In short… Chic and intimate, it feels more like a guest house than a fancy hotel, directly on the Portofino harbor
The vibe/surroundings… The Splendido Mare is very discreet—you might walk right past its front door, as there are no doormen or valets standing around. In fact, it’s in a pedestrian-only area, so you’re dropped off about a 3-minute walk away, in the Portofino parking/turnaround area, and someone from the hotel comes to greet you and walks you down to check in, while your bags are handled by someone else. The decor was redone by Festen in 2021, who were masterful at creating a space that feels elegant/comfortable/youthful/unstuffy. Nothing screams modern or dusty—everything looks as if it has always been this way, timeless and refreshed, like the beautiful tile floor that I assumed was from the ‘60s, but was part of the Festen renovation. While the hotel may be small—with only 14 rooms/suites—it comes with access to the Splendido, its sister hotel, just a quick shuttle or walk away, and to the beach club at Paraggi.
The rooms… Our room was on the third floor, with a separate living area and a charming terrace filled with pink geraniums and jasmine, a seating area for two, and a view over the harbor. The bedroom also overlooks the harbor, but the thing that really stood out to us was the beautiful handmade rope headboard. The minibar was stocked with the most gorgeous tea cups by Ginori—with lids even—and it took all of my self control to not walk away with one. The turndown service was perhaps the highlight of the whole trip! My husband had left something in the room, and when he went back to get it, he heard laughter and cooing. Turns out our dog Prune had jumped onto our bed and was sleeping on the pillow—and rather than move her so they could do turndown, they worked around her so as not to disturb her. Matt got a great photo of them posing with her, and it might be one of my favorite hotel moments. It’s most definitely a dog- and kid-friendly hotel.
The gym/wellness… In 2024, the hotel acquired a fitness space on the harbor about a 2-minute walk from the hotel. It’s excellent, with Technogym and every kind of weight/band you could want. There’s also an espresso machine! In the rooms, there are Technogym bags with TRX, a yoga mat and bands. You can use the beautiful saltwater pool at the Splendido, as well as their spa and gym. Plus there’s such great walking nearby–we walked to the lighthouse, about 30-45 minutes round trip, but if you’re really ambitious, you could walk to San Fruttuoso, where there’s a beautiful abbey (and great places for lunch), and if you don’t want to walk back, they’ll send a boat for you.
The food and drink… The restaurant at the hotel is DaV Mare, which is part of the da Vittorio group—best known for its 3-Michelin-star restaurant in Bergamo and for its legendary paccheri da Vittorio, a pasta with several types of tomatoes and butter, which is delicious. They also make a beautiful and huge Milanese. Breakfast was delicious—my scrambled eggs were perfect. The hotel bought the 100-year-old ice cream shop just across the street, Gelateria San Giorgio, which is excellent. And the bar team at the Mare is fantastic, with a lot of creativity that goes into making their signature drinks. They’ve recently introduced a new tasting menu, where the bartender does a flight of drinks, then pairs the food to match it—a welcome shift from the typical wine tasting model, which follows the food.
Don’t miss… Definitely take the shuttle to Paraggi beach and have lunch at Langosteria. Go out on their wooden gozzo boat for the 2-hour tour of the Ligurian Coast, which comes with your stay. And go for cocktails at the Splendido, when Vlad is singing/playing piano.
Date of stay… June 5, 2025
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