Excelsior Palace Hotel

Excellent service from all staff. Decor of hotel very dated but beautiful. However facilities of our room definitely need updating. Shower very inadequate. Also expecting guests to use paper cups ? Feel hotel resting on past reputation. Enjoyed our stay. But wouldn’t rate this a 5 star hotel

This hotel is divine. The sheets are sumptuous, the warm towels huge, the bathbub luxurious. The terrace overlooking the ocean is sublime. Wonderful service. The breakfast; in the Lord Byron restaurant is fabulous. Eggs any way you want them.

From the minute we arrived it was all we remembered from our January visit. Our room was to die for - beautifully decorated and with stunning views to the bay in Rapallo and to the sea. All the hotel staff are so lovely and accommodating. The bar is great fun with ample snacks with any drink order and we loved dining in the restaurant again. Marco and his team are first class. The location is the perfect base for Rapallo old town (best deli ever and some great cafes and restaurants) Cinque Terre with the Rapallo train station 15 mins away and local gems such as Portofino and Santa Maria Ligure in walking distance if you are up for a long walk - a short taxi otherwise. Despite average weather for October the 5 days we stayed there, we love, love, love this hotel and can’t wait to return soon. It truly is perfection.

The Excelsior is a hotel I particularly wanted to stay in. Reviews I read were pretty accurate so no surprises. Sadly whilst not uncomfortable the general ambience was not comfortable for me (reminiscent of childhood holidays in a bygone age). Reception and restaurant staff were ruthlessly efficient but not always helpful. We were charged for someone else’s bar bill which was rectified quickly. Angelo however was quite wonderful and brings character which is lacking when he isn’t there. The yacht bar staff were helpful and friendly and the housekeeping staff were delightful and do an excellent job. The views from the sun deck are stunning and afternoons spent next to the sea were the real benefit of staying here (and the Baci biscotti they leave during turn down in the evening!) Our room was a good size, well appointed with a balcony overlooking the car park with a partial sea view. Beds were comfortable and we slept well. The bathroom was in need of refurbishment but acceptable. It is an easy walk into Rapello (apart from the steep hotel drive to climb on return). There was a lot of strutting going on in the hotel by young women with high heels and little dogs and instagrammers were annoying on a couple of occasions. Breakfast however was fascinating for people watching! In summation, it’s a lovely hotel but my expectations were too high partly due to the cost (which may be down to the travel agent tbf) and I was a little disappointed but this was tempered by how good most of the staff were and the position of the hotel overlooking Portofino Bay.

The old grande dame of Rappallo, we were expecting great things of this iconic hotel on the coast. Indeed the main public rooms are grand and impressive although outside space for sitting was limited. Our room was tiny and ill-furnished, facing the car park, it cost way too much. The food in the restaurant was adequate but mediocre, certainly not special. This place s living on past glories and needs to wake up...