Subject: Re: La Spezia
My suggestion: do not stay in La Spezia, go a few kilometers down the coast to Portovenere. There is a 5-star hotel with a location that will make you drool. It is the Gran Hotel Portovenere:

http://www.rphotels.com/ghp/

I stayed in both towns, and would not bother again to stay in La Spezia. Portovenere, although smaller is much more picturesque, with many wonderful walks, churches, crumbling castles, and vistas to explore.

Joel