Sheraton Genova Hotel - Genoa, Italy     

Sheraton Genova on a map looks quite far from the downtown area, but it turned out to be very convenient. It was great for our day trips which was the main reason we decided to base ourselves in Genova for 4 days in June '07. The main reason it turned out so well was Volabus, the airport shuttle. The hotel is only a 5-minute walk at grade to the airport, so you can wheel your luggage easily if you wish. The aeroporto shuttle leaves the airport every hour on the hour starting at 05:00..(Do not be tempted to try to walk to the "nearby" train station, Sestri Ponente... It is an unpleasant and surprisingly long hike.) Buy the ticket from the Volabus driver, and, for just 4 Euros, if you return the same day, you also get the return trip for free because it is a 24-hour ticket. The shuttle looks just like a city bus, but it is a semi-express, so it is a quick trip downtown to the Genova P.Principe train station, about 20 minutes. We wish we had known about it when we arrived because we took a taxi to the hotel and that was 19 Euros (one way). The aeroporto shuttle departs the train station every hour on the :40, last one at 22:40. But there are other reasons I can recommend the Sheraton Genova. The hotel is modern and immaculate, and we love those 'heavenly beds' and pillows. Light sleepers take note: It was TOTALLY quiet. This is highly unusual in Italy, let alone at an airport! The staff was helpful and spoke perfect English. And the meals, especially the ones we had in the restaurant open in the evening, were terrific, along with great service, including special requests by my partner who has a severe nut and seed allergy. They understood the seriousness of the situation, unlike a lot of restaurants, even in North America. The breakfast buffet was included and it was in a pleasant, bright room with skylights. We enjoyed the breakfasts, especially the fresh German-style pastries (because the Lufthansa crew stay here?), and the ham and cheese and great coffee albeit from a machine, but that meant we could help ourselves with as much as we wanted, not waiting (forever in some hotels) for a second or third cup. All told, the Sheraton Genova was a pleasant surprise and we would highly recommend it to anyone, whether as a base for tourism or as a business hotel. Here's the website where you can see photos which actually give a good idea of what to expect: [----]

In June 2005 and June 2006, we stayed one night at the end of a two week Italian Riviera vacation. Both years we checked in early in the day and left to explore Genoa. Genoa is an interesting and sometimes beautiful city. As our flight out each year was extremely early in the morning, after spending the day in Genoa exploring, we enjoyed long showers, air conditioning, cocktails in the bar, and a truly memorable meal in the restaurant. The wait staff in both the bar and restaurant are first class. The food is exemplary especially compared to what you get at airport hotels in the US. I wouldn't vacation here as it is literally at the airport but for late arrivals to Italy or early departures, it is perfect.