Hotel La Vela

Italy , Rimini
BELLARIA-IGEA MARINA, Via Amerigo Vespucci 20
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75 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

20 May 2026

Teodora

A rare gem we loved this property, wished we had the time to stay longer. Historic villa full of charm

Family

6/10

Pleasant

03 May 2026

CYNTHIA

We picked this hotel because it said it had twin beds… we did not get twin beds. Not acceptable! We would never stay again as it has a very steep driveway that taxis can not access. Getting our luggage up and down many steps and the driveway was too much. There was no information about that stuff in the ad. Breakfast was lovely. Taxis from train station(4 minute drive) were 25€ !

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

07 Oct 2025

Marzia

Beautiful place to visit.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

09 Jul 2025

Jacob

This was a very cool property I’m very glad I chose it. The room while a little dated was clean and comfortable. It was a hike up to the property but worth it. There are other hotels with easier access to the city center, but the view from this property is amazing.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jul 2025

Lorianne

We stayed one night in this beautiful hotel. The hill is a bit of a climb (especially in the July heat) but worth it for the views and to stay in this lovely setting

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

05 Oct 2024

Karim

Charming nice place but amenities need to be improved

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Sep 2024

Craig

A historical and beautiful work of art, with a beautiful view. About 8 minute walk to the town square.

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jun 2024

Dominic

A very unique and charming hotel with a great staff and wonderful views! Only downside is no elevator and if you are on top floor with heavy luggage it’s a little annoying. Other than that love it!

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jun 2024

Malena

Great finding! Stunning views!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

06 May 2024

jean christophe

Joli hotel mais si vous êtes allergique aux acariens je vous déconseille.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Apr 2024

Giorgia

Lovely hotel and very helpful and polite staff

10/10

Exceptional

03 Oct 2023

Stanislav

Very nice stay

Very impressive hotel.
Just two things to mention: expect noise from the trains (railway tracks nearby). Can’t be improved.
Wifi with regular interruptions (hopefully, can be improved)).

Self

8/10

Excellent

28 Jun 2023

Chris

Stock standard

It’s an ordinary hotel which was fine to us as we were only spending 1 night.

Nothing fancy, nothing bad.

The hotel does have a steep driveway but we coped just fine in our rental to get up.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

29 May 2023

Camila

Love the hotel itself but the walk up the hill was excruciating with a suitcase.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

16 Sep 2022

william

Good location. Pleasant and helpful staff

Business_and_leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

30 Aug 2022

Kristine joy

Beautiful area where it is located, and good deal of price too.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2022

Matthew

Beautiful building and friendly staff

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jun 2021

Danièle

Simple but so much charme in a castle atmosphere

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

31 May 2021

Kelly

Clean and comfortable

Hotel was decent, what you would expect for the price. I don't recommend bringing a car as the driveway is steep and narrow and the parking is tight. The room was clean and comfortable.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 May 2021

Katarzyna

The welcome at the reception was limited but over all a very good stay in spacious clean room. Convenient garden, our dog was welcome.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Sep 2020

ilham

Charming & Authentic stay!

Amazing Service, charming place. Great & kind service!
I cannot wait to come back.
My girlfriends are had a wonderful time!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jul 2020

Verified traveler

A beautiful castle-like building in elevated position offering fantastic views across town, mountains and sea. Good comfortable rooms and good basic breakfast.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

Good hotel!

Pretty hotel, friendly staff, and a good enough location. You have to walk about a kilometer to get to the more touristic area of the city.
The hotel is castle, which is interesting. There is a parking lot, although a bit crowded when I stayed.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

04 Aug 2019

Philip

Clean and comfortable

One night in transit quiet satisfactory

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Sep 2017

pete

Parking

Unless you are very adroit at Italian road driving this parking at hotel is daunting

