Carrodano Inferiore Vacations from $1,411

Great breakfast, attentive staff

I chose this hotel based on a friend’s recommendation, mainly because of its private beach. What I didn’t expect was that access to the beach comes with very steep extra charges — sunbeds start at €150 per day depending on their location. When you add this to the already high room rates, the value just doesn’t add up. Reaching the beach is also inconvenient: you have to walk or get a cart across the street, which takes away from the “private beach” appeal. Once there, the food at the beach bar was disappointing and well below expectations. On the positive side, the hotel itself is stylish, the décor is beautiful, and the breakfast was excellent. However, our room was extremely small — we could barely open our suitcases — and the hotel layout feels scattered and oddly designed. Several other travelers told us that there are very good hotels right on the beach, closer to the city center, and at much more reasonable prices. Overall, hotel Augustus is chic and visually impressive, but between the cramped rooms, scattered design, hidden costs, and underwhelming beach experience, it doesn’t live up to what you pay.

The staff was very friendly and helpful.