You could liken finding the right hotel to finding a wedding dress. You'll scour the racks (or in my case, Booking.com), discounting bad reviews, dodgy locations, that dubious brown tile bathroom that hasn't been updated since 1970. And then you'll find the place that ticks all the boxes: the right location, a decent price, doesn't look like it has bedbugs. In other words, the one.
It's a bit of a dramatic segue into a hotel review, but it's how I felt whilst perusing hotels in Santa Margherita Ligure, upon discovering Villa Gelsomino. With a ridiculously good 9.6 Booking.com score, it's a bit of a unicorn. But better yet, it was just over £100 a night*.
My partner stayed at the Villa in March for two nights during our Liguria trip, using it as a base for visiting Portofino. I've put together a full Villa Gelsomino review of our experience, if you're thinking of booking a stay.
*I believe I got a lucky last minute, off season deal as I booked only days before, as it's usually twice this. Sometimes it pays to be disorganised!
At A Glance
Character: Charming, historic, and quietly luxurious.
Rooms and Suites: With just 6 rooms, ranging from a standard room, to expansive suites, Villa Gelsomino is the definition of intimate.
Suitable For: Villa Gelsomino is an ideal hotel for a couples break - it's quite a romantic experience watching the sunset from the balcony! I wouldn't recommend it for families, due to the antiques and general quietness.
How to get there: Villa Gelsomino is next to Santa Margherita train station, so ideal if you're arriving by train. If you're driving, the hotel has a car park on site.
Services: The hotel hosts events such as weddings, and has a restaurant on site.
Times: Check in is 15:30-18:00, check out is till 11:00.
Prices: Rooms start from £299, however last minute / off season rates may drop, like my lucky last minute deal!
Santa Margherita Ligure: This cosy fishing village turned resort town on the Italian Riviera is well placed for exploring nearby Portofino. However, it's well worth a visit regardless, with plenty of historical sights and great dining to uncover.
Villa Gelsomino Review
Location
Villa Gelsomino is located in the small Ligurian town of Santa Margherita Ligure. It’s roughly a half an hour train from Genoa, an hour to Cinque Terre, and a quick 15 minute bus journey to nearby Portofino.
Villa Gelsomino is particularly well located if you’re travelling by train, as it’s mere minutes walk from Santa Margherita Ligure train station. There are two routes to the hotel - one involves very steep steps, or the slightly longer but less of a slog route up a sloped road.
From Villa Gelsomino you’re only a couple of minutes to the waterfront, and the main shops and restaurants of the town aren’t much further. Therefore it’s a pretty ideal base if you’re looking to explore both the town and nearby regions.
Design and Experience
Villa Gelsomino was built by a wealthy family in the 1800s, and has retained plenty of original features, with elaborate frescoed ceilings and mosaic floors. Set in 700 square metres of garden, despite being so near the train station it feels suitably secluded from the nearby area. From it's perch on the hillside, it looks out to a pretty spectacular view of the harbour and sea below.
One of the best things about the stay is, somewhat surprisingly, the smell. The second you step into the villa you’re welcomed with lovely aromas. I have whatever the opposite of a keen sense of smell is, so could not for the life of me tell you what the smells were, but it smelt wonderful!
Rooms and Suites
We'd booked a standard double room, however were upgraded to a junior suite with garden view on arrival, which was a pleasant surprise. The room itself was vast, with high, grand ceilings and views out over the garden. Though the interiors are decidedly antique, there are plenty of modern touches. Our room was equipped with an Alexa, ready with handy information such a check out times.
A qualm I often have with higher end hotels is not being equipped with basic facilities such as free water and coffee, but happily Villa Gelsomino offers both.
An unexpected perk of was a separate room within our suite dedicated to a jacuzzi. The room itself was a bit austere, and could probably have done with some touches to make it feel more relaxing and less at odds with the jacuzzi experience, but this is very much me nitpicking here.
If I visited again, and was looking to splash some cash, I'd book one of the rooms with a sea view and balcony. The perfect spot to start your day, looking out over the Ligurian sea with a morning coffee!
More Liguria: The Cinque Terre Travel Guide
Service and Facilities
Service was perfectly pleasant throughout our experience. Though overall we didn’t have a huge amount of interaction with the staff, they were generally friendly and helpful.
As a smaller boutique hotel, there unsurprisingly aren’t masses of facilities. One thing Villa Gelsomino is equipped with, however, is a hot tub in the garden. We didn’t get the opportunity to use it, so I can’t comment on the experience!
For 15 euros you can start your morning with breakfast at Villa Gelsomino. This comprised of a list of local produce and freshly cooked dishes to choose from, such as pastries, focaccia, eggs, and toast. The focaccia is a must, as the Liguria region is known for it. I’d recommend trying the breakfast at least one morning as it’s a lovely, slow way to start the day. However portions are small so pick a few dishes to try!
Overall Villa Gelsomino Review
It’s rare that I choose to stay in the same hotel twice, however if I visited Santa Margherita Ligure again, I wouldn’t hesitate to rebook at Villa Gelsomino.
It ticked all the boxes for me: an intimate, boutique experience in a character-filled building, steeped in history. It’s also practical - convenient for the train station, and equipped with all the requisite modern amenities.
One negative worth mentioning is the narrow check in window. Check in starts at 3:30pm, and past 6pm incurs a fee, which seems quite limiting. Also if you’re looking for the kind of place that has a laundry list of facilities such as gyms and pools, this won’t be the right fit.
It’s a truly character-filled hotel, capturing the essence of the destination with plenty of nostalgic charm. This is a stay for the aesthetes, those who appreciate a beautiful space, and look for more than just a bed for the night. Villa Gelsomino is, put simply, a very special stay.
More Liguria: The very best things to do in Genoa, Italy
I hope this Villa Gelsomino review has been helpful! If you're thinking of booking and have any questions, feel free to pop them in a comment down below.
