Grand Hotel Villa Balbi

Grand Hotel Villa Balbi descritpion

Immersed in lush grounds with Mediterranean vegetation, this historic villa features an outdoor swimming pool. Set on the seaside of Sestri Levante, it enjoys views of the Gulf of Tigullio.
With wooden furniture and classic décor, rooms at Villa Balbi have an elegant feel. Some overlook the grounds, others the historic center of town, and some offer sea views. They provide free Wi-Fi.
Public spaces feature antique furnishings, marble and elegant chandeliers. Grand Hotel Villa Balbi includes a 17th-century villa that was home to aristocratic families.
Regional cooking, seafood specialties and homemade desserts are served at Il Parco restaurant. During the summer months, it is possible to dine on the grounds.
The hotel is in the center of Sestri Levante. Genoa and La Spezia are about a 45 minute drive away.

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Facilities of Grand Hotel Villa Balbi

Outdoors ：Outdoor Pool (seasonal) | Grounds

Pets ：Pets are not allowed.

Food & Drink ：Restaurant | Bar | Breakfast in the Room | Restaurant with Dining Menu | Special Diet Meals (upon request)

Internet ：Free!WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

Parking ：Private parking is available on site (reservation is not needed) and costs EUR 10 per day.

General ：Newspapers | Safe | Elevator | Air Conditioning

Languages Spoken ：Italian | French | English | German

Reviews for Grand Hotel Villa Balbi

Review 1：Ferries from Sestri Levante to the Cinque Terre and Portofino had stopped for the season in early Oct. Easy to take the train to any of these places but less scenic. Hotel is worth the splurge-really charming.

Review 2：This is a charming old villa with frescoed public rooms, beautiful fabrics and delightful rooms. It is on the main beachfront street and there are lovely views from upper level rooms.The breakfast buffet is very good with lots of fresh fruit, cereal, boiled eggs, meats, cheeses and pastries. There are many good restaurants within easy walking distance along the waterfront. The staff was very professional, friendly and responsive.

Review 3：mild 'pong' from shower drain....better once drain covered and with outside doors to bathroom opened

Review 4：Them ambience of the 'Grand' lobby areas in the old Villa.....friendy staff.........breakfast under the trees.......gardens and pool away from crowds. Central location - walk to station / close to shops and restaurants and harbour / across the road to beach......

Review 5：Cannot think of a thing.Sestri

Review 6：Beautiful hotel and grounds. The staff could not have been more helpful with every detail of my 3 night stay. Great location across from the beach and easy walking distance from the station and anything else a traveler would need. Would definitely go back

Review 7：Didn't like having to pay for parking. Fewer restaurant choices forlate arrival time. Restaurant they suggested was closed. Couldn'tcharge phones or chill beverages while away b/c all outlets turn offwhen only key not in slot

Review 8：Friendly staff, good breakfast.

Review 9：hotel was "on beach" and had its own private beach, but it cost 40 euro a day to use chairs and an umbrella; an extra cost we did not expect. Also didn't realize you need to reserve ahead or it got too busy.

Review 10：Beautiful hotel and gardens; excellent breakfast; wonderful staff; great location; spacious and comfortable room.

Review 11：The bed and mattresses are quite old , I could feel the iron frame of th bed in my side, the breakfast terrace is elegant n relaxing but the food options were very poor.

Review 12：I liked the location , helpful nice staff and the internet was very good

Review 13：Car park bit cramped full of splendid cars, efficient valet service however.

Review 14：Wonderful classical and very well managed hotel with excellent breakfast and very nice, italian menu for lunch and dinner al fresco in private garden under giant plantanes, away from the tourist hustle bustle along the boulevard. Effective and helpful service, good wine list, excellent price/quality relation even in the midst of summer high season. Small, friendly town with two beaches and lots of activities for everyone. On the train line to Cinque Terre villages and easy to find from the freeway. Private pool with plenty shade and separate shallow kids section.

Review 15：The only slight point was that the buildings in the garden the exterior were drab which is in direct contrast to the main building exterior. The iron works on the window ledges needed repainting as were very rusty.

