Back when Brigitte Bardot was on her first stray cat, Hotel Riviera and its beach club would have been the coolest place to stay. The old school charm and elegance remains and as long as you don’t demand 21st century luxury, this is still a delightful place to stay. It’s a 20-min taxi ride out of Trieste, so be prepared to stay for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but the fabulous views more than make up for the lack of choice. We loved our two-night stay in a deluxe room with generous balcony, but like the best of love affairs, there were highs… and there were lows.

Breakfast. It’s not hard these days to offer a wide selection of fresh fruit and smoothies, many variations of eggs and all the cold meats and cake demanded by European guests - but somehow Hotel Riviera manages to take us back to Edwardian boil-your-own-egg machines and dangerous urns spitting boiling water at guests. But then the feeble morning offerings are in direct contrast to the hotel’s fabulous sunset dinners on the terrace (although the food does pale after several days without any changes to the menu). I’m very torn with Hotel Riviera - I love its vintage style which reminds me of holidays with my grandparents. But it could really do with being dragged into the 20th century - God forbid the 21st!!

A very good example of the "you get what you pay for". Albeit pricey, this hotel is outstanding. I've never had a more beautiful view in all the hotels I've stayed in. The rooms are elegant and with good taste. You can see they are a little bit worn out from the years of use, but they are well maintained and cleaned. Getting a room with the sea view is a must. Just be careful not to chose one on the ground floor because those don't have such a good view and they lack privacy (the balconies are in the shared garden). The staff is friendly and very professional. Parking is generous. They have spaces for your car both along the road as well as inside the premises. The breakfast selection was limited but very delicious. By the third day it becomes repetitive, but it is so well made that you will feel full a big part of the day. The hotel's restaurant is lovely, but do keep in mind that its menu mostly consists of fish options. Our room was also very silent and we weren't disturbed by any neighbours.

Our only minor complaint is that our matrimonial bed was made by placing together two smaller ones. They kept sliding apart and making a gap that we almost fell through at night. They also didn't have big enough bedsheets and 'sandwiched' two mattress covers into a makeshift duvet cover that quickly got tangled constantly. The pillows were also very stiff and uncomfortable.

My room was on the ground floor but still the sea view and sunset moments are very peaceful and beautiful.. the Balcony was tiny .. the room is perfect clean and good equipped.. there were one small problem with the hair dryer and shower head .. these small problems were solved directly.. breakfast was perfect and delicious. The Stuff are very kind ; in the Reception , Room service, Spa, Beach .. the location is perfect because it is in a quiet area with private beach , outside the city this advantage, has a disadvantage which you need to walk around 10 minutes to the next bus station .. Trieste is a great city full of history and culture.

Maybe the Menu of Dinner need to be more diverse.. but the food was very tasty and special.

Beautiful boutique hotel near Trieste. The breakfast and dining area provides an absolute stunning view on the Gulf of Trieste. The staff were all very friendly. Loved the "private beach" (concrete slab as there seem to be no sandy beaches in this area) where you get clean towels, seat and umbrella. It was always very calm, perfect to relax, read a book and get into the sea every now and then. Also loved that it is walking distance to Castle Miramare, which has a beautiful freely accessible garden. One of those rare occasions where the pictures actually undersell the place, so our expectations were exceeded.

The car park was a tad too small if you drive a modern car. Walking the dog was easy, but there isn't always dedicated sidewalks on the main roads which feels a bit unsafe.

Very nice view, very nice rooms, amazing breakfast and amazing staff. The waterfront is very nice and you can access it with an elevator. It is a little bit outside of triest, but with a car this is no problem.

We had dinner once at the Hotel and the food wasn't good but very expensive.

Very close to Miramar castle, easy approach from the main road, and has nice parking, great staff, and great breakfast. We were in the room with a sea view and it was really quiet at night and very peaceful. Nice style, beautiful garden, great sea view. You also get slippers, all the possible toiletries, a minibar (expensive though), and a safe. The bed was really good and comfortable.

Our hairdryer didn't work when we came in the room - but they replaced it immediately on our request with the new one and they were very polite.

This is a beautiful hotel in a spectacular location, with super friendly and helpful staff, and nice rooms with very comfortable beds.

Two things prevented me from giving a perfect score of 10: (a) the elevator music in the breakfast room was unbearably awful. For someone who likes good music, this is akin to torture. For most people, it may not be such a big issue, but for music lovers with sensitivity to music, it could be a dealbreaker. (b) I asked for the heating to be turned down, but the heating in my bathroom could not be turned down and as a result, it felt like a sauna. In the room itself, the air conditioning/heating was set at 23 degrees and could also not be regulated easily. At night, it was far too hot, and I had to open the windows, which then led to cold air streaming in. A room that would otherwise have been supremely comfortable was therefore never really comfortable.

The hotel has the best setting overlooking the Adriatic Sea - beautiful view from our room We stayed two different times and had different rooms. Each time the view from the room was great and peaceful. Picture perfect view The breakfast was exceptional Tommy really was very attentif to our needs and made the breakfast experience most pleasurable Gabriel at the reception is extremely professional yet personable We also had our diners at the hotel. The food -we had the sea bass -was exceptional and the service was professional Comparing other hotel location during our stay in Trieste. This is by far the best location with the perfect setting.

I do not have any suggestion at this time We were completely charmed by this hotel. This is the highlight of our Adriatic vacation

The location is unmatched. The staff is excellent. The lobby is like a homely living room and feels like working at home but with a sea view. The restaurant was superb; it has to be noted that it is not a budget option, but similar restaurants in the city will charge the same... so it is a very comfortable, fine dining option near your room. Breakfast was fantastic, and the morning waiter, Tommy, was great. The fact that you get real coffee from the kitchen and not from some terrible self-serving machine set next to the pancakes is noteworthy extra value for your money. Parking is easy and safe.

Pretty much everything! The hotel and restaurant staff are exceptionally helpful, the location is stunning with magnificent views. The hotel is spotlessly clean and very high standard with ample onsite parking and a good breakfast choice. There is a lido with a reasonably priced beach bar, accessed by a lot of steps down the cliff or a lift accessed via a walkway. The onsite restaurant on the terrace is a quality fine dining experience though the menu is limited the choice being mainly seafood and fish and, some may think, a bit on the pricey side. That said, for the experience and the view of the sunset while you eat you just have to go at least once! Be warned! If you do take your car into Trieste itself, car parking is at a premium when the cruise ships are docked.

Nothing basically but it would only be fair to say for those travellers without a car this hotel could prove a challenge as it is a fair distance outside of central Trieste. That said, in a nearby village of Grignano there are two restaurants with dubious quality but the positive here is the small bus stop. From there you can catch the Line 6 bus into the centre of Trieste. It runs to 11pm and twice an hour after 8pm and you get the return to Grignano from outside of the railway station. Another reviewer said taxis were expensive so we avoided those.