Just got back from 7 nights at the Vis a Vis. The website doesn't really give you an accurate impression of the rooms which are a little on the old fashioned side. But the views from the bar area and restaurant incredible. Staff were brilliant and the place is well located for the town centre and railway station which is close by.

We just returned from our first trip to Italy. We stayed at Hotel Vis a Vis from April 22-24. We were enroute from Siena to Venice to conclude our trip and were staying in Liguria to hike through Cinque Terre - which was amazing! We chose Sestri Levante since it was only a 1/2 hr train ride to Cinque Terre. The views from Vis a Vis were outstanding. We had been on a waiting list for a seaview room and I am so glad we ended up getting an opening! The rooms themselves are extremely basic, and after staying in a four star hotel in Tuscany, vastly different considering it was also a four star property. This didn't bother us too much however, since the view was incredible. We had booked on a half-board basis which included a buffet breakfast and a set menu for dinner each night. Despite the perfect location of the restaurant, the food left a lot to be desired. Perhaps this is since we were on their set menu plan as opposed to a la carte. Some courses were satisfactory, but others were overcooked and tasteless. Breakfast was ample in the morning however, and if I were to return to Vis a Vis, I would probably just go with their breakfast plan and eat dinner elsewhere. We didn't have time to use their pool or hot tub facilities, but they looked very inviting. All in all if you are looking for a hotel to soak in the views, and a launching point for other day excursions in the Italian Riviera, Vis a Vis is not a bad choice, but be sure to request a seaview room!

We were driving from Nice to Florence and were looking for an inexpesive hotel to break the journey. We picked Sestri Levante and the Hotel Vis a Vis as one of the four star hotels in the town. The hotel was position on top of a hill with fantastic views over the bays of the town and up the coast towards Portofino. The room was quite small but adequate for an over-night stop. The hotel was very quiet so ventured into the town for something to eat and joined the locals promenading up and down the pedestrianised main road. The following morning we had breakfast in the restaurant which was on the upper floor with great views but limlited menu.

Siamo stati al Hotel Vis a Vis per il mio compleanno nel novembre 2005 ed e' stato un weekend fantastico. L'hotel ha una vista mozzafiato sulla baia e con l'ascensore arrivi direttamente in centro di Sestri. Il personale e' molto gentile e il cibo e' stato ottimo! Addirittura il maitre sapendo che festeggiavamo il mio compleanno mi ha fatto una sopresa facendomi preparare un'ottima torta!!! Spero di ritornarci presto perche' e' stata una meravigliosa esperienza.

The Vis-à-vis is built into the side of a promontory above Sestri Levante, affording spectacular views of the Gulf of Tigulio and the Bays of Silence and Fables on either side of the peninsula of old Sestri. It is reached from street level through a tunnel and an elevator to the reception level. The pokey elevator only holds five, so it can be a bit of a bottleneck if you’re arriving with a group. Alternatively, you can walk up the steep switchback driveway to the lobby entrance. A second set of elevators carries you to the guest rooms on floors 1-3, the restaurant on 4 and the terrace bar and pool area on the 5th. Our room (#310) was seaside with a balcony and a lovely view of the Bay of Silence and the peninsula. While on the small side (though not for Europe), it was nicely paneled and furnished with two large wardrobes on either side of the double twin beds made up as one, a desk, mini-bar & safe, and a unit of drawers. It reminded us of a nice veranda cabin on a cruise ship; indeed, the hotel was built by a former sea captain. The room was quiet and the bed comfortable. The TV was small, but we never watched it. The bathroom was attractively tiled; the area between the toilet and the shower stall was a bit cramped. The shower had ample hot water with good pressure. The bathrobes supplied with the room are a nice touch. The hotel’s staff and service were excellent in all respects, friendly and prompt. One day we forgot to use a converter and blew the room’s electrical circuits; within 2 minutes of calling the desk, housekeeping was there to reset the breakers. When we needed a taxi, it arrived exactly on time. The dining room with its huge picture windows was beautiful in the morning with the sun streaming in. You could see all the way across the gulf to the cruise ships arriving at Portofino. Breakfasts featured an ample selection of juices, fruits, pastries, yogurt, cereals, cold-cuts and rolls, plus eggs and even bacon. Waiters bring the coffee to your table. Dinners were delicious, enhanced by the views of the twinkling lights of the bay. We were with a group, so we ordered off a fixed menu, but the courses were varied and creative throughout our 7-night stay. Luigi, the dining room chief, takes delight in describing the choices in some detail. There are salad and dessert buffets, the latter being particularly hard to resist. The wine list is fairly extensive and includes a page of Ligurian wines, several of which we enjoyed. The house wines were decent also. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Vis-à-vis and, if we are ever so lucky as to be back in the area, would definitely stay there again.