Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino

My husband and I just stayed here for 2 1/2 days on our trip to Italy for our 20th anniversary. They made us feel like family from the moment we arrived. Everyone greeted you warmly, remembers your name, and is excited to help you and make your stay amazing. It was the hardest place we ever had to leave on our Italian journey, and I’m already trying to find excuse to travel all the way back from the US. At this unique property, you feel like you stepped back in time, the Pace slows, the emphasis is on enjoying the good food, the beautiful view, leisurely breakfast, strolls around the beautiful and friendly community. I recommend the beautiful walk along the coast to Santa Margarita. Every staff member was incredible from Felipe to housekeeping to room service and dining. The decor is inviting and the dining faces the stunning water. We will be back!!!!

Arriving at Splendido Mare feels like stepping into an Italian film. Overlooking Portofino’s picturesque harbour, the hotel has that effortless Riviera elegance that instantly slows the pace of the day. With only fourteen rooms it feels intimate, personal and very special. What truly makes it unforgettable is the team. Led by their wonderful manager Michela, they practise hospitality as an art , warm, attentive and effortlessly caring. At Dav Mare, Filipp, Juan, Susy, Fabio and Federico turn dinner into a joyful Italian evening. Luca at The Bar mixes fantastic cocktails while the harbour settles into night, and Salvatore from housekeeping keeps everything beautifully in place. We’re already looking forward to coming back.

Sometimes things take an unexpected turn and it ends up being something better than you could have imagined. This was exactly the experience that led us to Splendido Mare. My husband and I were ending a 3 week trip in Italy in another location of the country at a hotel that I had very expectations of. Unfortunately this experience was sadly nowhere near what we hoped and decided to leave and find another location to spend the final days of our travels. We did some quick research in terms of flight and hotel availability and we landed on Splendido Mare. We packed up our things, took a flight to Genoa and it was the best decision we could have made! Immediately upon entering Splendido Mare we were made to feel at home by the beautiful ( both inside and out!) Michela. Her and her team gave us the warmest welcome in this most idyllic location. I felt like I was in a dream. The decor is perfectly done, blending in seamlessly with the picturesque village of Portofino. Our stay ended up being a fabulous one. We loved eating at DaV Mare, the beach club was amazing and sharing the amenities with the Splendido on the hill provided us with an intimate boutique style hotel experience with all the amenities of a larger hotel. I am so thankful to Michela and team for being so accommodating to us. Given our last minute reservation, they didn’t have rooms available for our full stay so we had to move rooms during our time and also stay for one night at another hotel in the middle of our stay. Even with all that, they made it feel seamless and completely stress-free, we truly could not have had a better experience. I have even kept the incredibly sweet goodbye note that Michela wrote us in my memory box because the whole experience was just that special to us. I now can’t imagine how it is going to feel when we come back again this summer and actually have one room the entire time! Thank you to the whole team for your kindness and warmth, we can’t wait to see you all again in August!

From the prime location to the amazing rooms and the warmth of the team, the Splendido Mare is one of the best hotels we have stayed in.

We realize that Hotel Splendido Mare in Portofino does not need another positive, glowing review:  It's hardly a secret.  So we write this only to say that the accolades are really, honestly all true.  During our very brief stay this December, we appreciated luxurious amenities (including the lovely added touch of a glorious vase of freshly-cut flowers in our room), but it was the staff who made our stay especially memorable: they pampered us discreetly, and with such a warm sense of welcome —and we did not even dress the part!   Sometimes , when a place is so well-known, there is a risk of overstated expectations.  Our stay was simply perfect.