Belmond Hotel Splendido is the most romantically positioned luxury hotel in the Italian Riviera — a 16th-century Benedictine monastery converted in 1901 to one of the most distinctive hotels in Mediterranean Europe, perched on a forested hillside 100 metres above the village of Portofino with the unobstructed view across the harbour and the Ligurian Sea below. To stay at the Splendido is to stay where Greta Garbo, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and a continuous succession of European nobility, Hollywood royalty, and contemporary celebrities have stayed across more than a century. The 64 rooms and suites distributed across the original monastery and the surrounding terraced gardens — combined with the property's pool that appears to suspend above the harbour, the seasonal Da Vincenzo restaurant on the terrace, and the absolute seasonality of the May-to-October operating calendar — produce a property whose specific Italian Riviera identity no competitor matches. For broader context, see our Best Luxury Hotels in Italy guide and the Belmond Hotels chain guide.
The Setting: Portofino and the 1901 Monastery Conversion
The Splendido occupies a hillside compound 100 metres above Portofino harbour — the most photographed small fishing port in Italy, where the colourful pastel houses of the village curve around the natural harbour and the surrounding pine forest of the Portofino Promontory regional park rises behind. The position is the result of a specific architectural decision in 1901: when the original 16th-century Benedictine monastery (dissolved during the Napoleonic suppressions of religious houses in 1810) was converted to a hotel by the Pinelli-Gentile family, the architects deliberately preserved the monastery's elevated hillside position rather than building a more accessible waterfront property. The result is the dramatic ascent from the village — by the property's complimentary shuttle, by the historic Salita San Giorgio footpath through the gardens, or for the energetic by the steep but spectacularly scenic walking route from the harbour — that produces the most distinctive arrival sequence at any Italian Riviera hotel.
The 16th-century monastery building remains the architectural core of the property. The original cloistered courtyard (now the Splendido lobby and restaurant terrace), the cells (now the most heritage-character guest rooms), and the original chapel (now repurposed as a meeting and event space) have all been continuously preserved across the 124 years of hotel operation. The Pinelli-Gentile family operated the property until 2000, when LVMH acquired the Belmond hotel group; the family's descendants remain involved in the property's heritage stewardship.
The Rooms: 64 Across the Monastery and Garden Buildings
The Splendido operates 64 rooms and suites across three distinct architectural envelopes: the original 16th-century monastery building (the most heritage-character accommodations), the 1960s garden building extension (the more spacious contemporary configurations), and the recent annex addition (the larger family-suitable configurations). Every room category includes either the harbour view (the most-requested orientation) or the garden view (the more peaceful inland orientation, with the surrounding pine forest as the backdrop).
Classic Room (the entry-level luxury accommodation)
The Classic Rooms — at 25 sq m, with garden or partial sea view — are the hotel's standard accommodation, configured within the original monastery building's preserved spatial proportions. The room sizes are modest by contemporary luxury standards, reflecting the original monastery's cell-scale architecture; the room quality and the heritage character are not modest. The bathroom configuration, the marble specification, and the dedicated minibar arrangement all reflect the contemporary Belmond luxury standard.
Junior Suite Sea View (the upgraded configuration)
The Junior Suite Sea View — at 35 sq m, with the unobstructed Portofino harbour view from the bedroom — is the hotel's most-requested category. The configuration adds the seating area to the bedroom and the larger bathroom; the harbour view is the specific value lever for the booking decision. The suites positioned for the sunset view (west-facing terraces) produce the most photographed Italian Riviera evening from any hotel room window in the country.
Splendido Suite (the heritage-character flagship)
The Splendido Suites — at 60 sq m, with separate living rooms — are the property's signature large accommodations. The corner Splendido Suites with the wraparound terrace and the two-direction harbour-and-garden view are the most-requested specific category for the milestone celebration or the longer stay (5+ nights, when the additional living space justifies the rate increment).
The Heritage Suite (the property's most distinctive accommodation)
The Heritage Suite — in the original monastery's principal hall, with the preserved 16th-century vaulted ceiling and the most generous architectural envelope at the property — is the Splendido's flagship single accommodation. The suite has hosted heads of state, royal visits, and the most significant private events in the property's contemporary history.
The Pool: The Most Photographed Hillside Pool in Italy
The Splendido's pool is the most internationally photographed hillside swimming pool in Italy. Positioned on the property's south-facing terrace 100 metres above Portofino harbour, the pool's outer edge appears to suspend over the harbour and the Ligurian Sea below — the architectural illusion produced by the specific positioning of the pool deck against the surrounding garden's drop. The pool's saltwater specification, the heated operation across the May-to-October season, and the dedicated poolside service from the adjacent Da Vincenzo restaurant make it the most operationally distinctive amenity at the property.
