Castello Malaspina di Fosdinovo

The place it’s beautiful, the views are great and the staff it’s super helpful it’s a place full of history and great to leave everything behind and just enjoy Nothing

The Drive up was beautiful! Scenery stunning! Open and welcoming!

Great experience staying in a real castle mainly because it was such a unique experience. Only 10 rooms were open since we went during the off season, so we were glad that there was another family there with 12 people. Otherwise, it would have been a little,scary being the only ones in the castle! You were permitted to walk through all the areas of the castle that were open. The view from the top was magnificent. Dinner at the village restaurant was very good. The stew was excellant. This is the only place to eat on the top of the mountain, so be prepared to wait until they are open at 7:30. Not sure if they were open for lunch. We were served a very nice breakfast by a lovely server in a small room in the castle. It was VERY hard to actually find the hotel. I thought it would just be the castle hotel on the hill, but it was actually surrounded by a small village where people lived. Apparently, the sign directing you to the hotel was stolen. It was raining and we were getting very frustrated trying to find the entrance to the hotel. My traveling partner finally called and got a hold of someone that directed us to the entrance. I was informed that a message letting us know how to get to the hotel was sent to me through Booking.com, however, I didn’t see the message. Also, if driving up from the Pisa area, it is a very long drive. GPS said 1.5 hours but it actually took us 2.5 hours. I think it was due to the fact that the road signs said 90 km per hours, but the roads were narrow and windy so we only went about 55 km per hour. Do not try to park inside the village. Very narrow openings and only a few spots to park outside the hotel. Park on the road right before the entrance. Bed was extremely uncomfortable-sunk down on both sides, with a hump in the middle.

The unique nature and the ability to explore the castle was a bonus. Beautiful views as well. Breakfast was very good. The staff were wonderful. We quite enjoyed our stay.

Everything was great!

Incredible property! Ancient but comfortably updated! Beautiful breakfast!

If you need WiFi it does not reach the rooms and is okay in the common space. Keep in mind check in must be completed by a certain time.

What’s NOT to like about this property! It was the chance of a lifetime and well worth the one day/night stay on the way from Cinque Terre to Florence. The staff was warm and accommodating not to mention the wonderful breakfast! The history envelopes you the minute you step off the bus (#45 from Sarzana.) Nothing

Parking was a challenge.

The breakfast was so lovely with warm toast and fresh jam at our table! Also salami and cheese and the yogurt and toppings were wonderful. We brought picnic food and ate on the turret at sunset. Bring your own as nothing is offered! There were no clear instructions to the entrance. When we did find it with help of calling the hotel, he should have come down and helped park and take the luggage… but we had to pull the luggage up a huge amount of castle stone hills…while the check in waited at the top. Then he carried them up many stairs. We had to carry them down. This place needs to offer luggage and parking assistance! There was a strong wind that night and staff did not secure the shutters or doors and there was banging all night long! No sleep! The blanket and bed cover with the cheep egg shell foam under the sheet. Just get better mattresses!! They were dated… they need to invest in modern duvet covers and lighter more modern blankets. I felt like I was at my grandmothers in 1970. The towels were rough, not soft and fluffy. One reviewer said there was an apertibo and wine offered. There was nothing! No food, no restaurant… so plan ahead and bring your own. They do sell wine at the gift shop which closes early, so get one if you did not plan ahead!

What a fabulous place to stay! So much fun to explore everywhere. Gorgeous views. Absolutely delicious breakfast. Lovely people. Couldn't find registration so we wandered around the village a little bit until we found someone that's spoke enough English to guide us back to the castle entrance. Not a big deal at all, but a little sign with an arrow would be sufficient and helpful.

It was amazing to stay in an old castle!! The staff were all great and it was a very unique part of our vacation. The history of the castle and surrounding area was exciting to explore! Some great dinner options nearby as well. Took a taxi to the castle on the weekend and the bus back on a weekday. For the bus - don’t worry about buying a ticket ahead of time, there are contactless payment options on the bus. Bus route with a couple stops goes along the main road. One small thing we ran into - the hornets were very active and made sitting outside challenging at times.

This was one of the most unique places I’ve ever stayed. We loved getting to explore the castle! The views are amazing. A bonus was the additional apertivo with wine in the evening. I highly recommend partaking in this. The breakfast was also amazing, and the staff were very friendly. Be aware the town is very quiet with limited shop hours. Check restaurant availability/hours in advance. This was not a deterrent for us but something to keep in mind.

It's a unique place. Our visit was not relaxing at all. The check in was rushed. We were shown into our room but given the wrong key. We were locked out of our room. Nobody answered the telephone. There was nobody on site. All our possessions (clothes, toiletries, medicines, chargers, laptop, toothbrushes) were locked in the room overnight. We searched around the castle at night to find the room to the key we were given. Luckily we did. Despite messaging to say we would be at the reception desk in the morning, the receptionist did not tell us it would be closed so we waited for someone to turn up with the correct key. We then found the breakfast team who were very helpful but it would have been nice to be able to shower and wear clean clothes. We were given a small pot of jam as a token of appreciation for the horrible night.

Guests are given the keys to the castle and invited to roam about at their leisure. The tour was informative. Breakfast was wonderful as well as the serving staff. The host was exceptional and made my stay memorable. Do try the appertivio offered for 20 Euros per person. Quite lovely.

This place is absolutely incredible. I had an absolutely magical stay. The views, the easy access to the small town, and the charm of this place makes it worth staying multiple times. The breakfast was incredible. The staff was so lovely. The VIEWS. I had so much fun exploring the castle. The beds were even comfortable in my bedroom that was full of character. I would come back again and again! The hot water was extremely hot and came out of a different spigot than the cold water, so washing my hands and face was complicated.

Very welcoming staff and excellent breakfast. Room was spacious and well decorated.

Incredible stay in the castle fabulous experience No A/C in the castle!

We have stayed in many castles around Europe looking for places which would give us first hand experience with the past, valuing authenticity, hospitality and personality of the hosts. We can assure that Castello Malaspina di Fosdinovo is in the top of our list of favourites. This property that goes back to the 11th century is still in possession of the Malaspina family and the current owner Pietro comes to stay in his family “country house” every year. The concept of making it a home to the guests where they can freely explore the castle rooms and halls filled with authentic furniture and artefacts is brilliant. Many thanks to Ambra for being a fantastic host!

This place is magical! A very old but still very beautiful castle that made us feel like royalty. I loved the freedom to explore the property, the perks of tea, water and biscuits. And the breakfast was fantastic! Really wanted to stay longer! I would love a tour of the property with information about the history.