Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino – pink above the bay

Above Portofino's crowded little harbour, a steep lane called Salita Baratta climbs through olive terraces to a rose and ochre palazzo that has watched yachts arrive since the turn of the twentieth century. The building began as a Benedictine monastery, ransacked so often by Saracen pirates that the monks abandoned it, after which the four-storey building fell into disrepair until the Genoese aristocrat Baron Baratta bought it and converted it into a family summer house. In 1901 the building was purchased by Ruggero Valentini, who transformed it into a hotel that opened in 1902. Belmond took the reins in 1985 and has run it since. Through the 1950s and 60s it became the required address of Hollywood on holiday: Clark Gable in 1952, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Groucho Marx and Ava Gardner in 1954 all signed in, alongside the Duke of Windsor, Winston Churchill and Rex Harrison. After three years of meticulous restoration, Splendido reopened in June 2025 after a renovation by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, which reimagined it in the spirit of a private Italian villa. The MICHELIN Guide awards it Three Keys.

01The house

Monks built on this south-facing slope above the gulf in the sixteenth century, but the four-storey building fell into disrepair after repeated pirate raids drove them out. Baron Baratta bought the ruin in the nineteenth century and converted it into his family's summer house — a debt the hotel still repays in the name of its bar, Baratta Sedici, for the address, Salita Baratta 16. Ruggero Valentini purchased the building in 1901 and opened it as a hotel the following year, and it has traded under the Splendido name ever since.

Belmond has managed the property since 1985, and in June 2025, after three years of meticulous restoration, the hotel reopened under Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, which reimagined the interiors in the spirit of a private Italian villa rather than imported glamour, drawing on Ligurian craftsmanship and local culture. The result mixes traditional Midollino weaves, restored antiques, and handcrafted Albissola ceramics through the public rooms and the 52 bedrooms and suites.

02Rooms and suites

The main house now counts 48 rooms and suites, 5 signature suites and 1 independent private villa, with Signature Suites ranging from 55 to 127 square metres and sleeping up to three guests. The showpiece of the redesign is the new Baronessa Suite, with a private garden and panoramic terrace, channelling the glamour of an Italian aristocrat's seaside retreat.

Insider tip

Reached via Salita Baratta; a complimentary shuttle links the hotel with Portofino's Piazzetta.

A few minutes down the hill, Villa Beatrice offers exclusive access to an entire property — four suites in the main building plus La Casetta, a separate one-bedroom stone cottage, set within more than an acre of private, protected parkland. Its eclectic Art Nouveau details — ceiling frescoes, terracotta floors, intricate woodwork — take their cue from the early twentieth-century architect Gino Coppedè, and guests get private beach access, tiered gardens, a plunge pool, gym, and dedicated butler and chef service, with full access to the restaurants and tennis courts at the main hotel.

03Where to eat

At La Terrazza, executive chef Corrado Corti leads a Ligurian menu with the bay as backdrop, built on Ligurian ingredients in open-air surroundings. One dish carries its own legend: Spaghetti alla Elizabeth Taylor traces back to the actress's frequent stays at the hotel through the 1960s, between film shoots, marriages and honeymoons, and Corrado Corti later pieced together the story behind it.

For something brighter and more casual, guests head to the redesigned Splendido Grill, which keeps the kitchen's Ligurian focus but trades white tablecloths for a poolside, all-day rhythm.

04The bar

Baratta Sedici, the hotel's newest bar, takes its name in honour of Baron Baratta, who made the Splendido his summer home in the 1800s before it was a hotel. It has become a social hub for guests and locals alike, with botanical murals, hand-crafted furnishings and a cocktail menu spotlighting Ligurian ingredients and Portofino Gin. On the terrace next door, pianist Vladi Gatto has provided the soundtrack to Splendido's evenings since the 1990s.

05Spa and wellbeing

The renovation's biggest addition was the first permanent Dior Spa in Italy, tucked into its own garden above the gulf. Beyond the treatment rooms, the hotel keeps to the basics guests expect of a Riviera grand hotel: a heated outdoor pool, gym and tennis court, alongside a small boutique for an afternoon away from the sun.

06The neighbourhood

Splendido sits roughly an hour's drive from Genoa Airport, with a complimentary shuttle running down to Splendido Mare in Portofino's Piazzetta. Inland, La Portofinese, an organic farm producing olive oil, wine and honey, offers guided visits and picnics featuring focaccia and cured meats as one of the hotel's curated excursions. Down at the water's edge, DaV Mare at Splendido Mare, helmed by the Cerea family, puts guests at the water's edge for an evening in the village, reached by the same shuttle.

07Making the most of a stay

Days tend to circle the pool and a private Van Dutch motor launch for excursions along the coast; evenings gravitate to Baratta Sedici before dinner at La Terrazza. Belmond marked the renovation with a new book produced with Assouline, celebrating the hotel as the radiant stage of Portofino. For total privacy, Villa Beatrice can be booked whole, with its own gardens and chef, while remaining a short walk from the main house's restaurants and tennis court.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.