Belmond Splendido and the spirit of Portofino

A hotel that watches the harbour quietly from the hillside.

High above the small harbour of Portofino, the terraces of Belmond Hotel Splendido open toward one of the most recognisable views on the Italian Riviera. Pastel houses gather around a curved bay, fishing boats drift slowly across the water, and the wooded hills behind the village fall steeply toward the sea. The harbour sits both close and distant at the same time — visible in detail, yet separated by enough elevation to soften its sounds into background texture.

Conversation rises faintly from the piazzetta below. Glasses meet across café tables. The occasional boat engine fades as it moves beyond the headland. What remains on the hillside is a quieter version of Portofino — one shaped more by light and air than by movement.

The building itself began life in the 16th century as a Benedictine monastery. Positioned above the harbour, the site allowed monks to look out across both sea and forest, a vantage point that still defines the hotel today. When the property was converted into a hotel in 1902 by Ruggero Valentini, the essential character of the place hardly needed to change.

Walking through the property is less like entering a resort and more like arriving at a private villa overlooking the village. Stone staircases connect terraces planted with lemon trees and flowering bougainvillea, while narrow garden paths open suddenly onto wide views of the harbour.

Texture plays an important role in how the place reveals itself. Warm terracotta sits underfoot along the terraces. Pale stucco walls reflect the afternoon light upward, softening the heat of the Ligurian sun. Curtains move quietly in open windows as air circulates through the hillside.

Guests tend to slow down almost immediately after arriving. Tables align themselves along the terrace edges where the harbour is most visible, and once seated it becomes surprisingly easy to remain there for hours without noticing time passing.

Below, Portofino unfolds gradually throughout the day. Fishing boats return toward the marina in loose lines across the water. Ferries pause briefly before continuing along the coast. The small piazzetta fills slowly with visitors who arrive by foot or by boat. The elevation creates distance without detachment — you remain part of the scene while observing it from above.

The rooms face outward like the terraces. Large windows frame the harbour, balconies open toward the sea, and Martin Brudnizki’s recent redesign preserved the villa atmosphere while introducing lighter tones that echo the coast.

The hotel’s bar has become one of the best places to pause above the harbour. At Baratta Sedici, cocktails are built around Ligurian botanicals — rosemary, thyme, citrus from nearby groves. Aperitivo hour fills the terrace slowly as guests gather facing the bay. Once the light softens, the evening unfolds from there.

Muted greens and pale blues appear throughout the rooms, mirroring the tones of olive trees and sea beyond the terrace railings. The effect is subtle but deliberate — interiors that reflect the landscape rather than compete with it.

Splendido’s reputation as a retreat for artists, writers and actors grew naturally from this setting. For decades the hotel has attracted guests who prefer privacy and atmosphere to spectacle, many returning year after year because the experience delivers consistency without staleness.

By the time afternoon begins to soften, the terraces become the centre of gravity again. Lunch stretches comfortably into the later hours. Glasses of chilled Ligurian white wine remain half-finished beside plates of seafood. Conversations settle into the relaxed cadence that defines much of coastal Italy.

The pool sits near the edge of the hillside, positioned so that the water merges visually with the bay below. Guests swim slowly, often pausing at the far edge where the harbour becomes visible between the trees. The village appears almost miniature from here, its coloured houses clustered around the marina far beneath the terraces.

Evening returns the attention back toward the harbour. Lights begin appearing along the waterfront as restaurants open their terraces and boats settle into the marina for the night. Each reflection stretches across the water like a line of soft gold.

And from the terraces of Splendido, where the air carries the scent of citrus trees and salt water, the view rarely operates as something you simply look at. It becomes something you settle into — slowly, comfortably, and often much longer than planned.