2/10

Poor

09 Sep 2017

JAMES

The Horrible Hotel La Vela

Do not ever contemplate staying at this hotel, despite Santa Margherita Ligure being a lovely place for a quiet break...stay at another hotel. On arrival, my front wheel drive car, despite being capable of the 1,500 miles journey from Scotland, was unable to get up the very steep driveway to the \"hotel\". No appropriate alternative parking was offered by the receptionist, nor was any assistance to carry luggage up the very steep hill. We were then handed rooms keys and pointed towards our room....that was it. After one night we were summarily moved to a lower grade room, on the excUse that \"the pipes weren't working\". Our suspicions that the hotel had doubled booked the room were later confirmed when we saw guests coming and going from our previous room. Breakfast was a joke..hardly anything left by 9.30..despite a 10.00 finish....would be great if you are into tinned pineapple....otherwise forget it. The so-called roof-top terrace is a health and safety nightmare even by Italian standards, is filthy, and offers less than pathetic facilities. Finally, those in charge, who we presumed to be the owners, made Fawlty Towers seem like a welcoming 5 star establishment by comparison.....they weren't even funny. In summary...Would recommend a stay in Santa Margherita Ligure...but NEVER EVER at Hotel La Vela.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

29 Aug 2017

Verified traveler

The view is very good. The breakfast is very good. It is a little bit hard to walk from hotel to train station or to ferry station.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Aug 2016

Castle in the hills

This place was great, starting with the drive up the driveway to get to the front doors of the hotel. If you are driving to this location you will find out soon enough. A brisk 8 minute walk down gets you to the water front along an isolated set of stairs that lead to a main road, Remember what goes down has to come back up again. (it's a hard life living along the ocean:). The staff was great, after check out they let me leave my car parked there most of the day while we took a boat ride into Portofino and spent some time in that area. If you have never been to La Spezia and surrounding towns you quickly realize that parking is hard to come by and not cheap. Again many thanks on letting me leave the car on your property.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

15 May 2016

Verified traveler

Nice old castle

Nice old castle but nobody helps with your luggage

8/10

Excellent

28 Sep 2015

William

you'll enjoy it

great service. restaurant wa sexcellent

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Sep 2015

Chris

Great Views!

Hotel has lots of character/atmosphere with great views overlooking town and the bay.

About a 10 minute walk into town.

Most rooms overlook the train tracks which if your window is open can be noisy (with closed not).

If you want ultra luxury, this is not for you. If you want a place with character at an affordable price it is great.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

07 Jun 2015

Verified traveler

Very friend staff

Greatlcation and very friend staff. Shower head power was very weak, made showering very uncomfortable. The shower drain was also clogged so it was overflowing all over the floor the first day; however, as soon as we mentioned it to the staff they fixed it right away.

2/10

Poor

23 Jul 2014

Verified traveler

Simply awful, Parking was a nightmare-waited for over an hour just to get our car out. Difficult location. Staff and check in was so rude and ignorant. Hotel was neat in that it was like an old castle but felt very unwelcome. Would definitely not recommend. Room was ok. Cool little rooftop place to hang out but no food or facilities there. Again the staff/owners were very rude and made us feel very unwelcome.

4/10

Poor

18 Jul 2014

Verified traveler

Lovely old castle.

This facility was disappointing. It is beautiful and was clean. I did not feel that the staff went out of their way to be courteous on our arrival, Very business like.

The breakfast buffet was adequate. However if you were late to arrive, things were not restocked.

We did not have a tv control in our room on arrival and when we requested one, we were told
\" there was most certainly a tv control in the room.\" Later someone brought a tv control to our room, but it was not functioning.

The area was lovely but was very busy and noisy with vacationers.

4/10

Poor

18 Jul 2014

Beautiful building but poor hoteliers

The building is absolutely gorgeous but not very well maintained. View is amazing. Free Breakfast was ok. Wifi was in and out. Proximity to train made it very noisy, as train runs late at night and very early in morning, and was not mentioned on the page when booking the hotel. Make sure you are accustomed to travelling in Italy before booking this place. Doesn't have all the amenities of comparable hotels in the US. Didn't give us more soap or tp, toilet wouldn't flush, unhelpful staff upon checkin. No elevator to take heavy luggage upstairs and no bellhop either.

8/10

Excellent

17 May 2014

Verified traveler

Quaint, family run

We stayed one night. The ONLY negative was that it is a bit of a hike up the hill, but once there, it's worth the effort! The place looks almost like an old castle, with ton's of nooks and crannies. Wonderful waterfall flowing sound in the back and cheerful birds make for a fun stay. The staff was attentive and helpful. Room was big and clean. I just loved my one night here and would definitely stay again!