Review 16：The staff were all very helpful & friendly. Good to have the use of a pool in Italy which is included in the room rate price.

Review 17：There were a couple of hooks missing from the bathroom door, if I am being picky.

Review 18：The building is an experience in itself and the staff is extremely friendly and professional. The garden is wonderful and the pool a very nice alternative to the crowded beaches.

Review 19：The breakfast selection was poor and predictable, and not in keeping with the status of the hotel. Also, although the Wi-Fi was good, there is no guest computer or printer which I would expect in a hotel like this. The reception computer was as slow as dial up!

Review 20：The location. The staff, were, without exception, friendly and courteous and the ground are a haven of tranquility.

Review 21：Air conditioning in room a bit too noisy, but that's all

Review 22：Great location, and excellent facilities. Our family had a great time in this beautiful hotel. The staff were very friendly and efficient.

Review 23：Beakfast coffee is horrible. Order espresso from the bar!

Review 24：This was our second visit after an Historic car hill climb. This hotel is exactly what we wanted for relaxation. Stay in the older part for antique charm. The staff are infinitely helpful and pleasant.

Review 25：Nothing

Review 26：the ambiance of the hotel grows on you. At first it feels a bit "old", but this is all part of the old world charm. This was our favorite hotel in Italy this year including 5 star hotels in Florence and Rome. This hotel is very authentic

Review 27：Staff very helpful and pleasant. Great location, sea at the front, pool in lovely surroundings in the back. Good breakfast and great views from the front rooms.

Review 28：Nothing... everything was perfect.

Review 29：The staff where helpful and attentive, the hotel is "grand" and the location right in town and on the sea is ideal. We parked our car in the garden behind the hotel and and did not need to go to it until we left.

Review 30：No facilities to stay in room. 1 small up chair no desk. No place to work or work/sit in the room.

Review 31：Centrally located, at the main boulevard all worthwhile restaurants on walking distance. Nice pool area, Wifi reaches intil there.

Review 32：Sestri Levante is small but this hotel is in willingness distance from the train station and near great shops and restaurants. A little dated, but very beautiful and comfortable.

Review 33：Breakfast was included however it would have been nice to get somebacon and eggs on the buffet (they charge extra). No shower curtain inthe bathroom.

Review 34：Great location (walking distance to the beach and pedestrian zone). Thestaff are very accommodating and friendly. The room was well appointedand offered a lot of space

Review 35：The hotel reception control the air condition in your room and it is off in the mornings from 8:00am which is too early .

Review 36：The villa is very old and beautifully decorated . The location is very central opposite the beach. The staff is very nice and helpful. A great place to stay to relax and to visit the beautiful towns around the riviera.

Review 37：We had a small electricity problem where the available staff was not providing the expected service, but they solved the issue professionally a day after...

Review 38：Location, interior design, the villa itself, breakfast....view from the seaside!!! Advice | challange the staff to give you better room alternatives, they are though, solve your request professionally;

Review 39：Nothing to dislike.

Review 40：Everything about this hotel was wonderful. We loved its spacious grand feel, its lovely pool, its friendly reception staff, the gardens, the breakfasts outside, in fact everything! Its position on the seafront is perfect too.

Review 41：Cannot control your own air-conditioning albeit the staff can do it for you Breakfast was nice but it made me physically vomit for some reason Cleaner came into my room during the evening when I have gone out (I noticed because they tidied up) For the above reasons, I felt the value for the room was quite expensive

Review 42：The decor-Interior and exterior Nice garden and pool Nice staff and vibe Great Location by beaches and shops Facilities in room

Review 43：No view of the sea and bay as it's obstructed by private beach walls

Review 44：Old fashioned service in elegant surroundings and very few tourists, Italians go there which says a lot

Review 45：The fact I did not appreciate were the slowness of the wifi network. For some reason it worked best opposite the front desk.???? The lack of a proper shower was a detraction.

Review 46：The staff are very willing and pleasant...breakfast in the gorgeous garden, a real joy! The closeness to the beach and the shopping a real bonus

Review 47：very-very poor breakfast, not perfect service and room for such price.

