Several ingredients put all together make the unique combination which allows Hotel Splendido to be at the top of almost all world hotel rankings.
One of them is a perfect location on the hill overlooking the small village Portofino with breathtaking views not only on the small port, but the whole Tigulian Bay, known for dancing dolphins, jet harder to spot here nowadays.
Hotel Splendido Portofino
The village is hidden from the land, and small roads closed for car traffic make the water way still most convenient to reach Portofino.
The cafes and colourful houses around village’s Piazza with local people enjoying the life on slow pace create the peaceful relaxing atmosphere the Italian province is famous for.
Which does not mean that Portofino is provincial. Besides the daily visitors coming aboard their private boats, quite a lot of rich and famous choose Splendido for their summer residence, wqell at least for a couple of days. The hotel guest book hides the great names of European leaders, crowned – like Rainier of Monaco, or hatted – like Sir Winston Churchill.
The names of film directors who stayed there include Cameron and Spielberg, and the list of movie stars contributed to the hotel’s nickname ‘small Hollywood’.
Beyond Liz Taylor and Burton, the travellers, who visited almost all villages of Mediterranean shores, Marcello Mastroianni and Liza Minelli who slept in the hotel under its first name Splendid, many of celebrities spend their holidays in the refurbished hotel, after acquisition by Orient-Express hotel chain. The new walls witnessed guests of all colours from Denzel and Beyonce, thorough Jennifer Lo to white pale of Anastacia. Almost frequent visitors in the last years are Rod Steward and another Hollywood couple Douglas Zeta-Jones.
The quality of staff service and the hotel amenities make another ingredient of the winning formula. There are 64 rooms and suites equipped with individual safes, laundry service, babysitting, car hire transfers with personal driver provided by the hotel, sauna and swimming pool – all keep up to the highest level possible.
Most rooms have balcony or terrace with view on the green slopes of olive trees and lavender descending into the blue of Portofino’s bay.
Several years ago the hotel received another unit in one of the houses surrounding Piazetta, called Splendido Mare.
[ photo courtesy of extravigator]