4/10

Poor

20 Sep 2013

Charles

Hotel Caters to Europeans who drive

The public spaces were beautiful and great views from the solarium. The ceiling in the bathroom was so low my 6 foot husband hit his head on the ceiling several times if he forgot to bend over. The A/C was very difficult to control. The safe so small it could be lifted out of the closet and placed under you coat. Room keys were hanging by the front door not supervised. Five minute walk downtown and 20 minute rigorous walk up hill. The bus ride is E1.50, however not always at the time we wanted resulting in E15.00 taxi ride. I expected this rate with baggage, but even w/o baggage E15. This hotel caters to Europeans who drive. The staff spoke very little English and I mean very little and made no attempt to understand my broken Italian. One gentleman who worked the late shift was helpful with train information and would not accept tip. There were no English speaking TV channels. I would not recommend this hotel for anyone arriving by train or did not speak Italian.

8/10

Excellent

12 Sep 2013

Marion & Ian

Lovely old building

An amazing building with a fantastic view from a big rooftop. Nice breakfast. Easy stroll to the sea and town centre. But the bed was tooooooo hard and the shower was no good. Liked the place very much though!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Sep 2013

Marion & ian

Fantastic place

Loved the old building and its many sitting areas, especially the rooftop and little tower. Great views from there. Could walk from there to the waterfront and the town centre.breakfast included, smorgasbord type. But the bed was rock hard and the shower a joke. Wifi only available from the beautiful formal lounge downstairs.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

27 Aug 2013

Liz

Nice hotel, walking distance to downtown

We stayed there only one night and it was an OK experience. Room was clean & comfortable enough. Building is very nice and interesting, although once you're inside the room it is no different than a regular 3 star hotels. Although it is located on a hill, it is still walking distance to beach & restaurants at night. It might be hard with kids & strollers though because there isn't a sidewalk when the hill starts & it is curvy, so t can be dangerous to walk down. Parking was a challenge due to an additional curvy hill in front of the hotel. Stay there for a night or 2 but look for easier to access places for longer vacations.

8/10

Excellent

11 Aug 2013

Bruce

Hotels.com has inaccurate info re this hotel. There is no onsite bar nor is there shuttle service to the train. Very interesting converted villa, but staff speaks limited english to the point it is a problem if your italian is weak.

2/10

Poor

03 Aug 2013

Iliyana

The most disgusting hotel that ever seen

This hotel was terrible, small room, old furnished, torn sheets, there was disgusting smell in the whole hotel; This hotel is not 2 stars, probably is hostel / pansion. In my reservation was written free parking, but there was no free space. There was a woman who did not speak any other language except french. I saw the room and I refused to stay. Also they charged me one 90 EUR.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

30 Jul 2013

Verified traveler

Right price, great location and parking

This hotel was perfect for us in that being off the bustling seaside and having parking for our car were two important features. It's a 7 minute walk to the port where you can enjoy all the wonderful food, drink and shopping that SML has to offer. The hotel itself is understated, though it is in a beautiful old castle. The rooms are clean, but with little decor. The staff was friendly and we enjoyed a delicious continental breakfast each morning. Would definitely recommend.

8/10

Excellent

01 Jun 2013

Drew

Very conveniently located

The La Vela Hotel is very grand well located with an excellent view over the bay and city .Breakfast was very nice.Only downside was that it is close and above the train tracks and there are lots of trains

8/10

Excellent

03 Feb 2013

Lesley

Nice hotel

This was a well priced hotel in a good area. The driveway was a little steep but we have experienced worse in Italy. The staff were extremely helpful and the room we had was comfortable and clean . Breakfast was nice , coffee and tea available at all times. The added bonus of free WIFI and parking was a bonus.

Would go back if we visited this area in the future.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

10 Oct 2012

helen

not very welcoming

Ok but nothing to rave about. Small dark room.

