In Portofino’s glitterati harbour, a cosy boutique hotel gets a chic redo

Just down the hill from the grand Hotel Splendido, a former Benedictine monastery turned iconic retreat on the Italian Riviera, sits a cosy sister property, the Splendido Mare, a Belmond Hotel, Portofino. Now, after a complete renovation — the first since prestigious French brand LVMH took over ownership of the luxury hotel company — the quiet refuge is set to reopen its doors this month.

For Splendido Mare’s new look, acclaimed Parisian design firm Festen Architecture took inspiration from the natural landscape and the nearby Portofino harbour’s history as a refuge for fishers. Each of the converted townhouse’s 14 rooms (from $846) incorporates nautical nods: Locally sourced, hand-varnished wood (traditionally used on boats) are included throughout; rope patterns are woven into headboards by renowned textile designer Véronique de Soultrait; and sailing knots, Splendido Mare’s emblem, embellish pieces like bespoke glassware and room keys.

Furnishings call back to Italy’s design-defining 1950s era, with nostalgic pieces — like walnut armchairs by Guglielmo Ulrich and table lamps by Oscar Torlasco, decor commonly found in Italian homes of that period — filling the spaces.

The hotel’s palette is similarly on theme. Ceiling accents come in cheerful pastels and warming ambers, representing the bright facades and window shutters of houses dotting the coast, while the statement tiling and white marble in the bathroom evoke the rustic beach cabins in neighbouring resort towns.

An eye for esthetic is evident elsewhere, too. Milan-based fashion designer (and LVMH Prize finalist) Arthur Arbesser crafted chic staff uniforms with fun geometric patterns and botanical references to Portofino’s national park. Meanwhile, the art includes paintings by Gabriele Cappelli, known for simple yet modernist works, and cinematic photography and abstract pieces by Ligurian artists in homage to their homeland.

Ligurian craftsmen also handmade the 7,000 terracotta tiles laid out in the restaurant, DaV Mare, designed to create the illusion of walking on water. The casual seafood spot, which features a dreamy open-air terrace overlooking Portofino’s Piazzetta, is a collaboration with respected local chef Roberto Villa (who grows an on-site rooftop garden) and the famed Cerea culinary family (best known for the three-Michelin-starred Da Vittorio in Bergamo).

Many rooms at Splendido Mare are named after their design inspiration. There’s the Ava Gardner suite, for the Golden Age star who became enamoured with Portofino while filming “The Barefoot Contessa” with Humphrey Bogart in 1954, and more elemental monikers like La Baia (bay) and La Marea (tide). It’s hard to imagine a more serene place to unwind for the night, reflecting on la dolce vita.

The Star understands the restrictions on travel during the coronavirus pandemic. But like you, we dream of travelling again, and we’re publishing this story with future trips in mind.