Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino

Portofino has some fabulous hotels, but only a few of them are set on the town’s charming central piazza, one of the most photographed spots on the impossibly picturesque Italian Riviera. Splendido Mare is one of them, and it’s a toss-up whether it’s more pleasant inside or out. The boutique hotel is tucked into a row of pastel-colored buildings on the cobblestoned Piazza Martiri dell’Olivetta, with its fragrant citrus trees, open-air cafés, and white sailboats bobbing in the harbor just steps away. Stepping through the front door, you’ll find Splendido Mare colorful and chic: redesigned by Studio Festen in 2021, the décor takes inspiration from the village’s nautical history and the retro glamour of its midcentury heyday.

The street-level lobby and bar features terracotta flooring, vintage Italian furnishings, and original artworks by Ligurian artists, while rooms and suites have antique pieces, Carrara marble bathrooms, and custom lighting crafted in northern Italy. The simplest rooms, overlooking the piazza, have light-filled bathrooms with walk-in showers, while suites come with private balconies facing the marina. With a private garden terrace and an ultra-spacious bathroom with a tub, the lavish signature suite takes up the building’s entire penthouse level. Breakfast can be served in rooms or on the restaurant’s terrace, and the adjacent bar serves aperitivi at tables on the piazza. In a playful wink to days gone by, Splendido Mare has another amenity that’s hard to come by: its very own gelateria, a fifties-styled ice cream parlor with a wide window for ordering a takeaway cone while standing in the square.