6/10

Pleasant

26 Sep 2012

Nino

La Vela In SML Review

This was a very different kind of hotel. Not different in a bad way, just different. Think medieval castle. If that’s your thing, then this hotel would be perfect for you. It is definitely unique and unlike any other hotel I’ve ever stayed. What it didn’t have in modern amenities, it made up for in character and old world charm. It really is an old castle! The room – although dated – was clean and the bed was a little hard. However, the staff was friendly and there was plenty of free parking.
It was about a 15 minute walk to the center of town. It was an easy walk going there as it was all downhill. However, since this castle was situated at the top of the hill, coming home was all uphill. If you’re not in decent shape or have hip/knee issues, you’ll have to drive to town.

8/10

Excellent

11 Sep 2012

confusedcarrot

good value in a very high price area

Apart from the 2 singles pushed together in our double room. The hotel was really lovely. They bend over backwards to help and assist you. Breakfast was ace.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

09 Sep 2012

Verified traveler

Serviceable but no grace

The hotel is in a very nice building with great views, but needs some capital and human investment. Staff were mostly cool and unfriendly. I had forgotten some things and getting them back was an ordeal. It took three phone calls to confirm that they had found them.

There is a steep and winding entrance road, so parking is an adventure, but it is included.

Breakfast, also included in our reasonable rate, was good.

6/10

Pleasant

28 Aug 2012

Jon

Cheap for a stopover

Basic hotel with clean rooms but do not expect comfort. Dated furniture in a very nice building, but they could have done much better with updating the rooms and restoring the castle to its former glory. The price is cheap for the area, but I expected a little more comfort. Parking is free, but you have to be comfortable reversing down a spiral slope... not recommended for the faint hearted.

6/10

Pleasant

23 Jul 2012

world traveler

Everything was OK, since we stay only two days. The parking space is very limited and despite of the help of the hotel staff it is difficult to move your car since there are 10 to 12 cars parked in a very small parking lot. To visit the town center you have to walk the street which have a busy traffic and there are no sidewalks or you have to take an stair alley with a lot of steps and no handrails. The hotel is lovely in it's style and for a short stay is a good choice.

Family

8/10

Excellent

02 Jul 2012

Kiwi couple

Nice character hotel

Lovely hotel located within walking distance to town. Parking available onsite up steep twisting driveway which must provide some good entertainment at times. Good breakfast and we stayed in a spacious room. Good view from hotel rooftop. No lift so be prepared to lug bags up the stairs. Can hear the odd train during the night but this wasn't an issue for us at all. La Vela is located in the hilly part of town so if you are adverse to steps it would be best to stay nearer the waterfront where it is more flat.

8/10

Excellent

16 Jun 2012

Euroblog

Santa Margherita

For people new to traveling in Italy, remove 1 star for Italian hotel ratings. A 4-star hotel in Italy is a 3-star anyplace else. This is a comfortable Bed and breakfast, away from the hustle and bustle of the seaside. If you want peace and quiet, and don't mind a 10 minute walk to the seaside where all the action is than you will enjoy this place. Breakfast is basic, but adequate. Services are limited as this is not a hotel. No elevator on property, so you tote your luggage potentially up 2 flights of stairs. Grounds are beautiful, and a walk through the gardens is well worth it. No restaurant nearby, so you have to arrange for dinner before returning for the night.

10/10

Exceptional

14 May 2012

David

Like staying in a castle

This hotel is on a steep hillside approx. 1/4 mile from the water. The view from the rooftop terrace (and the even higher tower) is awesome. The grounds are beautiful. Driving up the winding driveway (and looking up at the hotel) makes you feel like you are entering a castle. Staff very friendly and helpful. Room, bed and bath very comfortable. The hotel has a large great room (with the guest rooms surrounding it). It's a great place to relax (and check your email using the WiFi).

10/10

Exceptional

01 Oct 2011

Chris

St Margarita near Cinque terre perfect hotel just beautifull

Fantastic Staff. Stunning building. A real pleasure to stay at. will be back here. I highly recommend it. Was a little walk from the sea alas well worth it.

8/10

Excellent

01 May 2011

chris

trip to italian riviera

great hotel! my wife and i enjoyed it. we were going to stay one more night but they were full.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

13 Sep 2010

Verified traveler

La Vela Hotel in Santa Margarita Italy

The La Vela is a nice Hotel, although richly priced. The staff were very nice, allowed us late checkout, and even though the small parking lot was full at our arrival, they let us double park and moved the car for us in the morning. The fixtures and room are a bit dated, the bed hard and not very comfortable. The rooftop terrace/sundeck was awesome with great views of the city and sea. The breakfast was bountiful and excellent. In summary my chief complaints were the hard bed and the price.

