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Overlooking the legendary Cinque Terre, Ligurian coastline and the Levanto Valley would alone be reason enough to stay at this off the beaten track small boutique hotel.
Wrapped in aged honeyed stonework, La Sosta di Ottone III is a fabulous small boutique hotel and restaurant perched high in the wonderfully preserved (car-free, shop-free) hillside village of Chiesanuova, close to the legendary Cinque Terre on the Ligurian coast – a must-do Mediterranean beauty spot on the Italian Riviera.
Dating back to the 16thcentury, La Sosta has been completely restored working closely with local artisans. Gelato pastels and chalked whites perfectly frame the eye-candy vistas and usher the essence of slow-living Ligurian culture.
The suite-sized rooms are decked in antiques and designer pieces from Italy, which are paired with contemporary furnishings, crisp cottons, raw damask, parquet floors and scatter rugs – a design marriage of chic country-house with a patina of cool elegance.
The alfresco terrace and dining rooms – with wood, slate and marble, have also been lovingly restored creating our favourite spot from breakfast to dinner - a fab retreat for sun-set drinks, or an evening plate of fresh seafood pasta while absorbing the heady scents of pines.
Named after the spot where Otto III stayed on his way to his coronation in Rome in 996, La Sosta (stopover) is worthy of a longer stay, with easy walking access to the legendary Cinque Terre, this boutique hotel lost in the hillsides of Liguria is the perfect bijou retreat for those seeking culture, flair and soul – infinity views included.
Under the pleasing motto of tradition & heritage, Ligurian classics headline the foodie mantra of being local, fresh and authentic. Produce from the land and the sea paired with wines produced on the doorstep, deliver an uncomplicated taste of the region on a plate. The Chef, as indeed the Sommelier, are both true locals and embue a natural passion for everything that Luguria produces from the coast to the organic farms.
Breakfast is packed with sunshine goodness; farm-to-table cheeses, eggs, homemade jams, traditional cakes and breads, cured meats and fresh fruits.
Order a take-away picnic – rural inspired treats for trekking or a day on the beach.
Being the only restaurant in the medieval village means La Sosta Restaurant, loved by hotel guests alike, is popular and with good reason. Menu options feature from 2-course Bistro to our pick, the 5-course plus dessert Discover Dinner - from delicious Ravioletti Croccanti to house-made Tiramisù de la Sosta.
Being submerged into the wine region of Levanto Valley and the Cinque Terre vineyards, La Sosta has a great cellar and offers wine tasting events for guests.
Angela & Fabio simply love everything that is Ligurian and you immediately get the sense that this couple fell in love not only with this corner of Northern Italy, but with this very spot upon which the aged house presides. Angela & Fabio are the behind the scenes creative duo, and have found a wonderful host team that run La Sosta di Ottone III - each a character, each as local as Liguria itself.
In 2002 the owners Fabio Graziani and Angela Fenwick set about the renovation of this house and turned it into an understatedly elegant and welcoming small hotel and kitchen that is “as Ligurian as the landscape.”
La Sosta di Ottone III sits in the tiny hillside hamlet of Chiesanuova, a few kilometres from the Cinque Terre in Liguria, northern Italy. The car-free (parking 150 metres from the hotel) medieval village is the perfect rest-bite location – this sleepy hamlet is a rare find, perfectly preserved with Monterosso, the first of the Cinque Terre just 5 km away, as indeed is the Levanto seaside resort.
La Sosta’s unique location means it is best suited for active travellers who travel light, with the ancient foot paths leading right from hotel front door.
Venture further afield with the ferry services from Levanto: In the summer, there are regular ferry services to the Cinque Terre, Portofino and Genova as well as boat rentals where visitors can hire canoes, paddle boats or a motor boat by the hour or for the day.
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