Where to Stay Beyond Le Cinque Terre: La Sosta di Ottone III

Want to get to know le Cinque Terre unlike anyone else has? Stop (no pun intended) at La Sosta di Ottone III.

What if I told you there was a place where you could bask and sleep in the history of the Cinque Terre, taste your way through its UNESCO world heritage, get to know the locals of the area, and experience the land unlike any other way through curated and educated excursions and experiences in and outside the property. Finding lodging is easy, but finding an all-encompassing and rich immersive experience is not. It was by rare chance that I came across a boutique hotel in the Cinque Terre area that seamlessly blends itself into its natural surroundings, while offering an intimate experience that hits on all four of these rare components that make for a transcendental stay. Want to get to know le Cinque Terre unlike anyone else has? Welcome to La Sosta di Ottone III.

This was one of the first things I was told when I got off the monorail at La Sosta di Ottone III, a boutique hotel located in the Cinque Terre Levanto area nestled in the cute, medieval hillside hamlet of Chiesanuova. The easiest way to access the boutique hotel is via an agricultural-inspired monorail system, similar to that of a farmer or vintner. You call the monorail down using the intercom, lift the red bar, place your luggage in the middle, take a seat, and enjoy the ride up. The ride is very slow, it takes about 5 minutes to get to the top, and safe. As you start your ascent, the green valley starts to reveal dotted medieval hamlets and the Mediterranean sea in the distance. It may seem a bit scary, but I promise you, it’s not as bad as you think. The alternative is to walk through the town, but it’s a bit of a hill.

As we get to the top we are greeted by Valentina, who gives us a tour of the boutique hotel and overview of its services con calma (no rush). La Sosta di Ottone III has a fascinating history and has been exceptionally well-kept by its current owner, Angela. Angela has gone above and beyond making sure that its history and that of the Cinque Terre UNESCO area are evoked at every touch point throughout the boutique hotel and beyond, from the bedroom to excursions.

Originally Canadian, Angela has spent the majority of her life living abroad, specifically in Italy. Growing up she lived in Milan. On the weekends, her family used to take her out to Liguria where she instantly fell in love with the area. In 2003, she purchased a national trust protected building, the property today known as La Sosta di Ottone III. The boutique hotel got it’s name because legend has it that Otto III slept in this building, or at least in this area, on his way down to be crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire back in 998! In Italian La Sosta literally means, the stop. The outside structure of the boutique hotel as you see it today, has been untouched since the 16th century, but internal renovations have turned it into a 6 bedroom, Michelin-starred restaurant that seamlessly blends in with its natural medieval environment with a modern and clean take.

I honestly didn’t expect La Sosta di Ottone III to equip us so extraordinarily well with everything we needed to navigate the area upon arrival. Valentina presented us with a local parking pass valid for use in the city of Levanto. I cannot emphasize how USEFUL it is to have a local parking pass. If there is one expense that sneaks up on you in Italy, it’s parking. If you’re not there to refill the parking meter in time, park in the limited traffic area or zona a traffico limitato at the wrong time of day, or park in a locals only area, you get a hefty fine. Having access to a local parking pass made dropping off the car care-free. It especially came in handy for when we decided to visit Le Cinque Terre. The city of Levanto is just a 5-minute train ride from Le Cinque Terre, so we were able to drop our car off at the train station with our local parking pass. In addition to the parking pass, they provided us with a map of the area, some suggestions for what to do and what to see, a timetable with train times for Le Cinque Terre, and the night’s dinner menu before heading up to our room.

The first floor includes the check-in area and a shaded patio area with views of the neighboring hillside. A small nook hidden behind the patio makes for the perfect spot to read a book and enjoy the stunning view. From here you see the forested hillsides boasting trees lining the top of the hills, zig zagged cropped lands, hiking trails, and roads. One of the highlights of this area is hiking through the 20 colorful medieval hamlets you see dotted across the hills. Each hamlet is connected to one another by paths making it easy to explore and of course each one has a sea view!

Our bedroom was on the third floor of La Sosta di Ottone III. Each bedroom is named after a member of Otto III’s life. We were staying in the room where supposedly the promised wife of Emperor Otto III, Zoe, slept. The room is simple and clean. White beams expose the original architecture of the room, while hints of black on the window sills and door frames and splashes of turquoise on the window shutters bring color to the room. I threw myself back onto the double bed to observe the exposed wooden beams. The bed felt enormous, the mattress was super comfortable, and they doubled up on pillows (yes!). A splash of turquoise brought my eyes from the stark, white ceiling to the right hand side of the room.

