At the beginning of spring 1954, a curious crowd gathered in the main square of the village.
Facing this small Mediterranean port, Portofino and its narrow fishermen's houses in ocher, terracotta, pistachio colors, with pine-green shutters, serve as the backdrop for Joseph L. Mankiewicz's new feature film,
La Comtesse aux Pieds Nus
.
In the credits, two world icons of the 7th art, Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner.
On the piazzetta, the terrace of the Splendido Mare is already the landmark of crowned heads and Hollywood stars.
The Duke of Windsor, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, later Kate Moss or Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, have their habits there.
In the spring of 2021 and after three winters of work, the Splendido Mare hotel reopened its doors in the heart of this cinematographic setting prized by the Italian and international jet set.
It is the first establishment to be completely renovated by Belmond since the group joined LVMH.
To discover
Partner stay in Italy |
8 days |
Italian lakes, great enchanting sites
Between Italian design of the 1940s and 1950s and local know-how
The young duo of interior designers formed by Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay.
Courtesy Belmond
The project of reviving it while keeping in the spirit of a former guesthouse for fishermen is entrusted to Festen Architecture, an agency co-founded by two French thirty-year-olds, Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay.
Les Roches Rouges in Saint-Raphaël, Le Rochechouart in Paris… In less than ten years, this couple on the scene and in the city has become the darling of the hotel industry.
Charlotte de Tonnac, explains: “
We like to work on transformation projects of spaces imbued with a strong history in order to conceptualize the future.
".
The duo therefore played with the Italian codes of the 1940s and 1950s, local know-how and more contemporary inspirations.
The walnut armchairs by Guglielmo Ulrich sit side by side with table lamps by Oscar Torlasco, the fabrics are signed Loro Piana and Rubelli while the pattern of the floors evokes the Church of San Giorgio in Portofino.
Usually used for the shutters and facades of houses on the coast, the pastel colors of Liguria have been reinterpreted for the ceilings.
“
We avoided blue for this project, which seemed a bit too literal for a seaside hotel,” adds
Hugo Sauzay.
VISIT IN IMAGES OF THE SPLENDIDO MARE
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After several months of renovation and a design totally redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design totally redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design totally redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design totally redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design completely redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design totally redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design totally redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design totally redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design totally redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design totally redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design totally redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design totally redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design totally redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design completely redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design completely redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
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After several months of renovation and a design totally redesigned by the Parisian agency Festen Architecture, the Splendido Mare welcomes lovers of the Italian sweetness of life.
Courtesy Belmond
Each of the 14 rooms and suites refers to the interior of a
gozzo
, a traditional Italian fishing boat, drawing inspiration from the aesthetics of natural wood, ropes and brass.
Handcrafted by designer Véronique de Soultrait, the headboards have been woven with cords to form geometric patterns, while the nautical knot, emblem of the Splendido Mare, adorns the keys to the bedrooms.
The Carrara marble bathrooms are inspired by the beach huts of the nearby Santa Margherita Ligure resort, including the shower walls and their geometric white and green tiles.
"We want our guests to feel at home"
On the other side of Portofino bay, Brown Castle, a fortress immersed in a magnificent hanging garden. A postcard decor. Courtesy Belmond
Since maritime life permeates the hotel, a special event was needed to celebrate its opening at the beginning of May: the “Regate di Primavera - Splendido Mare Cup”. “
This nautical race in which sailboats of 18 meters set off was a great celebration and also launched the summer season of Portofino. We hope that this will become an unmissable annual meeting in the region
”enthuses the director of Splendido Mare, Michela Nicosai. "
We want our guests to feel at home and perfectly at ease while appreciating the historic spirit of the place,"
continues the hostess.
We also want to offer them a selection of unique experiences.
»Such as enjoying private access to the popular Paraggi beach, diving to discover the Christ of the Abyss, an imposing bronze sculpture submerged 17 m deep in the bay of San Fruttuoso, or discovering the region on a Vespa 946 Christian Dior redesigned by Maria Grazia Chiuri. And for the table, Belmond called on the Da Vittorio group to open the DaV Mare restaurant. Simple, seasonal cuisine to highlight local flavors. Connoisseurs will opt for one of the emblematic dishes of the three Michelin stars of Brusaporto, the legendary
Paccheri alla Vittorio
, prepared at the last minute in front of customers. A culinary experience in itself, before having a nightcap on the terrace of the Ava Gardner suite with its breathtaking view of the bay. Just as
splendido
!
Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel, Via Roma, 2, 16034 Portofino GE, Italy.
Phone.
: +39 0185 267 802. From 550 € per night.