Review 48：interiors, location, big room, quiet place, nice park, swimming pool, bar, cleaning service, parking. children frendly.

Review 49：I think it would be worth modernising your showers.

Review 50：The swimming pool, the large room with view of the pool and the helpful and friendly staff.

Review 51：Despite huge room, very small bathroom. Italian breakfasts, mostly cakes

Review 52：Location, huge room

Review 53：Room

Review 54：Building

Review 55：Great location and friendly staff

Review 56：Beautiful Hotel- calm atmosphere. Wonderful location central and near all ammenities.

Review 57：Bathroom could be bigger

Review 58：Location and friendly staff

Review 59：Nothing to say

Review 60：Location, beautiful breakfast, swimming pool and common hospitality.

Review 61：Everything was perfect and we will use the Villa Balbi again for our next stay!

Review 62：None

Review 63：Everything was very good

Review 64：Bit pricey

Review 65：Location

Review 66：Inadequate ventilation to bathroom resulted in it smeeling musty.

Review 67：Outdoor pool

Review 68：A little faded.

Review 69：I expect it to be great for families with children.

Review 70：almost nothing.

Review 71：most everything

Review 72：Especially one waiter from the restaurant. Totally distracted and already tired.

Review 73：The location, close to the Cinque Terre, 1 hour by boat.

Review 74：Poor facilities, upcharge for beach use, cumbersome old fashioned keys

Review 75：The shower is very small. The A/C of the room is managed by the reception which could be a bit annoying sometimes.

Review 76：We loved the hotel. It has a lot of character, staff people were very friendly and always wiling to help and the rooms have a good size. We definitely recommend it.

Review 77：Loved staying in the old part if the villa. Slatted shutters kept a cool draught through the night. Pool was lovely, gardens pretty and the beach perfect, although you have to pay extra!

Review 78：The villa Balbi has seen better times. I was there 27 years ago and theyhave not invested anything in the rooms:1) bathoroom has shower without termostat so you either burn or freeze depending on other guests 2) bathroom with vanity top had to keep toiletries in the bidet. 3) wien menu is 30% more expeensive that a higher grade hotel nearby by and most wines were out of stock. 4) ended up asking " which ones DO YOU have in stock??" 5) food mediocre

Review 79：The town and the surrounding coast excelletn dinner and live music atthe nearby Verve Piano Bar with Giuliano the professional barman makingthe best real cocktails I had for a long time . excellent dinner at the"il castello " restaurant a 1 michelin star.

Review 80：Couldn`t stay longer...

Review 81：The hotel has a wonderful classical style, and the location is perfect just across the road from the beach and minutes from shops and restaurants. The staff were delightful and very helpful. We will come again.

Review 82：Staffing level is insufficient and service suffers as a result. Parking is disorganized. Room equipment needs upgrading. Breakfast buffet does not match a four-star rating.

Review 83：Location is great, park and pool are nice. Friendly staff. Hotel has a grand style that cannot be matched by modern buildings.

Review 84：The living room located in a modern building , which external architecture remind the worth student dormitorium.

Review 85：The bar tender ( the man over 55 years old ) is a bit unpolight. The breakfast organisation is terrable. You order coffe via one person , seconf comes after YOu finish the meal. The garden is nice and the reception stuff are excellent .

Review 86：The hotel was "tired" and needs to be refreshed - textiles and carpets were worn, dirty and in disrepair. Bathrooms were outdated with a last renovation approx. 15 years ago. Breakfast service was unfriendly and impersonal - breakfast buffet itself was uninspiring. For a hotel of this standing and price category, a fitness room and wellness area would be welcome.

Review 87：Location was super but the hotel itself was "tired" and disappointing especially for the price.

Review 88：The showers in the washroom were a bit of a challenge.

Review 89：We had an amazing time. The building and its furniture are incredible beautiful and so full of history. The staff were always willing to help and very nice to talk to.

Review 90：There was a separate bathroom and toilet in our room, which was fine except that the toilet was very small and cramped. It being an old building, the doors to the bathroom and toilet were warped and hard to close properly. This was a small issue that we got used to.

