Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino

Unimpeachable. Splendido sits on a private hillside above Portofino with what is arguably the finest hotel view in the Mediterranean — a panoramic sweep of the pastel harbor, the Castello Brown, and the Tigullio bay beyond. A complimentary shuttle runs every fifteen minutes to the village (a ten-minute walk downhill, considerably more coming back up), and the property itself is a garden of terraced olive, bougainvillea, and jasmine. The Dior Beach Club partnership at Paraggi adds proper seaside access, which the hotel itself lacks. Portofino as a destination has its own compromises — it can feel overrun by cruise day-trippers and Instagram tourists during high season — but the Splendido's elevated perch effectively insulates guests from the worst of it.

The renovation under Belmond has been tasteful, preserving the hotel's old-Hollywood bones (the black-and-white celebrity photographs in the stairwells, the glossy marble floors, the terraced gardens) while quietly modernizing. Evenings on the terrace — candles, the pianist, the lights of Portofino twinkling below — produce the kind of atmosphere Italian luxury is supposed to trade in but rarely delivers. The aesthetic is classic rather than contemporary; guests who prefer the clean minimalism of, say, the Mandarin Oriental in Milan may find Splendido's flower-heavy romanticism slightly theatrical. That theatricality is, of course, the point.

This is Splendido's most distinguishing asset, and the single most consistent thread across years of guest experience. The staff operates with a hands-on, anticipatory style that feels genuinely warm rather than mechanically polished — pillows embroidered with guests' initials, handwritten notes, restaurant preferences remembered from the prior evening. Under Pacifico's leadership the team has gelled remarkably well, and figures like Antonella Guidone, the barman Andrea, the tennis pro Flavio, and the legendary pianist Vlad have become genuine draws in their own right. Where service occasionally stumbles — and it does — it tends to be at peak capacity: slower drink service at the pool, uneven pacing at La Terrazza during high-season dinners, and a historical tendency (less pronounced now) to visibly prioritize well-known repeat guests over newcomers. On balance, however, this remains one of the warmest service cultures in the European luxury tier.

La Terrazza, the main restaurant, delivers an experience where the view does much of the heavy lifting — but the food has improved markedly post-renovation and now holds its own. Ligurian classics (pesto, focaccia, local seafood) are the safest bets, and the pastry and breakfast programs are genuinely excellent, with the French toast achieving something close to cult status. The poolside Grill is the sleeper hit — wood-fired pizza that comfortably rivals Naples, served with one of the best lunch views in Italy. Bar service under Andrea is sharp and inventive. The weak spots are predictable: wine markups are steep even by Italian luxury standards, cocktail pricing crosses into the theatrical (€29 Aperol Spritz), and the Chuflay/DaV Mare restaurant at the sister property in town has been historically inconsistent, though currently trending upward.

Here is where honesty matters. The ongoing renovation has produced some genuinely stunning accommodations — airy, light-drenched, with beautiful marble baths, Frette linens, and the kind of curated detail (fresh orchids, Penhaligon's and Bulgari amenities) the price point demands. The top-tier suites, particularly the San Giorgio and the newly created suites below the terrace, are world-class. However, rooms at Splendido vary dramatically in size, configuration, and state of renovation, and a standard "double sea view" can feel surprisingly tight for what you're paying. The property is closing for a comprehensive renovation expected to reopen with 55 larger rooms in place of the current 61-plus — a tacit acknowledgment that the room product had fallen behind the service and setting.

There is no polite way to say it: Splendido is extraordinarily expensive, with standard rooms routinely crossing €2,000 in high season and suites pushing well past €3,000. Whether the value proposition holds depends almost entirely on what you book and when. The newly renovated suites and the full service experience broadly justify the expenditure for a traveler who understands what they're paying for. A small, unrenovated standard room in August at rack rate does not. Food and beverage pricing is aggressive — a 12-euro Coke is not apocryphal — and guests should expect the final bill to meaningfully exceed the room rate.