Hotel Piccolo Portofino.
Via Duca degli Abruzzi 31, Portofino.
It’s very hard to imagine a more breathtaking location than this. Clinging to the hillside just above the water, Hotel Piccolo is surrounded by luxuriant vegetation in a little bay just around the corner from Portofino harbour. The views are outstanding.
Built originally as a classical Italian villa, the hotel has been given an interior makeover that is packed with designer style. The contemporary design plays on strong contrasts, with combinations of marbles in white and black, and red velvets, glass and soft fabrics.
Just across the road, the gardens and terraces tumble down the rocky slope to the small private beach at the bottom. There’s a bar here where you can also get lunch, and the quiet bay is ideal for swimming or snorkelling in the shallow water above the rocks.
There are extensive areas to sit indoors as well as out, and restaurant decor has been inspired by the typical colours of the houses in Portofino. The menu follows the rich gastronomic tradition of Liguria, respecting the old and new cuisine of the region, with ingredients from the sea in front and the land behind. Dishes include the freshest catch of the day, and also selected meats like venison, combined with wild and cultivated herbs from the surrounding hills.
The boutique-style decor runs through into the guest rooms with simple lines, soft colours and luxurious features. A choice of rooms range from 16 sqm up to 30 sqm, many with a balcony and a sea view; not just wide open water, but blue sea, green hills and ochre-coloured villas dotting the landscape. Facilities include flatscreen television, wi-fi, air-conditioning, a safe, a minibar, slippers, bidet, hairdryer…..
Portofino is a gem, a former fishing village with narrow streets and colourful houses, winding paths and small squares of polished pebbles. It is filled with quality shops, bars and restaurants while the harbour is filled with the gleaming hulls of visiting yachts and cruisers. The walk from Hotel Piccolo to the centre of Portofino takes about 10 minutes along a delightful woodland path. For more adventurous walkers the peninsula has hills at its centre criss-crossed with spectacular trails.
We Say
Utterly idyllic.