Review 91：Beautiful 16th century villa in a prime position in Sestri. The room was very spacious and clean. The staff, especially those in reception, were very friendly and helpful. A very relaxing place to stay.

Review 92：Some breakfast foods were alowwed to run out without being replace - bread for example! Breakfast could heve been a little better

Review 93：Friendly hotel with helpful staff

Review 94：Internet connection throughout the hotel functioning on and off.

Review 95：Luxurious hotel in beautiful Sestri Levante. Nice rooms with all the facilities. Most of the rooms are not in the old building, but in a newer annex in the garden. Very nice swimming pool, lots of beds. In the sun or in the shade. Nice park. Excellent breakfast. Everything upper four star level.

Review 96：the little train that is cruising through Sestri Levante! But that is not the fault of this hotel .

Review 97：We love it! Great atmosphere, at the beach, nice quiet swimmingpool in the garden, wonderful staff.

Review 98：The tv was in a very strange area of the room. We had to move the bed tobe able to see it. In the second night we had some moskitos in the room,they dont have any moskito nets. We arrived at 9h30 in the morningalthough check in was only at 14h. They do not even attempt to arrangeany other solution for you in the meantime. We could change in achanging room near the pool though. The "private beach" has to be paidextra, 25€ per day.

Review 99：The hotel is just 50 meters from the beach, it has a beautiful pool inthe middle of the garden. It is an old but very beautiful building withvery elegant paintings on the roof of the house.

Review 100：Breakfast was a bit chaotic and one day we arrived late and all the "salty options" were finished. It took ages to get an egg and even longer to get the salt. Luckily the staff (Francesco especially) were so nice that we did not really feel like complaining.

Review 101：The staff were really nice and friendly and the Hotel itself is absolutely magnificent. The location is exceptional. Our room was very nice and comfortable .

Review 102：The room on the first floor suffers a bit of noise in the morning, after 7 a.m., because of street traffic.

Review 103：Great value for money, affordable prices for a true four stars, great comfort, quality breakfast. Perfect hotel staff, really kind.

Review 104：The website doesn't really do the hotel justice - we thought that thehotel looked a bit dated but we had all the facilities we requiredduring an eight day stay.

Review 105：Staff friendly and welcoming. Cleaners super efficient and unobtrusive.Lovely pool area which was very clean. Given free upgrade on arrival socomments based on better than expected room. Free wi-fi throughout thehotel was excellent.

Review 106：Uitstekend hotel met een ouderwetse grandeur. Het hotel met zijn klassieke inrichting en prachtig beschilderde plafonds ademt nog steeds de sfeer van de oorspronkelijke adellijke eigenaar. Zeer vriendelijk en attent personeel en een voortreffelijke bediening. Hotel ligt direct tegenover een van de stranden van Sestri Levante en beschikt over een eigen beachclub. Er bevindt zich ook een prima zwembad in de tuin. Sfeervol ingerichte kamers, in ons geval met uitzicht op zee. In de directe omgeving van het hotel bevinden zich vele voortreffelijke en betaalbare visrestaurants. Excellent hotel with an old-fashioned grandeur in a typical Italian seaside resort. The hotel with its classic decor and beautifully painted ceilings still breathes the atmosphere of the original noble owner. Very friendly and attentive staff and an excellent control. Hotel is located directly opposite one of the beaches of Sestri Levante and features a private beach club. There is also a swimming pool located in the garden. Attractively decorated rooms, in our case with sea views. In the immediate vicinity of the hotel there are many excellent and affordable seafood restaurants.

Review 107：Only minor things, no body lotion, conditioner or drinks facilities in room, gravel surrounding pool wasn't ideal.

Review 108：Relaxed atmosphere, great location, nice pool in pleasant garden, friendly staff

Review 109：Villa Balbi is a friendly hotel with fantastic service. The restaurant staff and reception staff are particularly good. Our sea view junior suite was lovely. There is a beautiful waterfront restaurant immediately across the road, called La Terrazza and owned by the same group, with geniunely delicious food. The service is friendly and impeccable.