Each room at La Sosta di Ottone III has a specific work of art dedicated Le Cinque Terre area. I went to observe a series of 5 hand drawn sketches hung up along our wall by Genoese painter Gregorio Giannotta. Each frame depicted one of the Cinque Terre towns on top of a large sperm whale. Whales are one of Giannotta’s signature images in his artwork. Fun fact, there are a lot of whales in this area so a sighting isn’t a rare occurrence. The art in my opinion was a commentary on how humans are not the center of this world, but are subject to the rules of nature. It’s perhaps a commentary on the UNESCO area of the le Cinque Terre as well.

The room came with a desk and mini-fridge with tea bags, instant coffee, complimentary soft drinks, wine, and waters, and my favorite…focaccia secca or dry focaccia! For those who don’t know, focaccia secca is unlike regular focaccia in that it doesn’t have yeast.

Our bathroom was incredibly spacious for European standards and elegant with rosso levanto marble floors. It had a his and her sink and, my personal favorite, olive oil based amenities. From our windows, we had a view of Chiesanuova and the neighboring medieval hamlet of Ridarolo in the distance.

As mentioned previously, the crown jewel of La Sosta di Ottone III (no pun intended) is the room where Otto III supposedly stayed on his way down for his coronation. After taking a quick peek at the room, it truly is worthy of an Emperor. The color and style was very different than our white Zoe room, but still simple and upscale. Blue walls were brightened with yellow frames around the door and windows that brought in ample light into the room. Simple wooden furnishings, red rugs, and golden mirrors add an extra touch of elegance or royalty to the room.

But my favorite part had to be the Carrara marble bathtub. White marble from head to ceiling with exposed wooden beams on the top. This is the bathtub I would want to lay in after a day trekking the UNESCO landscaped terraces of Le Cinque Terre.

It was 4PM, the perfect time of day to go out and explore the area, so we took our parking pass, recommendations from La Sosta di Ottone III, and made our way down to Levanto. We spent the afternoon walking the old abandoned railway track now turned into a seaside promenade and exploring two of Le Cinque Terre, Vernazza and Monterosso. That evening, we headed back to La Sosta for a Discovery tasting dinner, a sensorial immersion into the land. What makes La Sosta unique beyond the building’s stunning design, maintenance, location, and history is its mission. La Sosta di Ottone III is truly meant to help people slow down, take in the real local culture of Liguria beyond Le Cinque Terre, and understand its UNESCO land and people.

What La Sosta does so gracefully is cultivate its strong relationships with the locals in the area. They work with various businesses, owners, and entrepreneurs to promote a different aspect of Ligurian culture. Everything at La Sosta has an origin story. The artwork, hand-selected is made by friends of the owner or local artists from the area, the wines are curated based on local vintners from the area, the food locally sourced with an origin story for almost every single ingredient, and the excursions both on-site and off-site, made with a sense of purpose. Each element encompasses an immense amount of fun and is an experience for the senses, but what La Sosta does so well is make each experience educational without you even realizing it.

That night, following our Discovery tasting dinner, we went to bed with the clamoring of thunder in the background. A summer thunderstorm hit us that night, I hadn’t slept that peacefully in days. Hearing the pitter patter of the rain on the terracotta roof above my head and window sill lulled me to sleep. The next morning we woke up to the sound of fainter rain. We found 2 rainbow colored umbrellas placed outside our door. How thoughtful of La Sosta di Ottone III to keep us well-equipped once again! Since we couldn’t enjoy breakfast outside due to the rain, we stayed indoors.

Breakfast was simple and included a variety of farm-to-table foods. We were served coffee of our choosing and a small pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice. A small wooden table in the corner was rich in hard boiled eggs, newly baked ciambella cake, seasonal fruits, frittata, a variety of cheeses and salamis, local jams, and granola and yogurts.

Each experience and encounter was as local as the people working at La Sosta di Ottone III. When you speak to the staff of La Sosta di Ottone III, you hear the passion in their voice and the respect and regard they have for their land and the mission at La Sosta. This boutique hotel exceeds at maintaining and supporting strong ties within the local community and sharing their relationships with the outside world. Sure Vernazza, Manarola, Corniglia and the rest of the Cinque Terre are a beautiful part of the UNESCO land, but it’s time to look beyond le Cinque Terre. What else encompasses this vast and rich area. La Sosta di Ottone III is here to show you. Rooms start at $240+ p/night.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for La Sosta di Ottone III. I want to thank Angela for creating such an amazing, immersive, and unique experience in the heart of this wonderful area. The passion you and your staff have for this area is truly seen at every touchpoint. All opinions remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company. 

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