There are places that can't simply be visited: they must be experienced, savored slowly, like a fine vintage wine or a conversation under the stars. They are spaces of the soul, where every stone, every view, every gesture tells a story that precedes our arrival and will continue to exist... after our departure.
Portofino is one of these places: a subtle refuge between land and sea, suspended between myth and reality. And in this almost absolute setting, two properties shine once again with a new, discreet yet unmistakable light: Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, and the brand new Villa Beatrice.
Returning to Portofino is always, to some extent, a sentimental act. But doing so today, in the season that marks Splendido's rebirth, has something more: it's an invitation to recognize how authentic beauty can still move. Not the glossy, overblown, overused beauty of globalized luxury circuits, but the noble and silent kind that lies behind a sincere gesture of courtesy, a carefully chosen fabric, a flavor that awakens dormant memories. In a word: authenticity.
Perched on a slope overlooking the Gulf of Tigullio, among maritime pines and blooming bougainvillea, Splendido is more than just a hotel. It's a legend. A place that has always welcomed illustrious guests—from jet setters to members of royal families—and which today, thanks to a restoration that combines philological rigor and creative flair, is once again the epitome of Mediterranean hospitality. The project didn't simply renovate the rooms: it listened to them. It let the structure itself—a former 16th-century Benedictine monastery—inform the rhythms, colors, and atmospheres. The result is a harmony that's difficult to explain but immediately perceptible: that of a place where nothing seems forced, where every space seems to have found its ideal form.
The renovated suites speak the language of restrained refinement. Fine fabrics, artisanal ceramics, references to Ligurian tradition reinterpreted with a contemporary eye: everything is designed to make guests feel not like spectators, but rather part of a larger narrative, almost epic in its subtlety. The terraced gardens, which slope down to the sea with the calm of an ancient thought, are the perfect setting for long morning strolls or the meditative silence of a sunset aperitif. Every corner invites you to slow down, to breathe, to remember that true wealth is time—and how we spend it.
DIOR SPA: WELL-BEING AS A BEAUTY EXPERIENCE Completing this sensory experience is a new addition that can't go unnoticed: the opening of the first permanent Dior Spa in Italy, within the Splendido complex. Yet here, as in the rest of the hotel, excellence isn't on display, it's whispered. No blinding lights, no excess. Just meticulously curated spaces, where white, cream, and pale gold create a hushed, almost sacred atmosphere.
Overlooking a greenery scented with sage and Mediterranean scrub, the spa unfolds among sea-view cabins, secret terraces, and hidden paths. The treatments—developed by Dior Beauty – combine dermatological knowledge with the wisdom of gesture, with rituals that include semi-precious stones, natural oils, and massages that evoke ancestral techniques. Here, the very concept of luxury dissolves into slowness, into the possibility of self-care as a profound, non-narcissistic act.
VILLA BEATRICE: A GEM REDISCOVERED ON THE ITALIAN RIVIERA Gracefully nestled along the gentle slopes of the Portofino Regional Natural Park, just minutes from the historic Splendido, Villa Beatrice is preparing to reveal itself to the world in July 2025, as the first private villa in the Belmond portfolio—a new icon of Italian elegance.
Once known as Odero CastleThis charming residence was commissioned by the magnate Attilio Odero and designed in 1913 by the eclectic Tuscan architect Gino Coppedè. Today, after an impeccable restoration that has preserved its original spirit, Villa Beatrice stands majestically on Punta Caiega, between the enchanting villages of Paraggi and Portofino, overlooking the Ligurian coast with discreet magnificence.
This exclusive residence offers guests total privacy and a rare intimacy, with private access to the sea and the privilege of all Splendido signature amenities. Surrounded by a lush subtropical garden, the villa extends over three main floors plus a panoramic penthouse called "The Turret”, from which the view extends all the way to the Cinque Terre. It can accommodate up to ten people in a refined and welcoming atmosphere: four elegant suites in the main villa and a fifth independent suite in the The Little HouseA romantic cottage nestled in a fragrant citrus grove. Every detail of Villa Beatrice is designed to offer an unparalleled stay: the sea-facing pool opens onto a private solarium, while the panoramic terrace invites intimate dinners, surrounded by the scent of lemon trees and broom.
And then there's the kitchen—the beating heart of the villa—ready to welcome a personal chef, capable of transforming every meal into a celebration of Ligurian culinary identity, featuring focaccia, fresh fish, and local olive oil and wine. For those who wish, there's also a yoga terrace among the olive trees, where the body can rediscover its natural rhythm and the mind can finally indulge in the rarest luxury: silence.
From the lower terraces, the gaze is lost in the poignant beauty of the Portofino Bay, while from the heart of the villa the panorama opens onto the Gulf of Tigullio, between the delicate lines of Paraggi and the legendary lands of eastern Liguria.
Villa Beatrice is more than just a residence: it's a declaration of love for the Riviera, a rediscovered dream just waiting to be lived.