Review 110：Compared to other places we have stayed in Italy it seems a littleexpensive for what it is.

Review 111：We very much enjoyed our stay at Grand Hotel Villa Balbi. The hotel isin an excellent location right on the esplanade and is an easy 10 minutewalk from the railway station. The room was spacious and clean and verycomfortable. The hotels bar has tables out the front that are a veryenjoyable place for a drink and the bar person was excellent - friendlyand accommodating. The breakfast was very pleasant. The whole hotel hasa feeling of a bygone era which is charming.

Review 112：car parking and beach are extra, per day.

Review 113：Excellent position in a charming town with beach and pool. Interesting Villa Hotel, good room size, large bathroom and clean.

Review 114：Staff were very friendly and the facilities good - you felt that you could get away from the bustle of the beach in their garden and pool area. Good relaxing areas in the hotel and it was nice to have breakfast outside with the good weather. Great chic room - we were upgraded to a suite that was a lovely surpirse.

Review 115：The beach in front of the hotel was not private and very crowded. You had to pay for chairs and umbrella. The room price was extremely high for what we got. We had a view of an external staircase at the back of the hotel. The room was very small. When asking for assistance on finding a good place to eat outside the hotel, we were told everything would be fully booked and there was no point in them calling for us.Upon exiting the hotel we found many places on the sea with tables available.

Review 116：The position of the hotel was good. Staff at breakfast were very friendly

Review 117：The breakfast has not many options and the food is not tasty. We had alot of mosquitoes in our room and the door of the bathroom was broken(didn't close).The hotel is lovely, but it's not a good value for money.

Review 118：The location is excellent - in front of the beach and near of the bestrestaurants and shopping.The staff is very friendly. The hotel is a historical building and has kept its furniture - despite of this, the room is comfortable, large and very clean. There is beach facilities (particular beach) for EUR25,00 per day for a couple. The structure is very good, but this cost could be included in the room rate. (there ins't this option at booking.com). The parking is on site and the swimming pool is pleasant.

Review 119：The shower was over the bath which itself was very small and narrow with sloping sides. Standing in the bath to shower was not easy, especially for my husband with his size 13 feet!

Review 120：The hotel is spacious and well appointed. There is a sense of elegance and history about the building and its decor. It is very well situated to the seaside, station and narrow streets with oplenty of shops and eating places. We woild definitely stay there againb.

Review 121：Breakfast was a little disappointing. Given gorgeous fruit in theshops what was providid at breakfast was not seasonal or local.Terrible moving of cars one day trying to get too many parked withinthe grounds .

Review 122：Pool is very nice and gardens lovely.great position but peaceful. Staffhelpful and friendly. Very pleasant place

Review 123：It was empty when we went so it felt like you were in an abandoned castle building, it was well maintained but not at all modernized. The air conditioner was not on and you had to open the windows but there were no screens so we got bit by Mosquitos terribly.

Review 124：It is very large ornate design building with a feel of being in a Victorian mannor estate. The architecture and sprawling gardens were beautiful. The view from the room was amazing.

Review 125：It was amazing! Lovely hotel! The idea was to go to cinque terre, welandend in this hotel by "chance" (because we didn´t know the area)and it was very very good, the staff was incredible nice, speciallythe girl and the guy at reception! Very friendly, very welcoming,beautiful hotel, very romantic, big rooms, free parking, goodbreakfast, nice views, nice small city. The toilet was modern and hadeverything your needed.

Review 126：beautiful garden stuffed with cars; breakfast a bit frugal for a Grand Hotel

Review 127：central location beaches

Review 128：The building is a little shabby.

Review 129：Good location with private beach ideal for few days holiday.

Review 130：private beach - overpriced

Review 131：great atmosphere of historic building friendly staff location

Review 132：The staff were very friendly and helpful, the room was clean and big, right next to the beach and a great pool.

Review 133：excellent service and courtesy of all staff during our brief stay

Review 134：The charming period decor and friendly helpful staff. Additionally, Sestri Levante is a lovely place to stay.

Review 135：Large and wonderful room. The staff were friendly, engaging, and very helpful.