Hotel Il Pellicano

Character and identity

Perched on a cliff above the Argentario coast, Il Pellicano is a 50-room hideaway split between a main building and seven terracotta cottages scattered across the promontory, with gardens by Paolo Pejrone tumbling toward the sea. Opened in 1965 by a British-American couple and now under Marie-Louise Sciò's creative direction, it retains a Slim Aarons, private-club atmosphere updated with Lisa Corti textiles, handmade ceramics and refreshed fabrics. Michelino Gioia holds a Michelin star at the flagship Il Pellicano restaurant, with Pelligrill on the veranda for grilled Chianina, and barman Roberto runs an aperitivo ritual that defines the evenings. A sundeck on the rocks, stone pool above and the Morgan 44 boat anchor the days.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you're paying for is atmosphere, location and a near-cult continuity of style, not square footage or spa scale. The cooking is genuinely accomplished and the cliff-edge setting is the real luxury. Book a cottage with sea views, plan a year ahead for July and August, and target the shoulder months of May, June or September for warm water with fewer crowds. The hotel closes from late October to April.