Loved the Excelsior

We stayed here for two nights after much research and after reading some reviews I was a little nervous. It was absolutely beautiful. We had a room with a sea view and the staff was fantastic. It is expensive but worth it and I would recommend this to the most discriminating people. A highlight of our 8 day trip to Italy. also the best location in all of Rapallo, Portofino. We were glad we stayed here vs. Portofino.

Not as good as expected

The hotel certainly did not live up to its reputation. Although the views are beautiful from the verandas, make sure you have it in writing that you are to receive a sea view. Although we booked a full year in advance and were told we would receive a room with a water view and veranda we did not get either. We got a small room with twin beds, no veranda, and a view of the parking lot. The breakfast was very good and included in the hotel rate. Do not eat at the restaurants in the hotel for any meals other than breakfast as they are extremely overpiced and not very well prepared. There are many eating choices in Rapallo that are 1/3 the cost and much higher quality. The service at the hotel was not up to standards if you are accustomed to staying at high-end resorts. There are too many good hotels in the area to stay here again. Next time I will choose someplace else.

I loved Rapallo!

I went to Italy September 17-23, 2004 and stayed one night in Milan before transitioning to Rapallo for a four night stay at the Excelsior Palace Hotel. This is a beautiful 5 star hotel with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean, Mountains, and the Marina. The staff was extremely accommodating, great breakfast buffets, clean, spacious rooms. I loved Rapallo! There is a great walkway next to the Marina where the locals and tourists gather daily, excellent restaurants surround the plaza. A ferry picks up tourists and locals for a minimal charge and makes stops at Portofino, San Frutusso, where you can hop off and on. I went to Italy with low expectations and returned with an unbelievably wonderful experience. I can not say enough about Italy, the scenery, the people, the food, and the music. I will go back someday and stay much, much longer!

5 star and it should be

We were interested to read the conflicting reports of this hotel before going to Italy in Sept 04. However we were pleasantly relieved on arrival. Very friendly and helpful staff, gorgeous room with good air conditioning and great views. Nice beach club with access to swim in the sea as well as the "infinity" pool. Great food from the bar though we didn't try the restaurant. Breakfast was excellent as well. Peaceful and relaxing we had a thoroughly nice time. The one quibble? The mini bar was extremely expensive but I guess you expect that in this status of hotel.

Nice but ...

We just spent a week at the Excelsior Palace. It was a nice hotel, but I can't help feeling that is somehow missing some of the small touches that I would expect from a 5-star hotel in Italy.

What we liked:

-the Beach Club terraces & pool overlooking the sea (really wonderful)

-nice Breakfast Buffet

What we did not like:

-Lack of consideration for non-smokers. Smoking is allowed nearly everywhere inside the hotel and in all of the outdoor areas. We were probably more sensitive to this as I was pregnant and we were trying to avoid smokers wherever we went in the hotel. It was not fun to always be strategic in deciding where to sit on the breakfast terrace or by the pool in order to avoid smokers. And usually our best efforts did not work and we would find ourselves next to someone smoking. It was surprising to us that the hotel was so accepting of smoking when many other hotels in Italy have implemented more smoking restrictions - given the new smoking restriction laws that go into effect in January 1, 2005 in Italy, it should also improve at the Excelsior Palace, but until then, if you are sensitive to cigarette smoke then BEWARE!

-Some of the rooms are on the small side (as ours was) & despite the stunning views, you cannot escape the fact that the main road to Santa Margherita Ligure/Portofino is running in front of the hotel which creates a lot of traffic noise when you have your windows open.

-Service was a bit spotty. Restaurant/bar service was not always satisfactory for a 5-star hotel. However, in the case of the room cleaning staff, the service was excellent. Reception desk service was good.

Restaurant Tips: We really liked Ristorante Luca, across the road from the hotel down at the port. Vecchia Rapallo in the historic center was also good.

A nice place

We have spend our vacation in Rapallo, and stayed in this hotel. We also know Miramare and Splendido, which are extremely expensive, but not so good. The room was very nice, and we even could choose a room from 4 different, though the hotel was booked out. The breakfast was very nice, the room service could be better, but it is usually a bit different in Italy. We would definitely stay in excelsior again.

Great service but

The hotel is in a perfect location with fabulous views. The service was top notch. Breakfast was plentiful and very good. Now here comes the but.. For a 5 star hotel I expected air conditioning that worked, there was some cool air blowing out of the fan but it was sooooo hot in the room. The thermostat read 27C which is very warm, but yet when I called the front desk they said nothing was wrong with the AC and I should make sure to shut the terrace door. Well, not only did I shut the terrace door, I spent most of my time on the terrace to cool off, the terrace was cooler then the room. If you are used to being warm and don't require AC then the hotel is great and lives up to its 5 star rating, but if you are like myself who expects to cool off when resting in my room, I would not recommend this hotel for that reason alone.

Would Never Stay Here Again

The views from this hotel are tremendous--everything else is not. The rooms are extremely small--even by European standards. The staff is deplorable--very few speak fluent english and they will not go out of the way to help. The Splendido, Miramare and several other hotels in the region are so much better in every way. I stayed here in July, 2003 on a two week stay throughout Italy--it was by far the worst hotel along the way. If you are looking for a two star hotel with five star views, this is it.

Couldn't have asked for a better honeymoon location

Great accommodations, concierge service, morning breakfast buffets. Lots of old world charm that has been beautifully updated through a major renovation. Looking out at the bay just below you from your balcony form spacious, well appointed rooms. Could I take up permanent residence there and continue with my swimming from the beautiful pool and get my massages? Reasonable price for what you get.

Fantastic Place.

Just returned from a 3 1/2 week vaction in Italy/France and this was our favorite spot. The hotel is fantastic, the view is unbelievable.

The Portofino coast is the place I will always return to. The Breakfast was great, the restaurants are great. Do you sense a theme here.....Great.