Holiday Accommodation in Liguria

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Holiday Accommodation in Liguria

As tourism is a primary industry in Liguria, the region has a wide array of holiday accommodation options.

Types of accommodation include hostels, hotels, day hotels, bed and breakfasts, affittacamere, religious institutions, agriturismi, camp sites and alpine huts.

Accommodation is differentiated by a star system that is controlled by the government. The star rating acts only as a guideline and may not be consistent across regions as tax is levied according to the number of stars a hotel has and therefore some hoteliers may try to keep the number of stars low despite having accommodation of a higher quality.

Checking In

All guests must be declared to the local authorities and under Italian law it is illegal to have unregistered guests. On arrival the reception desk will need to see passports/identity papers and may keep them for a limited amount of time to allow them to complete the legally-required documentation.

Types of Accommodation

Hostels

Hostels (ostello della gioventù) are competitively priced and ideal for those travelling on a budget, a feature of hostels in Europe is the shared, dormitory-style bedrooms and bathrooms.

There is a good smattering of youth hostels in the region including the coast's most dramatically located hostel in Savona, Youth Hostel De Franceschini, which is situated inside the fortress in Savona and has fantastic sea views.

• For Youth Hostels & Backpackers in Liguria, see The AngloFILE: Click here

Holders of an International Youth Hostelling (Associazione Italiana Alberghi per la Gioventù/AIG) membership card are eligible to stay at over 100 hostels throughout Italy. Membership is available to people of all ages and families are also welcome. To obtain a card, contact the AIG.

• A.I.G. (Associazione Italiana Alberghi per la Gioventù)
  At: Via Cavour 44, 00184 Rome
  Tel: 064 871 152
  Fax: 064 880 492
  Website 
  e-mail

Hotels

Hotels range from simple bed & breakfasts to top-end exclusive hotels in resorts such as Santa Margherita and Portofino. In the latter, accommodation is particularly scarce and expensive.

What were formerly known as pensions (pensioni) are now known as hotels.

• See The AngloFILE for Hotels in Liguria

Day Hotels

Day hotels (alberghi diurni) are generally located near railroad stations and in city centres. They do not offer overnight accommodation, but instead offer a place to bathe, check baggage, make telephone calls, do laundry and nap, among other things. Operating hours are usually 06:00 to midnight.

Bed and breakfasts

B&Bs offer accommodation (and breakfast) in a private home. Most B&Bs have communal lounge and dining areas and guests have a private room, though they may sometimes share a bathroom. Regional law regulates the number of rooms available per B&B; in Liguria B&Bs may have no more than three rooms (and six beds total).

Affittacamere

Similar to a B&B, though not always serving food, affittacamere are also regionally regulated. In Liguria, there can only be three to six rooms (and no more than 12 beds total) in an affittacamere. For extended stays of more than one week, the room must be cleaned at least once a week (and linen must be changed). Hot water and heating must be available at all times.

Religious institutions

Some monasteries, convents and other religious institutions offer accommodation. These institutions often have dress codes, curfews and fraternization guidelines as most are still operational. Reservations must usually be made through direct contact with the institution. Contact the local tourist information office for contact details.

Agritourisms (Agriturismi)

These are usually family-run farm estates offering accommodation to tourists. Camping is sometimes allowed and food is usually produced on the estate itself. There are many agriturismi in Liguria spread across the provinces of Imperia, Savona, Genoa and La Spezia.

Camping & Caravanning (campeggio)

Campsites abound along the full length of the Ligurian coast as well as in certain localities inland. They are rated on a one to four star system. There is no camp site in La Spezia itself although there is a good choice in the surrounding towns.

• For campsites & caravan parks in Liguria, see The AngloFILE: Click here 
• For a guide to campsites in Italy see the website Campeggi or Camping.it 

Camping "wild" is illegal in Italy unless you have the permission of the landowner. It is illegal to light fires when camping in the wild.

Alpine Huts

The Club Alpino Italian owns and operates hundreds of alpine huts throughout the mountains of Italy which offer accommodation and food for climbers and hikers. Most of these huts are only accessible by hiking trail or 4-wheel drive vehicle.

• To search for alpine hut rentals in the mountains of Liguria, by mountain group or region: Click here (in Italian)
  

Glossary of Terms

Further Information

• For information on all of these accommodation options, contact the Liguria Tourist Board
• Genoa Tourism Office (Genova Turismo)
  At: Piazza Acquaverde, Genoa (GE)
  Tel: 010 246 2633
  Website
  

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