8/10

Excellent

01 Sep 2010

Didier

La Vela

Nice location, close to downtown (walking). Good RoI

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jun 2010

Anonymous

Great value hotel near Portofino, Italy

Very good location about a 10 minute walk to waterfont and downtown. Clean and spacious rooms. Great breakfast. Helpful staff. Excellent price value.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

28 Sep 2009

Lenny

great views from the top of the

great views from the top of the castle

6/10

Pleasant

31 Aug 2009

Verified traveler

ok but too expensive for what you get

They forgot the towels and it could have been a bit more tidy - they have a roof terrace that obviously receives no attention at all

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jun 2009

Lauris

Top Rate Hotel

The service at this hotel was excellent the views were amazing. Breakfast was absolutely lovely. We could not fault anything with this stay. Highly recommend to anyone.

8/10

Excellent

25 Apr 2026

jonathan

Super séjour dommage le bruit du train a 4h du matin

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Oct 2025

Ben

Es war ein wunderschöner Aufenthalt. Wunderschönes Gebäude mit sehr netten Personal. Einfach traumhaft.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

29 Sep 2025

Rune

Flott hotell og hyggelig betjening!
Kort seng..

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Sep 2025

Maria Guadalupe

Muy bonito lugar

Muy bonito el hotel, la habitación limpia, sencilla , bien, el desayuno muy rico y el personal muy amable. Una preciosa vista desde el
Hotel.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

19 Sep 2025

Michael

Ordentlicher Aufenthalt in einem Palazzo

Ein imposantes Gebäude - ein echter Palazzo, der einen von der Ankunft an in den Bann zieht. Freundlicher Empfang. Die Zimmer sind ok - sind sind nicht auf dem neuesten Standard. Das Badezimmer war klein und von der Einrichtung überschaubar - aber es war sauber, und die Dusche funktionierte. Die Zimmer sind - vermutlich aufgrund der nicht so wirklich dicken Türen - relativ hellhörig. Das Frühstück war gut.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

14 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

Le rapport qualité prix n’est pas mauvais même si la clim fuyait à grosses gouttes. Hotel non loin du centre ville, si vous avez de bonnes jambes vous pouvez le faire à pieds. Possibilité de se garer ce qui n’est pas négligeable. Personnel sympathique. Le lit était plutôt confort et la salle de bain spacieuse.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jul 2025

BARIS

everything was good but there is a limited car park space on site. i suggest be sure to have a available car park space on phone before arrival

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jun 2025

Rainer

Sehr ruhig gelegen mit schönen Ausblick und herrlicher Außenanlage.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

08 Jun 2025

Gilles

Hôtel bien placé pas trop loin du centre, juste au dessus de la voie de chemin de fer, un peu bruyante.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

17 Apr 2025

Bernard

Convenable

Très bel hotel mais rapport qualité-prix un peu élevé.
Assez calme.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

11 Aug 2024

Juan Ramon

Great place

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

28 Jul 2024

Alexander

Also die Ankunft war ein Abenteuer.
Mit Vorderrad Antrieb und viel Gebäck im Kofferraum kommt man die doch relativ steile Auffahrt nicht hoch. Die Räder hatten keinen Grip und die Räder drehten durch, sodas die einzige Lösung war, dass meine Frau auf die Motorhaube sitzen musste um da hoch zu kommen. Mit einem Vierrad wäre es sicherlich kein Problem.
Ansonsten ist es ein sehr schöner Ort.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

22 Jul 2024

Johan

Goed zonder meer

Mooi, oud hotel in een prachtige omgeving. Onze kamer was ruim. Goede airco, badkamer is gedateerd en biedt weinig comfort. Hotel ligt dichtbij een spoorweg en dus best oordoppen gebruiken om rustig te kunnen slapen. Het ontbijt was goed. Je betaalt 15 euro per dag om je auto op hun parking te plaatsen (staat niet vermeld bij de faciliteiten!)

Partner