodeled and was very clean and modern. The nicest hotel during our 9 days in Italy. Beds comfortable for a good night sleep. Nice large shower. The only problem is the lightning in the bathroom is very poor. The breakfast was good and plentiful. You could ask for American breakfast and they would cook you eggs and bacon if you had time. Our group of five enjoyed the lobby area where we could get together and visit and have a wine or beer.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from DOMENICO BALBIANO, Direttore generale at The Poet Hotel
Responded 02 Mar 2020
Dear ssycats, thanks very much for your nice review and your kind words,I am very happy to know that my tips were helpful for you. Thank you for pointed out the wide selection of choices at our breakfast, we take care of our guests preparing them a healthy and hearty breakfast trying to satisfy all the tastes. The recent renovation has been very accurate, maintaining the original architecture as far as possible and changing the hotel concept to make your stay more comfortable. We look forward to welcoming all of you for a next stay in La Spezia. You cannot miss Cinque Terre :) Our best wishes from The Poet Hotel, Francesca Guest Relation
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The Poet is a terrific contemporary hotel that is walking distance from both the train station and the ferry to Cinque Terre. The multilingual staff are very friendly, the contemporary interiors quite bright and fun, offset by pretty fresh flowers. The room is comfortable, a bit dark, (no drawers) but quite an ingenious solution in having an open hanging-bar with suitcases placed underneath. Good plugs for phones/computers. Acceptable wifi. Italy is not known for a great hotel breakfast but The Poet provided an excellent range of breakfast options.
A super convenient and secure garage next door (you should reserve in advance). The hotel hallways were a touch noisy with guests coming and going and so if you are a light sleeper I would recommend ear plugs (but the same as many hotels). We thought the price of the hotels was quite competitive.
There is good shopping a 5-10 walk into an area that includes many good restaurants. A supermarket is in the next block.
This is an excellent base for exploring the Cinque Terre area and we are very happy we stayed here. We heard fellow guests from Italy, France (with their dogs), US, Ireland, Spain, UK and Germans. The staff cheerfully engaged with them all in their native languages.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a beautiful new modern and very clean hotel. The young beautiful woman at the front desk was so kind when I showed up quite late. They are a 10-15 min walk from La Spezia Centrale Train Station and just a couple blocks from outdoor markets and a long avenue of shops, restaurants and bars.
The rooms are large and you have a small balcony and big bathrooms. Beds are 4 stars, the whole place is just above expectations. You have a safe and small fridge.
Breakfast buffet is wonderful, fresh salmon, eggs, bacon, coffee and lots more.
I stay 5 nights and will definitely go back.
This hotel staff also took the current COVID issue very seriously. I felt very safe.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from DOMENICO BALBIANO, Direttore generale at The Poet Hotel
Responded 21 Oct 2020
Dear Sharon, thank you so much for your kind words. We are very glad to read that you pointed out that the security measures have been applied correctly. We all are having a quite hard time and our goal is to make every guest fell safe like at home and make their stay as pleasant as possible. Be sure to come see us soon, we'll be waiting for you! Kindest regards, Francesca Front Office
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Terrible hotel. As we walked into the room we quickly counted 3 (that we could find) strangers' hairs on the bathroom floor. The AC was practically useless and was not cooling the room at all, the room was unbearably hot.
Upon reaching out to the reception on these issues, they could not do anything to resolve it (no cleaning or maintenance onsite at 9pm), tried to convince us that the room is "not that hot" and did nothing but shrugging at the bathroom dirtiness complain. In addition, the hotel resides in a very unfriendly and unsafe neighborhood.
I don't normally review hotels but this has literally been the worst hotel experience ever in my life. My wife and I ended up driving for an hour to a nearby town at 11pm to get a different hotel. They're also not agreeing to refund our money although we did not stay for even a minute, and I plan to sue them to get my money back. Seriously, do yourselves a huge favor and stay clear. This is a youth hostel at best. Awful cleanliness, awful amenities, and above all awful service and treatment.
Read more
Date of stay: June 2022
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The reception staff are excellent: couldn't have been friendlier and more helpful. But the hotel itself is trying to be eco and modern inside what was the very staid Astoria. Our room had mostly what you would expect and was spotless but we stayed three nights and there was nowhere to unpack our suitcases. A wardrobe or a chest of drawers would have been nice. A very obtrusive flashing green light in the bathroom - apparently a smoke detector. The hotel is used by tour groups, who leave early, and the room doors make a loud bang when they shut.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:The first floor has no lift
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The hotel is actually pretty nice for La Spezia. It's a ten minute walk from the train station, from there the closest Cinque Terre town is about 15 minutes. The rooms are nice. The sheets and towels are changed daily.
I had an issue with the toilet and reported it as soon as I arrived but it was never fixed. They insisted that there was nothing wrong with it but it wasn't working properly. I was continually flushing it over and over. I stayed for three nights and just dealt with it.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Domenico Balbiano, Direttore generale at The Poet Hotel
Responded 10 Oct 2021
Dear Guest, Thank you for choosing to stay at the Poet Hotel , La Spezia and providing your honest feedback. Providing the highest level of hospitality is our number one priority and we sincerely apologize for falling short of meeting your expectations. I have shared the content of your comments with the Whole Team highlighting all the comments you made aiming to improve them immediately. We apologize for the inconvenience with the toilet and the water temperature in the room. Our head maintenance is going to check what happened. I hope that this experience has not marred the view of our Hotel completely and Hope to have you back in the not too distant future. Domenico Balbiano Hotel-Manager
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
These reviews are machine translated from their original language. Show machine translations?
Stayed two nights. Very nice aesthetically, attention to detail both the common areas and the rooms, friendly and smiling staff from reception to waiters to cleaning staff. Huge and comfortable double bed. In the center convenient to always walk around. Torneremo!!
Read more
Automatically translated
Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the La Spezia area.
PRICE RANGE
R 1,546 - R 2,186 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
astoria hotel la spezia
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Hotel Astoria
LOCATION
ItalyLiguriaProvince of La SpeziaLa Spezia
NUMBER OF ROOMS
57
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