The Restaurant Programme: Da Vincenzo and La Terrazza
La Terrazza is the Splendido's principal dining venue — the open-air terrace restaurant in the converted cloister, with the view across the harbour and the Ligurian Riviera as the dining environment. The menu emphasises the Ligurian regional cuisine — the pesto Genovese (the dish whose authentic preparation requires the specific basil cultivar from the region), the focaccia di Recco (the local cheese-stuffed flatbread), the white anchovies of the Ligurian coast, the Genovese fish stew (cacciucco) — alongside the contemporary international fine dining menu that the property's international clientele expects.
Da Vincenzo is the seasonal pool-terrace restaurant, named for the Pinelli-Gentile family's longtime chef who established the casual Italian seafood programme that the contemporary version continues. The grilled local fish, the fresh pasta with the Ligurian cream sauces, the panzanella salads, and the substantial wine programme of Italian regional wines make this the most photographed and most reliably excellent casual dining experience at any Italian Riviera hotel.
The Seasonal Operating Calendar
The Splendido operates only from late March through early November — a seasonal closure that reflects both the operational reality of the Italian Riviera's tourist calendar and the deliberate Belmond commitment to the property's specific seasonal identity. The closure produces several practical implications for the booking traveler. First, demand is concentrated into the seven-month operational window, which produces specific high-demand weeks (the late-July through August Italian holiday peak, the early-September shoulder, the May–June pre-peak) where availability is meaningfully tighter than at year-round properties. Second, the season-opening (late March/early April) and season-closing (late October/early November) weeks produce specific value windows where the rate is meaningfully below the peak summer level and the weather quality remains acceptable for the property's specific Mediterranean experience. Third, the off-season closure means the booking calendar is restricted; planning a Splendido stay specifically requires advance commitment that the year-round luxury market does not require.
Position in the Italian Riviera Luxury Market
The Italian Riviera's luxury hotel market includes several distinguished competitors: the Belmond Hotel Splendido Mare (the sister property at the harbour level in Portofino itself, with more accessible rates and the harbour-front position), the Hotel Eight Portofino (the smaller boutique competitor in the village), the Grand Hotel Miramare (the alternative Santa Margherita Ligure heritage property), and the Belmond Hotel Cala di Volpe (the Sardinian Costa Smeralda alternative for travelers willing to extend the geography). The Splendido's position among these is specific: the only hilltop monastery-converted heritage hotel of this architectural completeness, the most photographed hillside hotel pool in the country, and the most internationally celebrated single Italian Riviera address. For the traveler whose Italian Riviera motivation includes the maximum heritage character at the most dramatic positional advantage, the Splendido is the strongest single recommendation.
The Belmond Bellini Club Booking Through WhataHotel!
Belmond Hotel Splendido books through the Belmond Bellini Club preferred partner program — the Belmond brand's tier-1 preferred partner relationship that WhataHotel! holds across the global Belmond portfolio. The benefits at this property include daily breakfast for two on the La Terrazza (the elaborate Italian breakfast configuration, served on the cloistered terrace with the harbour view, is among the most photographed breakfast experiences in any Belmond property), $100 USD hotel credit per stay (typically applied at La Terrazza or the Splendido Spa), upgrade priority at check-in (the Classic Room to Junior Suite Sea View upgrade is the primary value lever and produces the meaningful difference between a good stay and a memorable one), early check-in and late checkout on priority basis, and a personalised welcome amenity. The Bellini Club rate matches the rate on belmond.com directly.
When to Visit
The Italian Riviera's most pleasant weather runs from late May through late September — the period when the Mediterranean sea temperature is above 22°C, the daily temperatures are between 22°C and 30°C, and the rainfall pattern is at its lightest. The Splendido's specific seasonal operating window (late March through early November) captures both the spring shoulder (April–May, before the peak) and the autumn shoulder (mid-September through October, after the Italian holiday peak ends). The peak season weeks specifically include the Italian holiday peak (late July through end of August, when the village is at its busiest and the rates are at their highest) and the September wedding season (early September is among the most-popular weeks for wedding bookings).
For the value-led traveler, the late-April through mid-May window and the late-September through October window deliver the strongest combination of acceptable weather and meaningfully better availability and rates. For the social-energy-led traveler, the late-July through August Italian holiday peak is the most active and most photographically rewarding period — at the corresponding price level.