A tiny Ligurian fishing village with a harbour full of superyachts and pastel buildings, Portofino is a postcard come to life. And looking down on all of it from a terraced hillside is Splendido, a 16th-century Benedictine monastery that the monks abandoned after one too many Saracen pirate raids. In the 1800s, Baron Baratta turned it into his summer pile, in 1902 it became a hotel, and, since then, it's been the Riviera's hideout for Hollywood, European royalty and everyone in between. A multi-year refresh by designer Martin Brudnizki came to an end in 2025, and today, the hotel is light, fresh, and irresistibly glamorous.
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Martin Brudnizki channeled the Ligurian coast through every detail of the rooms, from hand-painted walls and ceilings to lace curtains that lift in the breeze and headboards upholstered in patterned fabric woven twenty minutes up the road. Traditional Midollino cane, Albissola ceramics and wicker bathroom vanities anchor the look in local craft. Most rooms face the sea – and some have balconies and private terraces big enough to breakfast on – while a handful overlook the gardens or village instead.
The traditional gozzo boat that waits on the jetty, the captain ready to whisk you round the headland to San Fruttuoso, a secluded medieval abbey reachable only by water or on foot.
Order a Negroni with Portofino Dry Gin at the new Baratta Sedici bar. Settle in before dinner as the evening light shifts to pink across the harbour below.
The hotel closes from roughly November to March, so it's one for spring, summer or early-autumn travellers.
Start with a recommended trip or create one from scratch
Belmond Hotel Splendido can be booked with Timbuktu as part of a tailor-made Italy trip, rather than as a standalone room reservation. Start online, customising one of our recommended Italy trips featuring Belmond Hotel Splendido or get advice and suggestions from one of our Italy specialists who will design the trip around your dates, check availability and handle every booking for you.
Stays at Belmond Hotel Splendido start from around $1.5K, or US$1.5K, per person per night as part of a tailor-made trip. The exact price depends on your travel dates, room type and the shape of the rest of your itinerary. A Timbuktu travel specialist can give you an accurate quote for your dates.
A tiny harbour village where Riviera glamour meets impossibly pretty scenery.
